˹Even˺ the closest ˹to Allah˺ of those invoked would be seeking a way to their Lord, hoping for His mercy, and fearing His punishment. Indeed, your Lord’s torment is fearsome.
Nothing keeps Us from sending the ˹demanded˺ signs except that they had ˹already˺ been denied by earlier peoples. And We gave Thamûd the she-camel as a clear sign, but they wrongfully rejected it.1 We only send the signs as a warning.
And ˹remember, O Prophet˺ when We told you, “Certainly your Lord encompasses the people.” And We have made what We brought you to see1 as well as the cursed tree ˹mentioned˺ in the Quran2 only as a test for the people. We keep warning them, but it only increases them greatly in defiance.
And ˹remember˺ when We said to the angels, “Prostrate before Adam,” so they all did—but not Iblîs,1 who protested, “Should I prostrate to the one You have created from mud?”
Adding, “Do you see this one you honoured above me? If you delay my end until the Day of Judgment, I will certainly take hold of his descendants, except for a few.”
