قَالُواْ لَمۡ نَكُ مِنَ ٱلۡمُصَلِّينَ
and they will answer, ‘We did not pray;
وَلَمۡ نَكُ نُطۡعِمُ ٱلۡمِسۡكِينَ
we did not feed the poor;
وَكُنَّا نَخُوضُ مَعَ ٱلۡخَآئِضِينَ
we indulged with others [in mocking the believers];
وَكُنَّا نُكَذِّبُ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ
we denied the Day of Judgement
حَتَّىٰٓ أَتَىٰنَا ٱلۡيَقِينُ
until the Certain End came upon us.’
فَمَا تَنفَعُهُمۡ شَفَٰعَةُ ٱلشَّـٰفِعِينَ
No intercessor’s plea will benefit them now.
فَمَا لَهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلتَّذۡكِرَةِ مُعۡرِضِينَ
What is the matter with them? Why do they turn away from the warning,
كَأَنَّهُمۡ حُمُرٞ مُّسۡتَنفِرَةٞ
like frightened asses
فَرَّتۡ مِن قَسۡوَرَةِۭ
fleeing from a lion?
بَلۡ يُرِيدُ كُلُّ ٱمۡرِيٕٖ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَن يُؤۡتَىٰ صُحُفٗا مُّنَشَّرَةٗ
Each one of them demands that a scripture be sent down to him and unrolled before his very eyes-