وَإِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَیْهِمْ ءَایَـتُنَا قَالُوا قَدْ سَمِعْنَا لَوْ نَشَآءُ لَقُلْنَا مِثْلَ هَـذَآ إِنْ هَـذَآ إِلاَّ أَسَـطِیرُ الاَْوَّلِینَ(31)

31- AND WHEN OUR SIGNS (i.e. QURANIC VERSES) WERE RECITED TO THEM, THEY SAID: `WE HAVE HEARD THEM; IF WE WISH WE WILL SAY THE LIKE OF THESE. THESE (VERSES) ARE NOTHING BUT THE PRIMEVAL FABLES.'

وَإِذْ قَالُوا اللَّهُمَّ إِن کَانَ هَـذَا هُوَ الْحَقَّ مِنْ عِندِکَ فَأَمْطِرْ عَلَیْنَا حِجَارَةً مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ أَوِ ائْتِنَا بِعَذَاب أَلِیم (32)

32- AND WHEN THEY SAID: `O, ALLAH! IF THIS IS THE TRUTH FROM YOU; THEN RAIN DOWN UPON US STONES FROM THE SKY, OR BRING ON US A PAINFUL TORMENT.

وَمَا کَانَ اللهُ لِیُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِیهِمْ وَمَا کَانَ اللهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ یَسْتَغْفِرُونَ (33)

33- AND ALLAH WOULD NOT PUNISH THEM WHILE YOU ARE AMONG THEM; AND ALLAH WOULD NOT PUNISH THEM, AND THEY ASK FOR FORGIVENESS.

وَمَا لَهُمْ أَلاَّ یُعَذِّبَهُمُ اللهُ وَهُمْ یَصُدُّونَ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَمَا کَانُوا أَوْلِیَآءَهُ إِنْ أَوْلِیآؤُهُ إِلاَّ الْمُتَّقُونَ وَلَـکِنَّ أَکْثَرَهُمْ لاَ یَعْلَمُونَ (34)

34- AND WHAT PLEA DO THEY HAVE, THAT ALLAH SHOULD NOT PUNISH THEM; WHEN THEY DEBAR (PEOPLE) FROM THE SACRED MOSQUE, WITHOUT BEING ITS GUARDIANS - ITS GUARDIANS ARE NONE BUT THOSE WHO ARE PIOUS, BUT MOST OF THEM KNOW NOT.

وَمَا کَانَ صَلاَتُهُمْ عِندَ الْبَیْتِ إِلاَّ مُکَآءً وَتَصْدِیَةً فَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ بِمَا کُنتُمْ تَکْفُرُونَ (35)

35- AND THEIR PRAYER IN THE HOUSE WAS NOTHING EXCEPT WHISTLING AND CLAPPING. THEN TASTE THE TORMENT FOR YOUR UNBELIEF.