فَلَوْلَا نَصَرَهُمُ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ قُرْبَانًا آلِهَةً ۖ بَلْ ضَلُّوا عَنْهُمْ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ إِفْكُهُمْ وَمَا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ
Why then did the gods they had taken apart from God as propitiators, not come to their aid? In fact they strayed away from them. It was all a lie what they had contrived!
So, why did those whom they took for deities apart from God as a means of nearness (to God) not help them (against God’s punishment)? Rather, they failed them. That was (the end result of) their falsehood and all that they used to fabricate (of slanders against God).
Why then, did not those beings whom they had taken up for gods apart from Allâh to bring (them) close (to Him) help them? Instead (of being any help to them) they were lost to them. Such was (the outcome of) their lie and (of) what they fabricated (that their gods were a means to bring them close to God).
But, then, did those [beings] whom they had chosen to worship as deities beside God, hoping that they would bring them nearer [to Him], 33 help them [in the end]? Nay, they forsook them: for that [alleged divinity] was but an outcome of their self-delusion and all their false imagery. 34
Then wherefore succoured them not those whom they had taken for gods beside Allah, as a means of approach? Aye! they failed them. And that was their lie, that which they had been fabricating.
So why did they - the ones whom they had chosen as Gods as a means of attaining Allah’s proximity - not help them? In fact the disbelievers lost them; and this is just their slander and fabrication.
Why did not then those help them whom they took for gods besides Allah to draw them nigh (to Him)? Nay! They were lost to them; and this was their lie and what they forged.
So if only those whom they took (as) an approachment to God, gods from other than God gave them victory/aid (if only their gods that they worship other than God would give them victory), but they misguided from them, and that (is) their lies/falsehood, and what they were fabricating/cutting and splitting.
- Then Why did not those whom they worshipped besides Allah helped them who they regarded as a means of attaining nearness to Him? But those deities utterly forsake them, because those were nothing but their lies and their false inventions.
And certainly We destroyed the towns round about you, and We repeat the messages that they may turn.
Why did the idols, whom they worshipped as a means of pleasing God, not help them? In fact, they proved to be the cause of their going astray and it were lies which they had falsely invented lies.
Then why did those whom they had chosen for gods as a way of approach (unto Allah) not help them? Nay, but they did fail them utterly. And (all) that was their lie, and what they used to invent.
Why did not then those help them whom they took for gods besides Allah to draw (them) nigh (to Him)? Nay! they were lost to them; and this was their lie and what they forged.
Then why did those whom they had taken for aliha (gods) besides Allah, as a way of approach (to Allah) not help them? Nay, but they vanished completely from them (when there came the torment). And that was their lie, and their inventions which they had been inventing (before their destruction).
Why then was no help forthcoming to them from those whom they worshipped as gods, besides Allah, as a means of access (to Allah)? Nay, they left them in the lurch: but that was their falsehood and their invention.