22. Surah Al-Hajj, Verse 48

And many a town I have given it respite while it was doing wrong, then I seized it! And to Me is the destiny.

("As you sow, so shall you reap", is a rock-solid Law, as evidenced by the history of the rise and fall of nations. ) How many communities have gone before whom I gave respite although they were transgressors, but then My Law of Requital seized them. For with Me is the end of all journeys.

And how many a city did I grant respite when it was doing wrong! — then I seized it; and to Me is the journey’s end.

Andmany a town I have given it respite while it was doing wrong, then I seized it! And to Me is the destiny.

Many a town I have given it respite while it was doing wrong, then I seized it! To Me is the destiny.

How many wrongdoing cities I allowed time to and then I seized them. I am their final destination!

Many a community in the past committed evil, and I led them on for awhile, then I punished them. To Me is the ultimate destiny.

To how many habitations did We give respite, though given to wickedness, and then seized them. To Me they had to come back in the end.

And for how many a city did I prolong enjoyment while it was committing wrong. Then I seized it, and to Me is the [final] destination.

And to how many a community that was im­mersed in evildoing have I given rein for a while! But then I took it to task: for with Me is all journeys’ end!

And how many a township did I suffer long though it was sinful! Then I grasped it. Unto Me is the return.

And how many towns of wrongful inhabitants did I grant respite then I cast them down from a position of prosperity and power and brought them to ruin and to Me shall in the end be the destination.

I gave ample time to any a community in the past before punishing them in account of their wickedness. To God is everyone’s destiny.

And many a township did I give respite while it was given to wrong-doing. Then (in the end) I seized it (with punishment). And to Me is the (final) return (of all).

And to how many populations did I give respite, which were given to wrong-doing? in the end I punished them. To me is the destination (of all).

Many are the societies whose end We delayed while they did wrong, then seized them. And to Me is the final return.

And how many towns were there to whom I allowed respite, while they were wrongdoers, then I seized them. And to Me is the final return.

To many a town steeped in wrongdoing I gave more time and then struck them down: they all return to Me in the end.

How many a city I have respited in its evildoing; then I seized it, and to Me was the homecoming.

And to how many a city have I given full range while it yet did wrong! then I seized on it, and unto me was the return.

They will bid you to hasten on the torment, but Allah will never fail in his promise; for, verily, a day with your Lord is as a thousand years of what you number.

And (similarly) many a town I have reprieved, (while) it was unjust; thereafter I took it (away), and to Me is the Destiny.

Unto how many cities have I granted respite, though they were wicked? Yet afterwards I chastised them: And unto Me shall they come to be judged, at the last day.

And to how many populations did I (Allah) give relief, those who were used to doing wrong? In the end I (Allah) punished them. To Me is the destination (of all).

And so many (people of) townships were given to wicked ways but I respited them long. Then I took them to task and to Me alone shall be the return (of all of them).

To how many a town did I give respite while it was wrongdoing! Then I seized it, and toward Me is the destination.