ضَعُفَتْWeakenedأَبْصَارُهُمْtheir sightsبَصَائِرِهِمْof their insightsعَنْfromاحْتِمَالِbearingمَاwhatفِيis inالصَّيَبِthe downpourمِنْofبُرُوقِlightningsأَنْوَارِهِand its lightsوَضِيَاءِand brightnessمَعَانِيهِof its meanings.
The sights of their insights weakened from bearing what is in the downpour of lightnings, its lights, and the brightness of its meanings.
وَعَجَزَتْAnd unableأَسْمَاعُهُمْwere their earsعَنْfromتَلَقِّيreceivingرُعُودِthe thundersوُعُودِهِمْand its promisesوَأَوَامِرِهِمْand its commandsوَنَوَاهِيهِمْand its prohibitions.
And their ears were unable to receive the thunders of its promises, commands, and prohibitions.
فَقَامُواSo they stoodعِنْدَatذَلِكَthatحِيَارَىconfusedفِيinأَوْدِيَةِthe valleysالتِّيهِof bewilderment.
So they stood at that moment confused in the valleys of bewilderment.
لَاNotيَنْتَفِعُbenefitingبِسَمْعِهِمُfrom their hearingالسَّامِعُthe listener,وَلَاand norيَهْتَدِيguidedبِبَصَرِهِمُby their sightالْبَصِيرُthe seer.
Neither does the listener benefit from their hearing, nor does the seer find guidance from their sight.
كُلَّمَاWheneverأَضَاءَتْit illuminatedلَهُمْfor themمَشَوْاthey walkedفِيهَاin it.
Whenever it illuminated for them, they walked in it;
وَإِذَاand whenأَظْلَمَتْit darkenedعَلَيْهِمْupon themقَامُواthey stood.
and when it darkened upon them, they stood.
وَلَوْAnd ifشَاءَwilledاللَّهُAllahلَذَهَبَHe would have taken awayبِسَمْعِهِمْtheir hearingوَأَبْصَارِهِمْand their sight.
And if Allah had willed, He would have taken away their hearing and their sight.
إِنَّIndeedاللَّهَAllahعَلَىoverكُلِّeveryشَيْءٍthingقَدِيرٌis Competent.
Indeed, Allah is over all things Competent.
لَهُمْFor themعَلَامَاتٌare signsيُعْرَفُونَby which they are knownبِهَاtherebyمُبَيِّنَةٌclearفِيinالسُّنَّةِthe Sunnahوَالْقُرْآنِand the Quran.
For them are clear signs by which they are known, found in the Sunnah and the Quran.
بَادِيَةٌApparentلِمَنْto whoeverتَدَبَّرَهَاponders themمِنْfromأَهْلِthe peopleبَصَائِرِof insightsالْإِيمَانِof faith.
Apparent to whoever ponders them from among the people of faith's insights.
قَامَStoodبِهِمْwith them-وَاللَّهِ--by Allah-الرِّيَاءُhypocrisy
Hypocrisy stood with them—by Allah—
وَهُوَand it isأَقْبَحُthe most abominableمَقَامٍstatusقَامَهُthat has stoodالْإِنْسَانُman.
and it is the most abominable status that man has ever stood in.
وَقَعَدَتْAnd settledبِهِمُwith themالْكَسَلُlazinessعَمَّاaway from whatأُمِرُواthey were commandedبِهِwithمِنْofأَوَامِرِthe commandsالرَّحْمَنِof the Most Merciful.
And laziness settled with them, away from what they were commanded with of the commands of the Most Merciful.
فَأَصْبَحَSo becameالْإِخْلَاصُsincerityعَلَيْهِمْupon themلِذَلِكَdue to thatثَقِيلًاheavy.
So sincerity became heavy upon them due to that.
وَإِذَاAnd whenقَامُواthey stoodإِلَىforالصَّلَاةِthe prayerقَامُواthey stoodكَسَالَىlazilyيُرَاءُونَshowing offالنَّاسَto the peopleوَلَاand notيَذْكُرُونَrememberingاللَّهَAllah.
And when they stood for the prayer, they stood lazily, showing off to the people and not remembering Allah.
أَحَدُهُمْOne of themكَالشَّاةِis like the sheepالْعَائِرَةِthat straysبَيْنَbetweenالْغَنَمَيْنِthe two flocks.
One of them is like the straying sheep between the two flocks.
تَيْعَرُIt bleatsإِلَىtoهَذِهِthis oneمَرَّةًonceوَإِلَىand toهَذِهِthis oneمَرَّةًanother time.
It runs to this one once and to that one another time.
وَلَاAnd notتَسْتَقِرُّsettlingمَعَwithإِحْدَىone ofالْفِئَتَيْنِthe two factions.
And it does not settle with one of the two factions.
فَهُمْSo theyوَاقِفُونَare standingبَيْنَbetweenالْجَمْعَيْنِthe two groups.
So they are standing between the two groups.
يَنْظُرُونَThey lookأَيُّهُمْwhich of themأَقْوَىis strongestوَأَعَزُّand most mightyقَبِيلًاas a faction.
They look to see which of them is strongest and most mighty as a faction.
مَذْبَذَبِينَWaveringبَيْنَbetweenذَلِكَthat,لَاnotإِلَىtoهَؤُلَاءِtheseوَلَاand notإِلَىtoهَؤُلَاءِthose.
Wavering between that, neither to these nor to those.
وَمَنْAnd whoeverيُضْلِلِleaves to strayاللَّهُAllahفَلَنْthen neverتَجِدَwill you findلَهُfor himسَبِيلًاa way.
And whoever Allah leaves to stray, never will you find for him a way.