وَ اَقْسَمُوْا And they swore بِاللّٰهِ by Allah جَهْدَ (the) strongest اَیْمَانِهِمْ (of) their oaths لَىِٕنْ that if جَآءَهُمْ came to them نَذِیْرٌ a warner لَّیَكُوْنُنَّ surely they would be اَهْدٰی more guided مِنْ than اِحْدَی any الْاُمَمِ ۚ (of) the nations فَلَمَّا But when جَآءَهُمْ came to them نَذِیْرٌ a warner مَّا not زَادَهُمْ it increased them اِلَّا but نُفُوْرَاۙ (in) aversion ِ۟اسْتِكْبَارًا (Due to) arrogance فِی in الْاَرْضِ the land وَ مَكْرَ and plotting السَّیِّئِ ؕ (of) the evil وَ لَا but not یَحِیْقُ encompasses الْمَكْرُ the plot السَّیِّئُ (of) the evil اِلَّا except بِاَهْلِهٖ ؕ its own people فَهَلْ Then do یَنْظُرُوْنَ they wait اِلَّا except سُنَّتَ (the) way الْاَوَّلِیْنَ ۚ (of) the former (people) فَلَنْ But never تَجِدَ you will find لِسُنَّتِ in (the) way اللّٰهِ (of) Allah تَبْدِیْلًا ۚ۬ any change وَ لَنْ and never تَجِدَ you will find لِسُنَّتِ in (the) way اللّٰهِ (of) Allah تَحْوِیْلًا any alteration
(35:42) Swearing by Allah their strongest oaths they claimed that if a warner came to them they would be better-guided than any other people.71 But when a warner did come to them, his coming only increased their aversion (to the Truth).
(35:43) They began to wax even more proud on earth and contrived evil designs although the contriving of evil designs only overtakes their authors. Are they waiting, then, for anything except what happened to the nations before them?72 You shall not find any change in the Way of Allah; and you shall not find anything that can ever alter the Way of Allah.
71. This was the Arabs’ usual comment, especially the Quraysh’s, relating to the moral degeneration of the Jews and Christians in pre- Islamic days. Such statements by them are also recorded in Surah al-An‘am 6:156-157 and Surah al-Saffat 37:167-169.
72. This law is applicable to them in so far as every nation that rejects its Prophet is destroyed.