أَوْ كَصَيِّبٍ مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فِيهِ ظُلُمَـٰتٌ وَرَعْدٌ وَبَرْقٌ يَجْعَلُونَ أَصَـٰبِعَهُمْ فِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِم مِّنَ ٱلصَّوَٰعِقِ حَذَرَ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ مُحِيطٌۢ بِٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
Aw ka s ayyibin mina a l ssam a i feehi th ulum a tun waraAAdun wabarqun yajAAaloona a sa biAAahum fee atha nihim mina a l ss aw a AAiqi h a th ara almawti wa A ll a hu mu h ee t un bi a lk a fireen a Or [the parable] of a violent cloudburst in the sky, with utter darkness, thunder and lightning: they put their fingers into their ears to keep out the peals of thunder, in terror of death; but God encompasses [with His might] all who deny the truth.
 - Mohammad Asad
Or another example is that of a dark storm-cloud in the sky charged with thunder and lightning. They press their fingers into their ears at the sound of each stunning thunderclap for fear of death: Allah is encircling the unbelievers from all sides.
 - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Or 'those caught in' a rainstorm from the sky with darkness, thunder, and lightning. They press their fingers into their ears at the sound of every thunder-clap for fear of death. And Allah encompasses the disbelievers 'by His might'.
 - Mustafa Khattab
Or like a rainstorm from the sky, wherein is darkness, thunder and the flash of lightning. They thrust their fingers in their ears by reason of the thunder-claps, for fear of death. Allah encompasseth the disbelievers (in His guidance).
 - Marmaduke Pickthall
Or (another similitude) is that of a rain-laden cloud from the sky; in it are zones of darkness and thunder and lightning they press their fingers in their ears to keep out the stunning thunder-clap the while they are in terror of death. But Allah is ever round the rejecters of Faith! 39
 - Abdullah Yusuf Ali