Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And We sent before thee only men to whom We revealed — and ask the people of the remembrance, if you know not —

وَمَٓا اَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ اِلَّا رِجَالاً نُوح۪ٓي اِلَيْهِمْ فَسْـَٔلُٓوا اَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
Wama arsalna qablaka illarijalan noohee ilayhim fas-aloo ahla aththikriin kuntum la taAAlamoon
#wordmeaningroot
1wamāAnd not
2arsalnāWe sentرسل
3qablakabefore youقبل
4illāexcept
5rijālanmenرجل
6nūḥīWe revealedوحي
7ilayhimto them
8fasalūSo askسال
9ahla(the) peopleاهل
10l-dhik'ri(of) the Reminderذكر
11inif
12kuntumyouكون
13(do) not
14taʿlamūnaknowعلم
  • Aisha Bewley

    We have only ever sent before you men who were given Revelation. Ask the People of the Reminder if you do not know.

  • Progressive Muslims

    And We did not send before you except men whom We inspired to. So ask the people of the remembrance if you do not know.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    (O Prophet) Before you We sent none but men to whom We granted Revelation. (Tell the deniers), "If you do not know this, ask the followers of previous Revelations." (16:43).

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And We sent before thee only men to whom We revealed — and ask the people of the remembrance, if you know not —

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And We did not send before you except men whom We inspired to. So ask the people of the Reminder if you do not know.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    We did not send before you except people whom We inspired. So ask the people of the remembrance if you do not know.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    We did not send before you except men whom we inspired. Ask those who know the scripture, if you do not know.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    Never did We send a message before you but through a man, whom We inspired. If you do not know, then ask the keepers of the oracles of God.

  • Sahih International (Umm Muhammad, Mary Kennedy, Amatullah Bantley)

    And We sent not before you, , except men to whom We revealed , so ask the people of the message if you do not know.

  • Muhammad Asad

    For before thy time, We never sent any but men, whom We inspired - hence, "If you do not know this, ask the followers of earlier revelation"

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    And We sent not (as Our messengers) before thee other than men, whom We inspired. Ask the followers of the Reminder if ye know not?

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    (O Muhammad), even before you We never sent any other than human beings as Messengers, and to them We sent revelation.* Ask the People of the Book* if you do not know.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    We never sent and inspired before you O Muhammad but men chosen from among the town dwellers whose deeds were natural to man, therefore, you -infidels- may ask those who are well versed in the antecedent Scriptures -Jews and Christians- if indeed you do not know!

  • Bijan Moeinian

    Before you, I sent many human beings to them as My Messengers to whom I revealed My Revelations. If you do not know about them, ask those who have inherited the Scripture.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And We sent not before you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) but men to whom We revealed. So ask the people of the Reminder if you do not know.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    Before thee, also, the messengers We sent were but men, to whom We granted inspiration: If ye realise this not, ask of those who possess the Message.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    We did not send ˹messengers˺ before you ˹O Prophet˺ except mere men inspired by Us. If you ˹polytheists˺ do not know ˹this already˺, then ask those who have knowledge ˹of the Scriptures˺.

  • Taqi Usmani

    And We did not send before you messengers except men whom We inspired with revelation. So, ask the people (having the knowledge) of the Message, if you do not know.

  • Abdul Haleem

    And even before your time , all the messengers We sent were only men We inspired–– if you do not know, ask people who know the Scripture––

  • Arthur John Arberry

    And We sent none before thee, but men to whom We made revelation -- question the People of the Remembrance, if you do not know --

  • E. Henry Palmer

    Nor did we send before them any but men whom we inspired? Ask ye the people of the Scriptures if ye do not know.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    Of those before them not one of the communities which We destroyed believed, how will these believe?

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And in no way did We send before you except men to whom We revealed (the Message). So ask (This is addressed to the disbelievers) the Population of the Remembrance, in case you do not know.

  • George Sale

    We sent none as our apostles before thee, other than men, unto whom We revealed our will. Ask those who are acquainted with the scripture, if ye know not this.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    Also before you, the messengers we sent were only men, to whom We granted the Revelation: If you do not know this, ask those, the people of the Remainder .

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    (Prophet!) We sent none (as Messengers) before you but (they were) men to whom We made Our revelations. Therefore (O disbelievers!) ask the followers of the Reminder if you do not know (this).

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    We did not send before you except as men, to whom We revealed. Ask the People of the Reminder if you do not know.