Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

O you who heed warning: be not like those who ignore warning, and say of their brothers when they travel in the earth or are on an expedition: “Had they been with us, they would not have died or been killed,” that God might make that a sorrow in their hearts; for God gives life, and gives death; and God sees what you do.

يَٓا اَيُّهَا الَّذ۪ينَ اٰمَنُوا لَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذ۪ينَ كَفَرُوا وَقَالُوا لِاِخْوَانِهِمْ اِذَا ضَرَبُوا فِي الْاَرْضِ اَوْ كَانُوا غُزًّى لَوْ كَانُوا عِنْدَنَا مَا مَاتُوا وَمَا قُتِلُواۚ لِيَجْعَلَ اللّٰهُ ذٰلِكَ حَسْرَةً ف۪ي قُلُوبِهِمْۜ وَاللّٰهُ يُحْـي۪ وَيُم۪يتُۜ وَاللّٰهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَص۪يرٌ
Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoola takoonoo kallatheena kafaroo waqalooli-ikhwanihim itha daraboo fee al-ardiaw kanoo ghuzzan law kanoo AAindana mamatoo wama qutiloo liyajAAala Allahu thalikahasratan fee quloobihim wallahu yuhyeewayumeetu wallahu bima taAAmaloona baseer
#wordmeaningroot
1yāayyuhāO you
2alladhīnawho
3āmanūbelieve[d]امن
4(Do) not
5takūnūbeكون
6ka-alladhīnalike those who
7kafarūdisbelievedكفر
8waqālūand they saidقول
9li-ikh'wānihimabout their brothersاخو
10idhāwhen
11ḍarabūthey traveledضرب
12in
13l-arḍithe earthارض
14awor
15kānūthey wereكون
16ghuzzanfightingغزو
17lawIf
18kānūthey had beenكون
19ʿindanāwith usعند
20not
21mātūthey (would have) diedموت
22wamāand not
23qutilūthey (would have) been killedقتل
24liyajʿalaSo makesجعل
25l-lahuAllah
26dhālikathat
27ḥasratana regretحسر
28in
29qulūbihimtheir heartsقلب
30wal-lahuAnd Allah
31yuḥ'yīgives lifeحيي
32wayumītuand causes deathموت
33wal-lahuand Allah
34bimāof what
35taʿmalūnayou doعمل
36baṣīrun(is) All-Seerبصر
  • Aisha Bewley

    You who have iman! do not be like those who are kafir and say of their brothers, when they are going on journeys or military expeditions, ‘If they had only been with us, they would not have died or been killed,’ so that Allah can make that anguish for them in their hearts. It is Allah Who gives life and causes to die. Allah sees what you do.

  • Progressive Muslims

    O you who believe do not be like those who rejected and said to their brothers when they were marching in the land or on the offensive: "If they were here with us they would not have died nor been killed. " God will make this a source of grief in their hearts, and God grants life and death, and God is watching over what you do.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! Do not be like disbelievers who grieve that if their brethren had stayed home with them, rather than going out traveling or defending, they wouldn't have died or been killed. Such attitude creates anguish in the hearts according to Allah's Laws. Fear of death takes away "life" out of life. Allah gives life and causes death and Allah is Seer of your behavior.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    O you who heed warning: be not like those who ignore warning, and say of their brothers when they travel in the earth or are on an expedition: “Had they been with us, they would not have died or been killed,” that God might make that a sorrow in their hearts; for God gives life, and gives death; and God sees what you do.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    O you who believe do not be like those who rejected and said to their brothers when they had gone forth in the land or on the offensive: "If they were here with us they would not have died nor been killed." God will make this a source of grief in their hearts, and God grants life and death, and God is watching over what you do.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    O you who acknowledge do not be like those who rejected and said to their brothers when they were marching in the land or on the offensive: "If they were here with us they would not have died nor been killed." God will make this a source of grief in their hearts, and God grants life and death, and God is watching over what you do.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    O you who believe, do not be like those who disbelieved and said of their kinsmen who traveled or mobilized for war, "Had they stayed with us, they would not have died or gotten killed." GOD renders this a source of grief in their hearts. GOD controls life and death. GOD is Seer of everything you do.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    O you who believe, do not be like those who deny, and say of their brethren (who died) travelling in the land or fighting: "Had they stayed with us here they would not have died or been killed. " This happened so that God may fill their hearts with grief. God is the giver of life and death and sees all that you do.

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

    O you who have believed, do not be like those who disbelieved and said about their brothers when they traveled through the land or went out to fight, "If they had been with us, they would not have died or have been killed," so Allah makes that a regret within their hearts. And it is Allah who gives life and causes death, and Allah is Seeing of what you do.

  • Muhammad Asad

    O you who have attained to faith! Be not like those who are bent on denying the truth and say of their brethren after having set out on a journey to faraway places or gone forth to war, "Had they but remained with us, they would not have died," or, "they would not have been slain" - for God will cause such thoughts to become a source of bitter regret in their hearts, since it is God who grants life and deals death. And God sees all that you do.

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    O ye who believe! Be not as those who disbelieved and said of their brethren who went abroad in the land or were fighting in the field: If they had been (here) with us they would not have died or been killed: that Allah may make it anguish in their hearts. Allah giveth life and causeth death; and Allah is Seer of what ye do.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Believers, do not behave like those who disbelieved and say to their brothers (who meet some mishap) in the course of their journey for fighting: 'Had they remained with us, they would not have died nor been slain.' Allah makes such thoughts the cause of deep regrets in their hearts.* For in truth it is Allah alone who grants life and deals death. Allah sees all that you do.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    O you who conformed to Islam, be not like those infidels who denied Allah and thought they could prevent what is fated to happen. On every occasion when they lost some of their fellow countrymen in journeys of trade or in wars, they expressed their thoughts in words: "Had they been with us and remained here, they would not have died nor been slain." This feeling and thought did Allah infuse into them to actuate their hearts and minds with grief. It is Allah who gives life and occasions the moment of death and He is 'Alimun of all that you do.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    O you who have believed; do not adopt the disbelievers’ attitude. The latter say to their kinsmen (who prepare themselves to go on battle grounds): "If they (the previous wars’ martyrs) had stayed with us, they would not have been killed" God will make it a disappointment for them Know that life and death is at the disposition of God and He sees everything that you do.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    O you who believe! Be not like those who disbelieve (hypocrites) and who say to their brethren when they travel through the earth or go out to fight: "If they had stayed with us, they would not have died or been killed," so that Allâh may make it a cause of regret in their hearts. It is Allâh that gives life and causes death. And Allâh is All-Seer of what you do.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    O ye who believe! Be not like the Unbelievers, who say of their brethren, when they are travelling through the Earth or engaged in fighting: "If they had stayed with us, they would not have died, or been slain." This that Allah may make it a cause of sighs and regrets in their hearts. It is Allah that gives Life and Death, and Allah sees well all that ye do.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    O believers! Do not be like the unfaithful who say about their brothers who travel throughout the land or engage in battle, "If they had stayed with us, they would not have died or been killed." Allah makes such thinking a cause of agony in their hearts. It is Allah who gives life and causes death. And Allah is All-Seeing of what you do.

  • Taqi Usmani

    O you who believe, do not be like those who disbelieved and said about their brethren while they travelled on the earth or had to fight, "Had they been with us, they would have not died, nor would they have been killed." The result is that Allah makes it a remorse resting in their hearts. Allah gives life and brings death; Allah is watchful of what you do.

  • Abdul Haleem

    You who believe, do not be like those who disbelieved and said of their brothers who went out on a journey or a raid, ‘If only they had stayed with us they would not have died or been killed,’ for God will make such thoughts a source of anguish in their hearts. It is God who gives life and death; God sees everything you do.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    O believers, be not as the unbelievers who say to their brothers, when they journey in the land, or are upon expeditions, 'If they had been with us, they would not have died and not been slain' -- that God may make that an anguish in their hearts. For God gives life, and He makes to die; and God sees the things you do.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    O ye who believe! be not like those who misbelieve, and say unto their brethren when they knock about in the earth, or are upon a raid, 'Had they but been at home, they had not died and had not been killed. ' It was that God might make a sighing in their hearts, for God gives life and death; and God on what ye do doth look.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    O you who believe! Be not like those who disbelieve, and say unto their brethren who went about in the earth, or are fighting in the field, "Had they but been with us, they would not have died or been killed. " That Allah might make it a cause for sighs (regrets) in their heart. It is Allah that gives life and death; and Allah is Seer of what you do.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    O you who have believed, do not be as the ones who have disbelieved and have said to their brethren when they strike in the earth (i. e. journey in the land) or are upon expeditions, "If they had been in our presence, they would not have died and not been killed." that (is so that) Allah may make that a regret in their hearts. And Allah gives life and makes to die, and Allah is Ever-Beholding of whatever you do.

  • George Sale

    O true believers, be not as they who believed not, and said of their brethren, when they had journeyed in the land or had been at war, if they had been with us, those had not died, nor had these been slain: Whereas what befell them was so ordained that God might make it matter of sighing in their hearts. God giveth life, and causeth to die: And God seeth that which ye do.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    O you who believe! Do not be like the Unbelievers, and who say of their brothers, when they are traveling through the earth or engaged in fighting: "If they had stayed with us, they would not have died, or have been killed. " (This is) because Allah may make it a cause of sighs and regrets in their hearts. It is Allah Who gives Life and Death, and Allah is All Seeing (Baseer) all that you do.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    O you who believe! do not be like those who have concealed (the truth) and who say of their brethren when they (- the latter) travel in the land or go forth on any campaign (and fall martyrs), `Had they been with us they would not have died or been killed. ' They say it so that Allâh makes this a cause of intense regret in their hearts. (The fact, however, is that) it is Allâh Who gives life and causes death. Allâh sees well all what you do.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    O you who have faith! Do not be like the faithless who say of their brethren, when they travel in the land or go into battle, ‘Had they stayed with us they would not have died or been killed,’ so that Allah may make it a regret in their hearts. But Allah gives life and brings death, and Allah sees best what you do.