Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

He calls to him whose harm is nearer than his benefit. Evil is the protector! And evil is the associate!

يَدْعُوا لَمَنْ ضَرُّهُٓ اَقْرَبُ مِنْ نَفْعِه۪ۜ لَبِئْسَ الْمَوْلٰى وَلَبِئْسَ الْعَش۪يرُ
YadAAoo laman darruhu aqrabu minnafAAihi labi/sa almawla walabi/sa alAAasheer
#wordmeaningroot
1yadʿūHe callsدعو
2laman(one) who
3ḍarruhuhis harmضرر
4aqrabu(is) closerقرب
5minthan
6nafʿihihis benefitنفع
7labi'saSurely, an evilباس
8l-mawlāprotectorولي
9walabi'saand surely an evilباس
10l-ʿashīrufriendعشر
  • Aisha Bewley

    He calls on what is far more likely to harm than help. What an evil protector! What an evil associate!

  • Progressive Muslims

    He calls on those who harm him more than they benefit him. What a miserable patron, and what a miserable companion.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    He calls unto him whose harm is nearer than his benefits; verily, an evil master, and an evil follower.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    He calls to him whose harm is nearer than his benefit. Evil is the protector! And evil is the associate!

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    He calls on those who harm him more than they benefit him. What a miserable patron, and what a miserable companion.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    He calls on those who harm him more than they benefit him. What a miserable patron, and what a miserable companion.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    He idolizes what is more apt to harm him than benefit him. What a miserable lord! What a miserable companion!

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    They pray to him whose bane is more imminent than his boon: How bad the protector and how bad the associate!

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

    He invokes one whose harm is closer than his benefit - how wretched the protector and how wretched the associate.

  • Muhammad Asad

    he invokes one that is far more likely to cause harm than benefit: vile, indeed, is such a patron and vile the follower!

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    He calleth unto him whose harm is nearer than his benefit; verily an evil patron and verily an evil friend!

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    He invokes those that are more likely to cause him harm than benefit.* Such is surely an evil patron, and an evil associate.*

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    He invokes an object which would sooner hurt him than profit him. How bad is the tutelary guardian and how bad is the society!

  • Bijan Moeinian

    As a matter of fact, such "god" is more apt to hurt him rather than help him. What a miserable “lord” ; what a nasty companion to have.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    He calls unto him whose harm is nearer than his profit: certainly, an evil Maulâ (patron) and certainly an evil friend!

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    (Perhaps) they call on one whose hurt is nearer than his profit: evil, indeed, is the patron, and evil the companion (or help)!

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    They invoke those whose worship leads to harm, not benefit. What an evil patron and what an evil associate!

  • Taqi Usmani

    He, rather, prays to someone whose harm is more likely than his benefit. Wretched is such a patron and wretched is such a companion.

  • Abdul Haleem

    or invoke one whose harm is closer than his help: an evil master and an evil companion.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    He calls upon him who is likelier to hurt him, rather than to profit him -- an evil protector indeed, he, an evil friend!

  • E. Henry Palmer

    He calls on him whose harm is nigher than his profit, - a bad lord and a bad comrade.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    He calls, besides Allah, on what can neither harm him nor profit him - that is a wide error.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    He invokes him whose harm is indeed nearer than his proft. Miserable indeed is the patronizer and miserable indeed is the consort!

  • George Sale

    He will invoke him who will sooner be of hurt to his worshipper than of advantage. Such is surely a miserable patron, and a miserable companion.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    (Perhaps) he calls on the (Evil) one whose harm is closer than his help: Truly, evil is the helper and evil the companion!

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    He calls upon him whose harm is much more likely than his good. How evil is this false god to be his patron and how evil is (he to be) his associate!

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    He invokes someone whose harm is surely likelier than his benefit. Surely an evil ally and an evil companion!