Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And were God to take men to task for their injustice, He would not leave upon it any creature; but He delays them to a stated term. And when their term comes, they will not defer an hour, nor will they advance.

وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ اللّٰهُ النَّاسَ بِظُلْمِهِمْ مَا تَرَكَ عَلَيْهَا مِنْ دَٓابَّةٍ وَلٰكِنْ يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ اِلٰٓى اَجَلٍ مُسَمًّىۚ فَاِذَا جَٓاءَ اَجَلُهُمْ لَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ
Walaw yu-akhithu Allahuannasa bithulmihim ma tarakaAAalayha min dabbatin walakin yu-akhkhiruhumila ajalin musamman fa-itha jaa ajaluhum layasta/khiroona saAAatan wala yastaqdimoon
#wordmeaningroot
1walawAnd if
2yuākhidhuAllah were to seizeاخذ
3l-lahuAllah were to seize
4l-nāsathe mankindنوس
5biẓul'mihimfor their wrongdoingظلم
6not
7tarakaHe (would) have leftترك
8ʿalayhāupon it
9minany
10dābbatinmoving creatureدبب
11walākinbut
12yu-akhiruhumHe defers themاخر
13ilāfor
14ajalina termاجل
15musammanappointedسمو
16fa-idhāThen when
17jāacomesجيا
18ajaluhumtheir termsاجل
19not
20yastakhirūnathey (will) remain behindاخر
21sāʿatanan hourسوع
22walāand not
23yastaqdimūnathey can advance (it)قدم
  • Aisha Bewley

    If Allah were to punish people for their wrong actions, not a single creature would be left upon the earth, but He defers them till a predetermined time. When their specified time arrives, they cannot delay it for a single hour nor can they bring it forward.

  • Progressive Muslims

    And if God were to immediately call mankind to account for their transgression, then He would not leave a single creature standing. But He delays them to a determined time; so when that time comes to any of them, they cannot delay it by one hour or advance it.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    If Allah were to punish mankind for their wrongdoing, He would not leave a single living creature upon the face of the earth (35:45). But, He grants them respite until a term according to His Law. But when the end of their term approaches, they can neither delay it by a single moment nor can they hasten it.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And were God to take men to task for their injustice, He would not leave upon it any creature; but He delays them to a stated term. And when their term comes, they will not defer an hour, nor will they advance.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And if God were to call the people to account for their transgression, He would not have left on it a single creature. But He delays them to a determined time; so when their time comes, they do not delay by one hour and they do not advance.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    If God were to immediately call the people to account for their transgression, then He would not leave a single creature standing. But He delays them to a determined time; so when that time comes to any of them, they cannot delay it by one moment or advance it.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    If GOD punished the people for their transgressions, He would have annihilated every creature on earth. But He respites them for a specific, predetermined time. Once their interim ends, they cannot delay it by one hour, nor advance it.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    If God were to punish men for their inequity He would not leave a single moving thing on earth. Yet He gives them latitude for a time ordained. When that time is come, there will not be a moment's delay nor a moment's haste.

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

    And if Allah were to impose blame on the people for their wrongdoing, He would not have left upon the earth any creature, but He defers them for a specified term. And when their term has come, they will not remain behind an hour, nor will they precede .

  • Muhammad Asad

    Now if God were to take men to task for all the evil that they do , He would not leave a single living creature upon its face. However, He grants them respite until a term set : but when the end of their term approaches, they can neither delay it by a single moment, nor can they hasten it.

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    If Allah were to take mankind to task for their wrong-doing, he would not leave hereon a living creature, but He reprieveth them to an appointed term, and when their term cometh they cannot put (it) off an hour nor (yet) advance (it).

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Were Allah to take people to task for their wrong-doing, He would not have spared even a single living creature on the face of the earth. But He grants them respite until an appointed term. And when that term arrives, they have no power to delay it by a single moment, nor to hasten it.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    And if Allah were to punish the people for their wrong or evil doings the minute they commit themselves to such a line of conduct, He would not allow one single living creature domiciled on earth to remain thereon, but He respites them to a predetermined point of time (that they may hopefully repent). And when their time is fulfilled never shall they be able to delay it or anticipate it for one hour or infinitely less.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    Had God decided to punish the people on the spot for their wrongdoings, He would have left no one on earth. Instead, He lets them go through their lives (which its lengths is already determined in advance.) When Their time comes, they can neither delay nor advance it even for an hour.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And if Allâh were to seize mankind for their wrong-doing, He would not leave on it (the earth) a single moving (living) creature, but He postpones them for an appointed term and when their term comes, neither can they delay nor can they advance it an hour (or a moment).

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    If Allah were to punish men for their wrong-doing, He would not leave, on the (earth), a single living creature: but He gives them respite for a stated Term: When their Term expires, they would not be able to delay (the punishment) for a single hour, just as they would not be able to anticipate it (for a single hour).

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    If Allah were to punish people ˹immediately˺ for their wrongdoing, He would not have left a single living being on earth. But He delays them for an appointed term. And when their time arrives, they cannot delay it for a moment, nor could they advance it.

  • Taqi Usmani

    If Allah were to seize the people for their transgression, He would have spared no creature on earth, but He lets them go on up to an appointed time. So, when their time will come, they will not be able to delay it for a moment, nor to bring it soon.

  • Abdul Haleem

    If God took people to task for the evil they do, He would not leave one living creature on earth, but He reprieves them until an appointed time: when their time comes they cannot delay it for a moment nor can they bring it forward.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    If God should take men to task for their evildoing, He would not leave on the earth one creature that crawls; but He is deferring them to a term stated; and when their term is come they shall not put it back by a single hour nor put it forward.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    If God were to punish men for their wrong-doing. He would not leave upon the earth a single beast; but He respites them until a stated time; and when their time comes they cannot put it off an hour, nor can they bring it on.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    If Allah were to punish men for their wrong-doing He would not leave upon the earth a single living creature; but He reprieves them until an appointed time; and when their time comes they cannot put it off an hour, nor can they advance it.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And if Allah should take mankind to task for their injustice, in no way would He leave hereon any beast; but He defers them to a stated term. So when their term comes, they will not be able to postpone it by an hour, nor put it forward.

  • George Sale

    If God should punish men for their iniquity, He would not leave on the earth any moving thing: But He giveth them respite unto an appointed time; and when their time shall come, they shall not be respited an hour, neither shall their punishment be anticipated.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    And if Allah was going to punish men for the wrongs (they have) done, He would not spare, on the (earth), even a single living creature: But He gives them relief for a given time: When their time comes, they cannot delay (it even) by a single hour, just like they cannot advance it (even by a single hour).

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    And if Allâh were to seize the people (immediately) for their (committing) injustice (and their ascribing partners with Him), He would not leave any (unjust and polytheistic) living and crawling creature on the face of the earth, but He gives them respite till an appointed term. So when their time (of punishment) comes, they cannot delay (it) by a single moment (and escape it), nor can they go ahead (of it to save themselves from it).

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    Were Allah to take mankind to task for their wrongdoing, He would not leave any living being upon it. But He respites them until a specified time; so when their time comes they shall not defer it by a single hour nor shall they advance it.