Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And were God to take men for what they earn, He would not leave any creature upon its surface. But He delays them to a stated term. But when their term comes, then is God of His servants seeing.

وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ اللّٰهُ النَّاسَ بِمَا كَسَبُوا مَا تَرَكَ عَلٰى ظَهْرِهَا مِنْ دَٓابَّةٍ وَلٰكِنْ يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ اِلٰٓى اَجَلٍ مُسَمًّىۚ فَاِذَا جَٓاءَ اَجَلُهُمْ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ بِعِبَادِه۪ بَص۪يراً
Walaw yu-akhithu Allahuannasa bima kasaboo ma taraka AAalathahriha min dabbatin walakinyu-akhkhiruhum ila ajalin musamman fa-itha jaaajaluhum fa-inna Allaha kana biAAibadihi baseera
#wordmeaningroot
1walawAnd if
2yuākhidhuAllah (were to) punishاخذ
3l-lahuAllah (were to) punish
4l-nāsathe peopleنوس
5bimāfor what
6kasabūthey have earnedكسب
7not
8tarakaHe would leaveترك
9ʿalāon
10ẓahrihāits backظهر
11minany
12dābbatincreatureدبب
13walākinBut
14yu-akhiruhumHe gives them respiteاخر
15ilātill
16ajalina termاجل
17musammanappointedسمو
18fa-idhāAnd when
19jāacomesجيا
20ajaluhumtheir termاجل
21fa-innathen indeed
22l-lahaAllah
23kānaisكون
24biʿibādihiof His slavesعبد
25baṣīranAll-Seerبصر
  • Aisha Bewley

    If Allah were to take mankind to task for what they have earned, He would not leave a single creature crawling on it, but He is deferring them until a specified time. Then, when their time comes, Allah sees His slaves!

  • Progressive Muslims

    And if God were to punish the people for what they have earned, He would not leave a single creature standing. But He delays them to a predetermined time. Then, when their time comes, then God is Seer of His servants.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    Now if Allah took mankind to task by that which they earn by their deeds, He would not leave a creature on its surface. However, He grants them Respite unto an appointed term. And when their term comes to an end, then, verily, they come to know that Allah is ever Seer of His servants. ('Not leave a creature' - Life on the planet earth exists for and manifests itself in the highest form as the humans (2:30), (35:39)).

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And were God to take men for what they earn, He would not leave any creature upon its surface. But He delays them to a stated term. But when their term comes, then is God of His servants seeing.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And if God were to punish the people for what they have earned, He would not leave a single creature standing. But He delays them to an appointed term. So, when their time comes, then God is Seer of His servants.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    If God were to punish the people for what they have earned, He would not leave a single creature standing. But He delays them to a predetermined time. Then, when their time comes, then God is Seer of His servants.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    If GOD punished the people for their sins, He would not leave a single creature on earth. But He respites them for a predetermined interim. Once their interim is fulfilled, then GOD is Seer of His servants.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    If God were to seize men for their doings, not a living being would be left upon the earth. But He gives them respite for a time ordained. When their time is come, surely God will keep (the interest of) His creatures in view.

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

    And if Allah were to impose blame on the people for what they have earned, He would not leave upon the earth any creature. But He defers them for a specified term. And when their time comes, then indeed Allah has ever been, of His servants, Seeing.

  • Muhammad Asad

    Now if God were to take men to task for whatever they commit , He would not leave a single living creature upon its surface. However, He grants them respite for a term set : but when their term comes to an end - then, verily, God sees all that is in His servants.

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    If Allah took mankind to task by that which they deserve, He would not leave a living creature on the surface of the earth; but He reprieveth them unto an appointed term, and when their term cometh - then verily (they will know that) Allah is ever Seer of His slaves.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    If Allah were to take people to task for their deeds, He would not leave any living creature on earth, but He grants them respite to an appointed time. When their appointed time comes to an end, surely Allah fully observes His servants.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    If Allah were to plant the People's Hereafter in the now and impose on them what is commensurate with their deeds, not one single earthling animate being would be left on its surface. But He mercifully respites them to a predetermined point of time that they might hopefully deviate into sense and turn to Him. When it is time to pay to nature their due debt they shall come to know that Allah has always been Bassirun keeping a vigilant eye upon all this created beings.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    If God wanted to punish every one for his sins, not a single creature would have remained on earth. Instead, God gives a life-long time to the people so that when the Day of Resurrection arrives, they stand in front of their Lord.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And if Allâh were to punish men for that which they earned, He would not leave a moving (living) creature on the surface of the earth; but He gives them respite to an appointed term: and when their term comes, then verily, Allâh is Ever All-Seer of His slaves.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    If Allah were to punish men according to what they deserve. He would not leave on the back of the (earth) a single living creature: but He gives them respite for a stated Term: when their Term expires, verily Allah has in His sight all His Servants.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    If Allah were to punish people ˹immediately˺ for what they have committed, He would not have left a single living being on earth. But He delays them for an appointed term. And when their time arrives, then surely Allah is All-Seeing of His servants.

  • Taqi Usmani

    If Allah were to take mankind to task for what they did, He would have not left a living creature on its back, but He delays them upto an appointed time. So when their time will come, then Allah is the One who will see His slaves.

  • Abdul Haleem

    If God were to punish people for the wrong they have done, there would not be a single creature left on the surface of the earth. He gives them respite for a stated time and, whenever their time comes, God has been watching His servants.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    If God should take men to task for what they have earned He would not leave upon the face of the earth one creature that crawls; but He is deferring them to a stated term. But when their term is come -- surely God sees His servants.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    Were God to catch men up for what they earn, He would not leave upon the back of it a beast; but He respites them until an appointed time. When their appointed time comes, verily, God looks upon His servants.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    Have they not travelled in the land and seen how was the end of those before them while they were stronger than these in power? And Allah is not such that any thing in the heavens or in the earth should escape Him; surely He is Knowing, Powerful.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And if Allah took mankind to task for what they have earned, in no way would He leave upon the surface (Literally: back) (of the earth) any beast; but He is deferring them to a stated term. So when their term comes, then surely Allah has been Ever-Beholding His bondmen.

  • George Sale

    If God should punish men according to what they deserve, He would not leave on the back of the earth so much as a beast: But He respiteth them to a determined time; and when their time shall come, verily God will regard his servants.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    And if Allah was to punish men according to what they have earned (and deserved), He would not leave a single living creature on the back of the (earth): But He gives them relief for a fixed time: And when the time comes to an end, surely, Allah is All Seeing (Baseer) over His servants.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    If Allâh were to take people to task for (every little of) their evil doings He would not leave on the surface of this (earth) a single living creature. But He (out of His all embracing mercy) grants them respite till a stated term. And when their appointed time comes (they come to realise that) Allâh has His servants well under (His) eyes (He deals with them according to the nature of their deeds).

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    Were Allah to take mankind to task because of what they have earned, He would not leave any living being on its back. But He respites them until a specified time, and when their time comes, Allah indeed sees best His servants.