Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And it is for a soul to believe only by the leave of God; and He appoints abomination for those who do not reason.

وَمَا كَانَ لِنَفْسٍ اَنْ تُؤْمِنَ اِلَّا بِاِذْنِ اللّٰهِۜ وَيَجْعَلُ الرِّجْسَ عَلَى الَّذ۪ينَ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ
Wama kana linafsin an tu/minailla bi-ithni Allahi wayajAAalu arrijsaAAala allatheena la yaAAqiloon
#wordmeaningroot
1wamāAnd not
2kānaisكون
3linafsinfor a soulنفس
4anto
5tu'minabelieveامن
6illāexcept
7bi-idh'niby (the) permissionاذن
8l-lahi(of) Allah
9wayajʿaluAnd He will placeجعل
10l-rij'sathe wrathرجس
11ʿalāon
12alladhīnathose who
13(do) not
14yaʿqilūnause reasonعقل
  • Aisha Bewley

    No self can have iman except with Allah’s permission. He places a blight on those who do not use their intellect.

  • Progressive Muslims

    And it is not for a soul to believe except by God's leave. And He makes the affliction upon those who do not comprehend.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    None can attain conviction contrary to Allah's Laws. And those who do not use their intellect are made to carry loads of confusion on their minds.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And it is for a soul to believe only by the leave of God; and He appoints abomination for those who do not reason.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And it is not for a soul to believe except with the permission of God. And He lets taint those who do not comprehend.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    It is not for a person to acknowledge except by God's leave. He casts the affliction upon those who do not reason.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    No soul can believe except in accordance with GOD's will. For He places a curse upon those who refuse to understand.*

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    Are you going to compel the people to believe except by God's dispensation? He puts doubt in (the minds of) those who do not think.

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

    And it is not for a soul to believe except by permission of Allah, and He will place defilement upon those who will not use reason.

  • Muhammad Asad

    notwithstanding that no human being can ever attain to faith otherwise than by God's leave, and it is He who lays the loathsome evil upon those who will not use -their reason?

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    It is not for any soul to believe save by the permission of Allah. He hath set uncleanness upon those who have no sense.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    No one can believe except by Allah's leave,* and Allah lays abomination on those who do not use their understanding.* and conduct.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    No soul yields itself servant to Allah but by His leave, and Allah lays the charge to the doors of those who have come within the measure of His wrath. They are characterized with dullness of comprehension.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    No soul will believe unless God showers him with the blessing of the belief. Those who do not use their faculty of thinking are nothing but the trash in the sight of the Lord.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    It is not for any person to believe, except by the Leave of Allâh, and He will put the wrath on those who are heedless.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    No soul can believe, except by the will of Allah, and He will place doubt (or obscurity) on those who will not understand.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    It is not for any soul to believe except by Allah’s leave, and He will bring His wrath upon those who are unmindful.

  • Taqi Usmani

    It is not (possible) for any one that he believes except with the will of Allah. And He makes filth settle on those who do not understand.

  • Abdul Haleem

    No soul can believe except by God’s will, and He brings disgrace on those who do not use their reason.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    It is not for any soul to believe save by the leave of God; and He lays abomination upon those who have no understanding.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    It is not for any person to believe save by the permission of God; He puts horror on those who have no sense.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    But had your Lord willed, all who are in the earth would have believed together. Would you force men to become believers?

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And in no way can (any) self believe except by the permission of Allah; and He sets (Literally: makes) abomination upon those who do not consider.

  • George Sale

    No soul can believe, but by the permission of God: And He shall pour out his indignation on those who will not understand.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    No soul can believe, except by the Will of Allah, and He will place (basic) doubt on those who will not understand.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    Indeed, no one can believe save by the leave of Allâh. Yet He will inflict (His) punishment on those who would not refrain (from evil).

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    No soul may have faith except by Allah’s leave, and He lays defilement on those who do not apply reason.