Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

They said: “O Moses: either thou wilt cast, or we will be the first who cast.”

قَالُوا يَا مُوسٰٓى اِمَّٓا اَنْ تُلْقِيَ وَاِمَّٓا اَنْ نَكُونَ اَوَّلَ مَنْ اَلْقٰى
Qaloo ya moosa immaan tulqiya wa-imma an nakoona awwala man alqa
#wordmeaningroot
1qālūThey saidقول
2yāmūsāO Musa
3immāEither
4an[that]
5tul'qiyayou throwلقي
6wa-immāor
7an[that]
8nakūnawe will beكون
9awwalathe firstاول
10manwho
11alqāthrowsلقي
  • Aisha Bewley

    They said, ‘Musa, will you throw or shall we be the first to throw?’

  • Progressive Muslims

    They said: "O Moses, either you cast down or we will be the first to cast down. "

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    The debaters asked, "O Moses! Do you begin or shall we go first?"

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    They said: “O Moses: either thou wilt cast, or we will be the first who cast.”

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    They said: "O Moses, either you cast down or we will be the first to cast down."

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    They said, "O Moses, either you cast down or we will be the first to cast down."

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    They said, "O Moses, either you throw, or we will be the first to throw."

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    They said: "Either you cast (your spell), O Moses, or we shall cast it first. "

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

    They said, "O Moses, either you throw or we will be the first to throw. "

  • Muhammad Asad

    Said : "O Moses! Either thou throw (thy staff first, or we shall be the first to throw. "

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    They said: O Moses! Either throw first, or let us be the first to throw?

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    The magicians* said: "Moses, will you throw down or shall we be the first to throw?"

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    Face to face with Mussa, they said to him: "Would you like to cast down your staff first or shall we cast ours first!"

  • Bijan Moeinian

    They said: "O. K. Moses, who should start first?"

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    They said: "O Mûsâ (Moses)! Either you throw first or we be the first to throw?"

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    They said: "O Moses! whether wilt thou that thou throw (first) or that we be the first to throw?"

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    They said, "O Moses! Either you cast, or let us be the first to cast."

  • Taqi Usmani

    They said, "O Mūsā, either you throw (first), or shall we be first to throw?"

  • Abdul Haleem

    They said, ‘Moses, will you throw first or shall we?’

  • Arthur John Arberry

    They said, 'Moses, either thou wilt cast, or we shall be the first to cast. '

  • E. Henry Palmer

    Said they, 'O Moses! either thou must throw, or we must be the first to throw. '

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    Collect, therefore, your tricks (or lay your plans), and then form a row (or battle line); for he who has the upper-hand this day will be successful indeed. "

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    They said, "O Mûsa, (Moses) either you will cast, or we will be the first to cast. "

  • George Sale

    They said, O Moses, whether wilt thou cast down thy rod first, or shall we be the first who cast down our rods?

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    They said; "O Musa (Moses)! Either you be the one who throws (first) or will we be the first to throw?"

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    (The sorcerers) said, `Moses! either you present (first what you have) or we shall be the first to present (what we have). '

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    They said, ‘O Moses! Either you will throw down, or we shall be the first to throw. ’