Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

He said: “But this their great one did it; so ask them, if they speak.”

قَالَ بَلْ فَعَلَهُۗ كَب۪يرُهُمْ هٰذَا فَسْـَٔلُوهُمْ اِنْ كَانُوا يَنْطِقُونَ
Qala bal faAAalahu kabeeruhum hathafas-aloohum in kanoo yantiqoon
#wordmeaningroot
1qālaHe saidقول
2balNay
3faʿalahu(some doer) did itفعل
4kabīruhumTheir chiefكبر
5hādhā(is) this
6fasalūhumSo ask themسال
7inif
8kānūthey (can)كون
9yanṭiqūnaspeakنطق
  • Aisha Bewley

    He said, ‘No, this one, the biggest of them, did it. Ask them if they are able to speak!’

  • Progressive Muslims

    He said: "It was the biggest one of them here who did it, so ask them, if they do speak!"

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    Abraham grabbed the opportunity of driving home the point, "Whoever did it, did it. This is their chief. Ask them if they speak."

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    He said: “But this their great one did it; so ask them, if they speak.”

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    He said: "It was the biggest one of them here who did it, so ask them, if they do speak!"

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    He said, "It was the biggest one of them here who did it, so ask them, if they do speak!"

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    He said, "It is that big one who did it. Go ask them, if they can speak."

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    "No, " he said. "It was done by that chief of theirs. Ask him in case they can speak."

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

    He said, "Rather, this - the largest of them - did it, so ask them, if they should speak. "

  • Muhammad Asad

    He answered: "Nay, it was this one, the big­gest of them, that did it: but ask them - provided they can speak!"

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    He said: But this, their chief hath done it. So question them, if they can speak.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    He answered: "Rather it was this supreme one who has done it. So ask them, if they can speak."*

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    "But it was their chief who did it", Said Ibrahim; ask them if they are able to talk!"

  • Bijan Moeinian

    He replied: "It was the chief of your gods who did it; you may ask them yourselves and see whether or not they are even capable of speaking. "

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    said: "Nay, this one, the biggest of them (idols) did it. Ask them, if they can speak!"

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    He said: "Nay, this was done by - this is their biggest one! ask them, if they can speak intelligently!"

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    He replied ˹sarcastically˺, "No, this one—the biggest of them—did it! So ask them, if they can talk!"

  • Taqi Usmani

    He said, "Rather, this is done by this chief of theirs. So, ask them if they can speak."

  • Abdul Haleem

    He said, ‘No, it was done by the biggest of them- this one. Ask them, if they can talk.’

  • Arthur John Arberry

    He said, 'No; it was this great one of them that did it. Question them; if they are able to speak!'

  • E. Henry Palmer

    Said he, 'Nay, it was this largest of them; but ask them, if they can speak. '

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    Said they, "Was it you who did this to our gods, O Abraham?"

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    He said, "No indeed, it was this great one of them that performed it; so, ask them in case they (can) pronounce (a word). "

  • George Sale

    He answered, nay, that biggest of them hath done it: But ask them, if they can speak.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    He said: "No, this was done by— This is the biggest one of them! Ask them, if they can speak sensibly!"

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    (Abraham) said, `Well, of course, someone has done it. Here is their chief (idol which witnessed all this). So better ask (him and) them, if they can speak.'

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    He said, ‘Rather it was this biggest of them who did it! Ask them, if they can speak. ’