Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And thou wilt not make the dead to hear, nor wilt thou make the deaf hear the call, when they turn and go.

فَاِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتٰى وَلَا تُسْمِعُ الصُّمَّ الدُّعَٓاءَ اِذَا وَلَّوْا مُدْبِر۪ينَ
Fa-innaka la tusmiAAu almawtawala tusmiAAu assumma adduAAaaitha wallaw mudbireen
#wordmeaningroot
1fa-innakaSo indeed, you
2(can) not
3tus'miʿumake the dead hearسمع
4l-mawtāmake the dead hearموت
5walāand not
6tus'miʿumake the deaf hearسمع
7l-ṣumamake the deaf hearصمم
8l-duʿāathe callدعو
9idhāwhen
10wallawthey turnولي
11mud'birīnaretreatingدبر
  • Aisha Bewley

    You will not make dead men hear; you will not make deaf men hear the call, when they turn their backs in flight.

  • Progressive Muslims

    You cannot make the dead listen, nor can you make the deaf hear the call when they have turned their backs.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    And verily, you cannot make the dead to hear, nor can you make the deaf of heart to hear the call when they turn their backs and go away.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And thou wilt not make the dead to hear, nor wilt thou make the deaf hear the call, when they turn and go.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    You cannot make the dead listen, nor can you make the deaf hear the call when they have turned their backs.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    You cannot make the dead listen, nor can you make the deaf hear the call when they have turned their backs.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    You cannot make the dead, nor the deaf, hear the call, once they turn away.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    You cannot make the dead to listen nor the deaf hear the call when they have turned back and retreated,

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

    So indeed, you will not make the dead hear, nor will you make the deaf hear the call when they turn their backs, retreating.

  • Muhammad Asad

    And, verily, thou canst not make the dead hear: and thou canst not make the deaf hear this call when they turn their backs and go away,

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    For verily thou (Muhammad) canst not make the dead to hear, nor canst thou make the deaf to hear the call when they have turned to flee.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    (O Prophet), you cannot make the dead hear,* nor can you make the deaf hear your call when they turn back in retreat,*

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    And so, you just shall not be able O Muhammad to make your voice reach the spiritually dead nor shall you be able to make it reach the worthless who counsel deaf and do not open their hearts' ears when they turn their backs.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    you can not deliver your message to a dead person, nor can you make the deaf to here your call. What can you co, if they turn away and show their back?

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    So verily, you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) cannot make the dead to hear (i.e. the disbelievers), nor can you make the deaf to hear the call, when they show their backs and turn away.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    So verily thou canst not make the dead to hear, nor canst thou make the deaf to hear the call, when they show their backs and turn away.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    So you ˹O Prophet˺ certainly cannot make the dead hear ˹the truth˺. Nor can you make the deaf hear the call when they turn their backs and walk away.

  • Taqi Usmani

    So, you cannot make the dead to hear, nor can you make the deaf to hear the call when they turn their backs in retreat.

  • Abdul Haleem

    You cannot make the dead hear and you cannot make the deaf hear your call when they turn their backs and leave;

  • Arthur John Arberry

    Thou shalt not make the dead to hear, neither shalt thou make the deaf to hear the call when they turn about, retreating.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    But, verily, thou canst not make the dead to hear, nor canst thou make the deaf to hear the call, when they turn their backs and flee;

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    And if We send a wind and they see it to yellow (scorch the crop), they would after that certainly continue in their disbelief.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    So surely you will not make the dead to hear, nor will you make the deaf to hear the call when they turn away, withdrawing.

  • George Sale

    Thou canst not make the dead to hear, neither canst thou make the deaf to hear thy call, when they retire and turn their backs;

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    So surely, you cannot make the dead to hear, and (you) cannot make the deaf to hear, the Call (from Allah), when they show their backs and turn away.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    And you cannot make the dead hear, nor can you make the deaf hear the call when they retreat turning their backs (on you),

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    Indeed you cannot make the dead hear, nor can you make the deaf hear the call when they turn their backs ,