Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And acceptance of repentance is not for those who do evil deeds — when death has come to one of them, he says: “I repent now,” — nor is it for those who die as atheists; for those We have prepared a painful punishment.

وَلَيْسَتِ التَّوْبَةُ لِلَّذ۪ينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّـَٔاتِۚ حَتّٰٓى اِذَا حَضَرَ اَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ اِنّ۪ي تُبْتُ الْـٰٔنَ وَلَا الَّذ۪ينَ يَمُوتُونَ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌۜ اُو۬لٰٓئِكَ اَعْتَدْنَا لَهُمْ عَذَاباً اَل۪يماً
Walaysati attawbatu lillatheenayaAAmaloona assayyi-ati hatta ithahadara ahadahumu almawtu qala inneetubtu al-ana wala allatheena yamootoonawahum kuffarun ola-ika aAAtadna lahum AAathabanaleema
#wordmeaningroot
1walaysatiAnd notليس
2l-tawbatu(is) the acceptance of repentanceتوب
3lilladhīnafor those who
4yaʿmalūnadoعمل
5l-sayiātithe evil deedsسوا
6ḥattāuntil
7idhāwhen
8ḥaḍaraapproachesحضر
9aḥadahumuone of themاحد
10l-mawtu[the] deathموت
11qālahe saysقول
12innīIndeed I
13tub'turepentتوب
14l-ānanow
15walāand not
16alladhīnathose who
17yamūtūnadieموت
18wahumwhile they
19kuffārun(are) disbelieversكفر
20ulāikaThose
21aʿtadnāWe have preparedعتد
22lahumfor them
23ʿadhābana punishmentعذب
24alīmanpainfulالم
  • Aisha Bewley

    There is no tawba for people who persist in doing evil until death comes to them and who then say, ‘Now I make tawba,’ nor for people who die kafir. We have prepared for them a painful punishment.

  • Progressive Muslims

    And there will be no repentance for those who commit sin until death comes upon one of them, then he says: "I repent now!", nor for those who die while they are disbelievers. To those We have prepared a painful retribution.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    The forgiveness is not for those who commit transgressions until death comes to one of them and he says, " Behold, I repent now. " (They have no time to make mends). Nor is the forgiveness for those who die as deniers of the Truth. We have prepared an awful suffering for them.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And acceptance of repentance is not for those who do evil deeds — when death has come to one of them, he says: “I repent now,” — nor is it for those who die as atheists; for those We have prepared a painful punishment.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And there will be no repentance for those who commit sin then when death comes upon any one of them he says: "I repent now!" Nor for those who die while they are rejecters. For those We have prepared a painful retribution.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    There will be no repentance for those who commit sin until death comes upon one of them, then he says, "I repent now!" Nor there will be repentance for those who die while they are ingrates. To those We have prepared a painful retribution.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    Not acceptable is the repentance of those who commit sins until death comes to them, then say, "Now I repent." Nor is it acceptable from those who die as disbelievers. For these, we have prepared a painful retribution.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    But (He does not accept) the repentance of those who continue indulging in evil until death draws near and they say: "We now repent;" nor of those who die disbelieving. For them We have a grievous retribution in wait.

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

    But repentance is not of those who do evil deeds up until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "Indeed, I have repented now," or of those who die while they are disbelievers. For them We have prepared a painful punishment.

  • Muhammad Asad

    whereas repentance shall not be accepted from those who do evil deeds until their dying hour and then say, "Behold, I now repent"; nor from those who die as deniers of the truth: it is these for whom We have readied grievous suffering.

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    The forgiveness is not for those who do ill-deeds until, when death attendeth upon one of them, he saith: Lo! I repent now; nor yet for those who die while they are disbelievers. For such We have prepared a painful doom.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    But of no avail is repentance of those who do evil until death approaches any one of them and then he says: 'Now I repent.' Nor is the repentance of those who die in the state of unbelief of any avail to them. For them We have kept in readiness a painful chastisement.*

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    But in no case shall Allah take upon Himself to accept the repentance of those who consume their life in wrong - doing until the encounter with death when each of then will says: "Now do I repent, " nor of those who are caught in the Jaws of death with minds captivated in disbelief. Such persons shall be denied Allah's forgiveness, and We have prepared for them a condign punishment.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    Repentance is not accepted from those who persist in committing sins and use their last breath asking for forgiveness . Repentance is not accepted of those who die while not believing in God; I God) have prepared a painful punishment for the latter.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil deeds until death faces one of them and he says: "Now I repent;" nor of those who die while they are disbelievers. For them We have prepared a painful torment.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    Of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil, until death faces one of them, and he says, "Now have I repented indeed;" nor of those who die rejecting Faith: for them have We prepared a punishment most grievous.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    However, repentance is not accepted from those who knowingly persist in sin until they start dying, and then cry, "Now I repent!" nor those who die as disbelievers. For them We have prepared a painful punishment.

  • Taqi Usmani

    The relenting is not for those who do the evil deeds, until when the time of death approaches one of them, he says, "Now I repent", nor for those who die while they are still disbelievers. For them We have prepared a painful punishment

  • Abdul Haleem

    It is not true repentance when people continue to do evil until death confronts them and then say, ‘Now I repent,’ nor when they die defiant: We have prepared a painful torment for these.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    But God shall not turn towards those who do evil deeds until, when one of them is visited by death, he says, 'Indeed now I repent,' neither to those who die disbelieving; for them We have prepared a painful chastisement.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    His turning again is not for those who do evil, until, when death comes before one of them, he says, 'Now I turn again;' nor yet forth those who die in misbelief. For such as these have we prepared a grievous woe.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    His forgiveness is not for those who do evil until death approaches and then he says, "Now I repent", nor yet for those who die faithless. For such We have prepared a grievous woe.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And relenting is not for the ones who do odious deeds until, when death is present to one of them, he says, "Surely now I repent, " neither (for) the ones who die (while) they are steadfast disbelievers; for those We have readied a painful torment.

  • George Sale

    But no repentance shall be accepted from those who do evil until the time when death presenteth it self unto one of them, and he saith, verily I repent now; nor unto those who die unbelievers: For them have we prepared a grievous punishment.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    And the repentance of those who continue to do evil deeds is of no effect, until death faces one of them, and he says, "Now have I repented indeed," nor of those who die rejecting Faith: For them We have prepared a punishment most painful.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    But repentance is of no avail to those who go on doing evil deeds until, when death visits one of them, he says, `I do repent now,' nor it is of any use to those who die whilst they are disbelievers. It is for such people that We have prepared a woeful punishment.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    But repentance is not for those who go on committing misdeeds: when death approaches any of them, he says, ‘I repent now. ’ Nor is it for those who die while they are faithless. For such We have prepared a painful punishment.