Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

Then He directed Himself to the sky when it was smoke, and said to it and to the earth: “Come, willingly or unwillingly.” They said: “We come willingly.”

ثُمَّ اسْتَوٰٓى اِلَى السَّمَٓاءِ وَهِيَ دُخَانٌ فَقَالَ لَهَا وَلِلْاَرْضِ ائْتِيَا طَوْعاً اَوْ كَرْهاًۜ قَالَـتَٓا اَتَيْنَا طَٓائِع۪ينَ
Thumma istawa ila assama-iwahiya dukhanun faqala laha walil-ardii/tiya tawAAan aw karhan qalata ataynata-iAAeen
#wordmeaningroot
1thummaThen
2is'tawāHe directed (Himself)سوي
3ilātowards
4l-samāithe heavenسمو
5wahiyawhile it (was)
6dukhānunsmokeدخن
7faqālaand He saidقول
8lahāto it
9walil'arḍiand to the earthارض
10i'tiyāCome both of youاتي
11ṭawʿanwillinglyطوع
12awor
13karhanunwillinglyكره
14qālatāThey both saidقول
15ataynāWe comeاتي
16ṭāiʿīnawillinglyطوع
  • Aisha Bewley

    Then He turned to heaven when it was smoke and said to it and to the earth, ‘Come willingly or unwillingly. ’ They both said, ‘We come willingly.’

  • Progressive Muslims

    Then He settled to the heaven, while it was still smoke, and He said to it, and to the Earth: "Come willingly or unwillingly. " They said: "We come willingly."

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    Likewise, He it is Who designed well the Sky when it was Smoke (Nebulae of gas). And He said to it and the earth, "Come both of you willingly or unwillingly." They said, "We do come, obedient." ('Thumm' = Afterward, then, so, likewise, similarly, in the like manner. The Cosmic bodies coming into their orbits willingly or unwillingly indicates their having been made subservient to the Divine Laws, without free will (3:82), (13:15)).

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    Then He directed Himself to the sky when it was smoke, and said to it and to the earth: “Come, willingly or unwillingly.” They said: “We come willingly.”

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    Then He settled to the heaven, while it was still smoke, and He said to it, and to the earth: "Come willingly or unwillingly." They said: "We come willingly."

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    Furthermore, He settled to the heaven, while it was still gas, and He said to it, and to the earth: "Come willingly or unwillingly." They said, "We come willingly."

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    Then He turned to the sky, when it was still gas, and said to it, and to the earth, "Come into existence, willingly or unwillingly." They said, "We come willingly."

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    Then He turned to the heavens, and it was smoke. So He said to it and the earth: "Come with willing obedience or perforce." They said: "We come willingly."

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

    Then He directed Himself to the heaven while it was smoke and said to it and to the earth, "Come , willingly or by compulsion. " They said, "We have come willingly."

  • Muhammad Asad

    And He applied His design to the skies, which were smoke; and He said to them and to the earth, "Come , both of you, willingly or unwillingly!" - to which both responded, “We do come in obedience. ”

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    Then turned He to the heaven when it was smoke, and said unto it and unto the earth: Come both of you, willingly or loth. They said: We come, obedient.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Then He turned to the heaven while it was all smoke.* He said to the heaven and the earth: "Come (into being), willingly or unwillingly." They said: “Here we come (into being) in willing obeisance.”*

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    "Then He applied himself to the immeasurable expanse of the realm when it was in its primordial gaseous and dusty** or smoky** state and He commanded both the realm and the primordial earth thus: " Come within My authority willingly or unwillingly": they both responded, thus: "We both come actuated with unconditional obedience to Allah's command.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    When God created the earth and the universe, which at the beginning was nothing but gases, He said: "Come into existence willingly or unwillingly". They replied: “We do come to existence in submission to your laws.”

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    Then He rose over (Istawâ) towards the heaven when it was smoke, and said to it and to the earth: "Come both of you willingly or unwillingly." They both said: "We come willingly."

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    Moreover He comprehended in His design the sky, and it had been (as) smoke: He said to it and to the earth: "Come ye together, willingly or unwillingly." They said: "We do come (together), in willing obedience."

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    Then He turned towards the heaven when it was ˹still like˺ smoke, saying to it and to the earth, ‘Submit, willingly or unwillingly.’ They both responded, ‘We submit willingly.’

  • Taqi Usmani

    Then He turned straight to the sky, while it was a smoke, and said to it and to the earth, "Come (to My obedience), both of you, willingly or unwillingly." Both said, “We come willingly.”

  • Abdul Haleem

    Then He turned to the sky, which was smoke––He said to it and the earth, ‘Come into being, willingly or not,’ and they said, ‘We come willingly’––

  • Arthur John Arberry

    Then He lifted Himself to heaven when it was smoke, and said to it and to the earth, "Come willingly, or unwillingly!" They said, "We come willingly. "

  • E. Henry Palmer

    Then He made for the heaven and it was but smoke, and He said to it and to the earth, 'Come, ye two, whether ye will or no!' They said, 'We come willingly!'

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    He directed Himself to the heaven when it was smoke (or gas), so He said unto it and unto the earth, "Come you together (or both), willingly or unwillingly. " They both said, " We come in willing obedience."

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    Thereafter He leveled Himself (How He did so is beyond human understanding) to the heaven (while) it was smoke, then said to it and to the earth, "Come up (you two) willingly (Or: in obedience ) or unwillingly!" They (both) said, "We come up willingly. "

  • George Sale

    Then He set his mind to the creation of heaven; and it was smoke: And He said unto it, and to the earth, come, either obediently, or against your will. They answered, we come, obedient to thy command.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    Then, He rose over the high heavens when it was (like) smoke: And He said to it and to the earth: "You (both) come together, willingly or unwillingly. " They both said: "We do come (together), in willing obedience."

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    Again, He directed Himself towards the space. Behold! it was (like) a mass of gas. (The Almighty God) said to it (- the space) and to the earth, `Come both of you (in obedience to Me) willingly or unwillingly.' They said, `We obey you with all our will.'

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    Then He turned to the heaven, and it was smoke, and He said to it and to the earth, ‘Come! Willingly or unwillingly!’ They said, ‘We come heartily. ’