Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And thus We sent not before thee into a city any warner save its opulent ones said: “We found our fathers upon a community, and we are following in their footsteps.”

وَكَذٰلِكَ مَٓا اَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ ف۪ي قَرْيَةٍ مِنْ نَذ۪يرٍ اِلَّا قَالَ مُتْرَفُوهَٓاۙ اِنَّا وَجَدْنَٓا اٰبَٓاءَنَا عَلٰٓى اُمَّةٍ وَاِنَّا عَلٰٓى اٰثَارِهِمْ مُقْتَدُونَ
Wakathalika ma arsalnamin qablika fee qaryatin min natheerin illa qalamutrafooha inna wajadna abaanaAAala ommatin wa-inna AAala atharihimmuqtadoon
#wordmeaningroot
1wakadhālikaAnd thus
2not
3arsalnāWe sentرسل
4minbefore you
5qablikabefore youقبل
6in
7qaryatina townقري
8minany
9nadhīrinwarnerنذر
10illāexcept
11qālasaidقول
12mut'rafūhā(the) wealthy ones of itترف
13innāIndeed, we
14wajadnā[we] foundوجد
15ābāanāour forefathersابو
16ʿalāon
17ummatina religionامم
18wa-innāand indeed, we
19ʿalā[on]
20āthārihimtheir footstepsاثر
21muq'tadūna(are) followingقدو
  • Aisha Bewley

    Similarly We never sent any warner before you to any city without the affluent among them saying, ‘We found our fathers following a religion and we are simply following in their footsteps. ’

  • Progressive Muslims

    And similarly, We did not send a warner to a town, except its carefree ones said: "We found our fathers following a certain way, and we are being guided in their footsteps. "

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    Thus it is. Whenever We sent, before you, a Warner to a community, its luxurious ones said, "Behold, We found our fathers following a certain religion, and we are following their footprints."

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And thus We sent not before thee into a city any warner save its opulent ones said: “We found our fathers upon a community, and we are following in their footsteps.”

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And similarly, We did not send a warner to a town, except its carefree ones said: "We found our fathers following a certain way, and we are being guided in their footsteps."

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    Similarly, We did not send a warner to a town, except its privileged hedonists said, "We found our fathers following a certain way, and we are being guided in their footsteps."

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    Invariably, when we sent a warner to any community, the leaders of that community would say, "We found our parents following certain practices, and we will continue in their footsteps."

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    Thus, We never sent an admonisher to a settlement before you but the decadent among them said. "We found our fathers following this way, and we are walking in their footsteps."

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

    And similarly, We did not send before you any warner into a city except that its affluent said, "Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are, in their footsteps, following. "

  • Muhammad Asad

    And thus it is: whenever We sent, before thy time, a warner to any community, those of its people who had lost themselves entirely in the pursuit of pleasures would always say, "Behold, we found our forefathers agreed on what to believe - and, verily, it is but in their footsteps that we follow!"

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    And even so We sent not a warner before thee (Muhammad) into any township but its luxurious ones said: Lo! we found our fathers following a religion, and we are following their footprints.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    And thus it is: whenever We sent any warner to a city its affluent ones said: "We found our forefathers on a way and we continue to follow in their footsteps."*

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    But then, We never sent a Messenger before you O Muhammad, to a people but stood those with the riches similitude exact of your people and said: "We have found our fathers bent on a particular system of faith and worship and in their foot steps we walk".

  • Bijan Moeinian

    In the past too, whenever I (God) sent a Warner to a nation their leaders would say: "We follow the footsteps of our forefathers. "

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And similarly, We sent not a warner before you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) to any town (people) but the luxurious ones among them said: "We found our fathers following a certain way and religion, and we will indeed follow their footsteps."

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    Just in the same way, whenever We sent a Warner before thee to any people, the wealthy ones among them said: "We found our fathers following a certain religion, and we will certainly follow in their footsteps."

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    Similarly, whenever We sent a warner to a society before you ˹O Prophet˺, its ˹spoiled˺ elite would say, "We found our forefathers following a ˹particular˺ way, and we are walking in their footsteps."

  • Taqi Usmani

    Similarly, We did not send a warner to a town before you, but its affluent people said, "We have found our fathers on a certain way, and we are following their footprints."

  • Abdul Haleem

    When-ever We sent a messenger before you to warn a township, those corrupted by wealth said, in the same way, ‘We saw our fathers following this tradition; we are only following in their footsteps.’

  • Arthur John Arberry

    Even so We sent never before thee any warner into any city, except that its men who lived at ease said, 'We indeed found our fathers upon a community, and we are following upon their traces. '

  • E. Henry Palmer

    Thus, too, did we never send before thee to a city any warner, but the affluent ones thereof said, 'Verily, we found our fathers (agreed) upon a religion, and, verily, we are led by their traces. '

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    And even so, We did not send before you (Muhammad) any Warner into any town, but those who led easy lives in it (the wealthy or leisured) said, "Surely we found our fathers in a religion, and surely we will follow in their footsteps. "

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And thus in no way did We send even before you any warner into a town, except that its (population) living in ease and luxury said, "Surely we found our fathers upon a course (Literally: a nation; a community; following a leadership pr a religion) and surely we are emulating (them) upon their tracks. "

  • George Sale

    Thus We sent no preacher, before thee, unto any city, but the inhabitants thereof who lived in affluence, said, verily we found our fathers practising a religion: And we tread in their footsteps.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    And just the same way, whenever We sent a warner before you to any people, the wealthy ones among them said: "We found our fathers following a certain way and religion, and we will certainly follow their footsteps. "

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    It has always been the case, We never sent any Warner to any township before you but its insolent leaders and well-to-do persons said, `We have found our forefathers on a certain course and we are the followers in their footsteps (to the right direction). '

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    And so it has been that We did not send any warner to a town before you, without its affluent ones saying, ‘We found our fathers following a creed and we are indeed following in their footsteps. ’