Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And those who heed warning say: “Oh, that a sūrah were but sent down!” Then when an explicit sūrah is sent down, and killing is mentioned therein, thou seest those in whose hearts is disease looking at thee with the look of one overshadowed by death. But better for them are

وَيَقُولُ الَّذ۪ينَ اٰمَنُوا لَوْلَا نُزِّلَتْ سُورَةٌۚ فَاِذَٓا اُنْزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ مُحْكَمَةٌ وَذُكِرَ ف۪يهَا الْقِتَالُۙ رَاَيْتَ الَّذ۪ينَ ف۪ي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ يَنْظُرُونَ اِلَيْكَ نَظَرَ الْمَغْشِيِّ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْمَوْتِۜ فَاَوْلٰى لَهُمْۚ
Wayaqoolu allatheena amanoolawla nuzzilat sooratun fa-itha onzilat sooratun muhkamatunwathukira feeha alqitalu raayta allatheenafee quloobihim maradun yanthuroona ilayka natharaalmaghshiyyi AAalayhi mina almawti faawla lahum
#wordmeaningroot
1wayaqūluAnd sayقول
2alladhīnathose who
3āmanūbelieveامن
4lawlāWhy not
5nuzzilathas been revealedنزل
6sūratuna Surahسور
7fa-idhāBut when
8unzilatis revealedنزل
9sūratuna Surahسور
10muḥ'kamatunpreciseحكم
11wadhukiraand is mentionedذكر
12fīhāin it
13l-qitāluthe fightingقتل
14ra-aytayou seeراي
15alladhīnathose who
16in
17qulūbihimtheir heartsقلب
18maraḍun(is) a diseaseمرض
19yanẓurūnalookingنظر
20ilaykaat you
21naẓaraa lookنظر
22l-maghshiyi(of) one faintingغشو
23ʿalayhi(of) one fainting
24minafrom
25l-mawtithe deathموت
26fa-awlāBut more appropriateولي
27lahumfor them
  • Aisha Bewley

    Those who have iman say, ‘If only a sura could be sent down. ’ But when a straightforward sura is sent down and fighting is mentioned in it, you see those with sickness in their hearts looking at you with the look of someone about to faint from fear of death. More fitting for them

  • Progressive Muslims

    And those who believe Say: "If only a chapter is sent down!" But when a firm chapter is sent down, and fighting is mentioned in it, you see those who have a disease in their hearts look at you, as if death had already come to them. It thus revealed them.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    Now those who have believed, say, "Why is not an injunction revealed (permitting us to fight in self-defense?)" But now when a decisive injunction has been revealed about fighting, you find the hypocrites looking at you as if they were fainting to death. And yet, the foremost good for them would be -

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And those who heed warning say: “Oh, that a sūrah were but sent down!” Then when an explicit sūrah is sent down, and killing is mentioned therein, thou seest those in whose hearts is disease looking at thee with the look of one overshadowed by death. But better for them are

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And those who believe say: "If only a chapter is sent down!" But when a lawgiving chapter is sent down, and fighting is mentioned in it, you see those who have a disease in their hearts look at you, as if death had already come to them. It thus revealed them.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    Those who acknowledge say, "If only a chapter is sent down!" But when a resolute chapter is sent down, and fighting is mentioned in it, you see those who have a disease in their hearts look at you, as if death had already come to them. It thus revealed them.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    Those who believed said: "When will a new sura be revealed?" But when a straightforward sura was revealed, wherein fighting was mentioned, you would see those who harbored doubts in their hearts looking at you, as if death had already come to them. They were thus exposed.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    Those who believe say: "How is it no Surah was revealed?" But when a categorical Surah is revealed that mentions war, you should see those who are sceptical staring at you like a man in the swoon of death. Alas the woe for them!

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

    Those who believe say, "Why has a surah not been sent down? But when a precise surah is revealed and fighting is mentioned therein, you see those in whose hearts is hypocrisy looking at you with a look of one overcome by death. And more appropriate for them

  • Muhammad Asad

    NOW THOSE who have attained to faith say, "Would that a revelation was bestowed from on high!" But now that a revelation clear in and by itself, mentioning war, has been bestowed from on high, thou canst see those in whose hearts is disease look­ing at thee, with the look of one who is about to faint for fear of death! And yet, far better for them would be

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    And those who believe say: If only a surah were revealed! But when a decisive surah is revealed and war is mentioned therein, thou seest those in whose hearts is a disease looking at thee with the look of men fainting unto death. Therefor woe unto them!

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    The believers used to say: "Why is a surah (that would ordain fighting) not revealed?" But when a definitive surah was revealed wherein fighting was mentioned, you saw that those in whose hearts there was a sickness looked at you as though they were about to faint at the approach of death.* Pity on them!

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    And those who have conformed to Islam say: " If only a Surah (Chapter) be revealed ordaining war against those who deny Allah (or Jihad in His cause)!" yet when a Surah is revealed wherein Allah does not play with metaphor but He comes to the point, then you see those whose hearts melt away in disease and lassitude look toward you with a countenance standing similitude exact of someone who has fallen into a fainting fit in conflict with the encounter with death and it serves them right.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    The believers were used to ask, "Why God does not send a verse to let us fight ?" But when a decisive verse about the right to fight was sent down, you saw, those who harbored doubt in their hearts, looking at you as though the shadow of death is hanging over them.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    Those who believe say: "Why is not a Sûrah (chapter of the Qur’ân) sent down (for us)? But when a decisive Sûrah (explaining and ordering things) is sent down, and fighting (Jihâd - holy fighting in Allâh’s cause) is mentioned (i.e. ordained) therein, you will see those in whose hearts is a disease (of hypocrisy) looking at you with a look of one fainting to death. But it was better for them (hypocrites, to listen to Allâh and to obey Him).

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    Those who believe say, "Why is not a sura sent down (for us)?" But when a sura of basic or categorical meaning is revealed, and fighting is mentioned therein, thou wilt see those in whose hearts is a disease looking at thee with a look of one in swoon at the approach of death. But more fitting for them-

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    And the believers say, "If only a sûrah was revealed ˹allowing self-defence˺!" Yet when a precise sûrah is revealed, in which fighting is ˹explicitly˺ mentioned, you see those with sickness in their hearts staring at you like someone in the throes of death. It would have been better for them

  • Taqi Usmani

    And the believers say, "Why has a (new) Sūrah not been revealed?" Then, once an operative Sūrah is sent down, and fighting (in Allah’s way) is mentioned in it, you notice those who have disease in their hearts, looking to you like one who is faint because of death. So, destruction is very close to them.

  • Abdul Haleem

    Those who believe ask why no sura has been sent down. Yet when a decisive sura is sent down, you can see the sick at heart looking at you and visibly fainting at the prospect of death- better for them

  • Arthur John Arberry

    Those who believe say, 'Why has a sura not been sent down?' Then, when a clear sura is sent down, and therein fighting is mentioned, thou seest those in whose hearts is sickness looking at thee as one who swoons of death; but better for them would be

  • E. Henry Palmer

    Those who misbelieve say, 'Why has not a surah been revealed?' but when a decisive surah is revealed and fighting is mentioned therein, thou mayest see those in whose heart is sickness looking towards thee with the look of one fainting in death.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    And those who believe say, "Why has not a chapter been revealed?" But when a decisive chapter is revealed, and fighting is mentioned therein, you see those in whose heart is a disease look at you with the look of one fainting because of (fear or approach of) death. Therefore, woe to them!

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And the ones who have believed say, "Had a s?rah been successively sent down!" Then, when a clear s?rah is sent down, and therein fighting is mentioned, you see the ones in whose hearts is sickness looking at you with the look of one enveloped by the swooning of death; yet worthier of them would be.

  • George Sale

    The true believers say, hath not a sura been revealed commanding war against the infidels? But when a sura without any ambiguity is revealed, and war is mentioned therein, thou mayest see those in whose hearts is an infirmity, look towards thee with the look of one whom death overshadoweth.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    Those who believe say, "Why is a (specific) Sura not sent down (for us)?" But when a Sura of basic or clear meaning is revealed, and fighting is said in it, you will see those (hypocrites) in whose heart is a disease looking at you with a look of one with great fear at the approach of death, but it is better (more fitting) for them—

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    Those who believe say, `Why is no Sûrah (- Qur'ânic chapter permitting us to go to war) revealed?' But when a (definite) Sûrah of basic and categorical meaning and speaking of war was revealed you find those in whose hearts is a disease (of hypocrisy) looking at you like the looking of a person whose understanding is clouded for (fear of approaching) death. Therefore woe to them!

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    The faithful say, ‘If only a sūrah were sent down!’ But when a definitive sūrah is sent down and war is mentioned in it, you see those in whose hearts is a sickness looking upon you with the look of someone fainting at death. So woe to them!