Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And thus have We appointed in every city its greatest lawbreakers, that they should scheme therein; and they scheme only against themselves, and they perceive not.

وَكَذٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَا ف۪ي كُلِّ قَرْيَةٍ اَكَابِرَ مُجْرِم۪يهَا لِيَمْكُرُوا ف۪يهَاۜ وَمَا يَمْكُرُونَ اِلَّا بِاَنْفُسِهِمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ
Wakathalika jaAAalna feekulli qaryatin akabira mujrimeeha liyamkuroo feehawama yamkuroona illa bi-anfusihim wamayashAAuroon
#wordmeaningroot
1wakadhālikaAnd thus
2jaʿalnāWe placedجعل
3in
4kullieveryكلل
5qaryatincityقري
6akābiragreatestكبر
7muj'rimīhā(of) its criminalsجرم
8liyamkurūso that they plotمكر
9fīhātherein
10wamāAnd not
11yamkurūnathey plotمكر
12illāexcept
13bi-anfusihimagainst themselvesنفس
14wamāand not
15yashʿurūnathey perceiveشعر
  • Aisha Bewley

    And likewise in every city We set up its greatest wrongdoers to plot in it. They plot against themselves alone, but they are not aware of it.

  • Progressive Muslims

    And as such, We have permitted in every town the influential from its criminals, to scheme in it. They only scheme their own souls without perceiving.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    This is how We allow the greatest ones in every community to become its greatest criminals, to weave their schemes. Yet it is only against themselves that they scheme without even knowing it.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And thus have We appointed in every city its greatest lawbreakers, that they should scheme therein; and they scheme only against themselves, and they perceive not.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And as such, We have permitted in every town the influential from its criminals, to scheme in it. They only scheme their own souls without perceiving.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    As such, We have permitted in every town the influential from its criminals, to scheme in it. They only scheme their own selves without perceiving.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    We allow the leading criminals of every community to plot and scheme. But they only plot and scheme against their own souls, without perceiving.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    And thus have We placed in every city the greatest of the sinners to contrive and deceive; yet they contrive against no one but themselves even though they do not know.

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

    And thus We have placed within every city the greatest of its criminals to conspire therein. But they conspire not except against themselves, and they perceive not.

  • Muhammad Asad

    And it is in this way that We cause the great ones in every land to become its evildoers, there to weave their schemes: yet it is only against themselves that they scheme -and they perceive it not.

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    And thus have We made in every city great ones of its wicked ones, that they should plot therein. They do but plot against themselves, though they perceive not.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Thus We have appointed the leaders of the wicked ones in every land to weave their plots; but in truth they plot only to their own harm, without even realizing it.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    Thus did We set in every city the principal persons among the people who set no bounds to their sensuous vain and evil desires to take cunning for a sinister and crooked wisdom, and lie in wait to deceive the people, when in fact they beset themselves with evils and malice but they fail to perceive.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    As a matter of fact, I have given the power to the main wrongdoers of each land so that they may implement their wicked plans. What they do not realize is that their scheme will fire back and destroy their very own soul.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And thus We have set up in every town great ones of its wicked people to plot therein. But they plot not except against their ownselves, and they perceive (it) not.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    Thus have We placed leaders in every town, its wicked men, to plot (and burrow) therein: but they only plot against their own souls, and they perceive it not.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    And so We have placed in every society the most wicked to conspire in it. Yet they plot only against themselves, but they fail to perceive it.

  • Taqi Usmani

    In a similar way, in every town We caused its chief sinners to commit mischief in it. And they do not commit mischief but against themselves, while they do not realize it.

  • Abdul Haleem

    And so We have put chief evildoers in every city to perpetrate their schemes there- but they scheme only against themselves, without realizing it.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    And even so We appointed in every city great ones among its sinners, to devise there; but they devised only against themselves, and they were not aware.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    And thus have we placed in every town the great sinners thereof, that they may use craft therein; but they use not craft except against themselves, although they do not understand.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    And thus have We placed great ones (leaders) in every town, its wicked ones, that they may plot therein. But they do but plot against themselves, though they perceive not.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And thus We made in every town great ones among its criminals to scheme therein; and in no way do they scheme against anyone except themselves, and in no way are they aware.

  • George Sale

    And thus have we placed in every city chief leaders of the wicked men thereof, that they may act deceitfully therein; but they shall act deceitfully against their own souls only; and they know it not.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    And thus have We placed chief leaders in every town, its wicked men, who plot (evil and place themselves) in there: But they only plot against their own souls, and they do not understand it.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    Similarly have We made the leaders in every town the guilty ones, (because their doings seem fair to them) with the result that they intrigue therein; but little do they understand that, (as a matter of fact,) they intrigue only against themselves.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    Thus have We installed in every town its major criminals that they may plot therein. Yet they do not plot except against their own souls, but they are not aware.