Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

“And of camels two and of oxen two––” Say thou: “Is it the two males He has forbidden or the two females? If what the wombs of the two females contain: — or if you were witnesses when God enjoined this upon you: — then who is more unjust than he who invents a lie about God, that he might lead people astray without knowledge? God guides not the wrongdoing people.”

وَمِنَ الْاِبِلِ اثْنَيْنِ وَمِنَ الْبَقَرِ اثْنَيْنِۜ قُلْ آٰلذَّكَرَيْنِ حَرَّمَ اَمِ الْاُنْثَيَيْنِ اَمَّا اشْتَمَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ اَرْحَامُ الْاُنْثَيَيْنِۜ اَمْ كُنْتُمْ شُهَدَٓاءَ اِذْ وَصّٰيكُمُ اللّٰهُ بِهٰذَاۚ فَمَنْ اَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرٰى عَلَى اللّٰهِ كَذِباً لِيُضِلَّ النَّاسَ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍۜ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِم۪ينَ۟
Wamina al-ibili ithnayni wamina albaqariithnayni qul aththakarayni harramaami alonthayayni amma ishtamalat AAalayhi arhamualonthayayni am kuntum shuhadaa ith wassakumuAllahu bihatha faman athlamu mimmaniiftara AAala Allahi kathiban liyudillaannasa bighayri AAilmin inna Allaha layahdee alqawma aththalimeen
#wordmeaningroot
1waminaAnd of
2l-ibilithe camelsابل
3ith'naynitwoثني
4waminaand of
5l-baqarithe cowsبقر
6ith'naynitwoثني
7qulSayقول
8āldhakarayni(Is it) the two malesذكر
9ḥarramaHe (has) forbiddenحرم
10amior
11l-unthayaynithe two femalesانث
12ammāor what
13ish'tamalatcontainsشمل
14ʿalayhi[in it]
15arḥāmu(the) wombsرحم
16l-unthayayni(of) the two femalesانث
17amOr
18kuntumwere youكون
19shuhadāawitnessesشهد
20idhwhen
21waṣṣākumuenjoined youوصي
22l-lahuAllah
23bihādhāwith this
24famanThen who
25aẓlamu(is) more unjustظلم
26mimmanithan (one) who
27if'tarāinventsفري
28ʿalāagainst
29l-lahiAllah
30kadhibana lieكذب
31liyuḍillato misleadضلل
32l-nāsathe peopleنوس
33bighayriwithoutغير
34ʿil'minknowledgeعلم
35innaIndeed
36l-lahaAllah
37lā(does) not
38yahdīguideهدي
39l-qawmathe peopleقوم
40l-ẓālimīnathe wrongdoingظلم
  • Aisha Bewley

    And a pair of camels and a pair of cattle – Say: ‘Is it the two males He has made haram, or the two females, or what the wombs of the two females contain? Were you then witnesses when Allah gave you this instruction?’ Who could do greater wrong than someone who invents lies against Allah thus leading people astray without any knowledge? Allah does not guide the people of the wrongdoers.

  • Progressive Muslims

    And from the camels two, and from the cattle two; Say: "Is it the two males that He forbade or the two females, or what the womb of the two females bore Or were you witnesses when God ordered you with this" Who is more wicked than one who invents lies about God to misguide the people without knowledge. God does not guide the wicked people.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    Then two camels, one male and one female, two cows, one male and one female. Say, "Is it the two males that He has forbidden, or the two females, or the calves in the wombs of the two females? Were you witnesses when Allah made such prohibitions? Who can be a greater transgressor than the one who invents a lie and attributes it to Allah? They mislead people without knowledge. Allah does not intervene to guide those who displace knowledge with conjecture."

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    “And of camels two and of oxen two––” Say thou: “Is it the two males He has forbidden or the two females? If what the wombs of the two females contain: — or if you were witnesses when God enjoined this upon you: — then who is more unjust than he who invents a lie about God, that he might lead people astray without knowledge? God guides not the wrongdoing people.”

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And from the camels two, and from the cattle two. Say: "Is it the two males that He forbade or the two females, or what the wombs of the two females bore? Or were you witnesses when God ordered you with this?" Who is more wicked than he who invents lies about God to misguide the people without knowledge. God does not guide the wicked people.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    From the camels two, and from the cattle two; say, "Is it the two males that He forbade or the two females, or what the womb of the two females bore? Or were you witnesses when God ordered you with this?" Who is more wicked than one who invents lies about God to misguide the people without knowledge? God does not guide the wicked people.*

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    Regarding the two kinds of camels, and the two kinds of cattle, say, "Is it the two males that He prohibited, or the two females, or the contents of the wombs of the two females? Were you witnesses when GOD decreed such prohibitions for you? Who is more evil than those who invent such lies and attribute them to GOD? They thus mislead the people without knowledge. GOD does not guide such evil people."

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    And there are two of camels and two of oxen. Ask them: "Which has He forbidden, the two males or the two females, or what the females carry in their wombs?" Were you present at the time God issued this command?" Who then could be more wicked than he who fabricates a lie and ascribes it to God to mislead men, without any knowledge? God does not guide the miscreants.

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

    And of the camels, two and of the cattle, two. Say, "Is it the two males He has forbidden or the two females or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Or were you witnesses when Allah charged you with this? Then who is more unjust than one who invents a lie about Allah to mislead the people by other than knowledge? Indeed, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people."

  • Muhammad Asad

    And either of the two sexes of camels and of bovine cattle. Ask : "Is it the two males that He has forbidden, or the two females, or that which the wombs of the two females may contain? Is it, perchance, that you were witnesses when God enjoined this upon you?" And who could be more wicked than he who, without any knowledge, attributes his own lying inventions to God, and thus leads people astray'? Behold, God does not grace evildoing folk with His guidance.

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    And of the camels twain and of the oxen twain. Say: Hath He forbidden the two males or the two females, or that which the wombs of the two females contain; or were ye by to witness when Allah commanded you (all) this? Then who doth greater wrong than he who deviseth a lie concerning Allah, that he may lead mankind astray without knowledge. Lo! Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    And likewise, of camels there are two, and of oxen there are two. Ask them: 'Is it either the two males that He has forbidden or the two females, or that which the wombs of the two females may contain?* Or were you present when Allah enjoined this commandment upon you?' Who, then, would be more unjust than he who fabricates a lie against Allah that he might lead people astray without knowledge. Surely Allah never guides such a wrong-doing folk.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    -And to keep to the point-, there follow the pair of camels and those of oxen. Ask them: "Is it the two males or the two females that Allah has forbidden or is it what the two females carry in their wombs! "Or were you present as spectators and auditors at the execution of the alleged divine ordinance enjoined by Allah and you subscribe it in attestation thereof! " Who then is more wicked indeed than he who viciously and wrongful relates to Allah falsehood and acts as a guide to people when his ignorance has reached up unto heaven! Indeed Allah does not guide to His path of righteousness the vicious and wrongful of actions.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    As to the laws concerning the camel and the cattle, ask them: "Is it two male, two female or the unborn animals that God has prohibited for you? Where you present when {according to you God was commanding these prohibitory laws?" If not, then who can be more wicked than the one who fabricates lies and ascribes them to God Indeed God will not guide such unjust people.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And of the camels two (male and female), and of oxen two (male and female). Say: "Has He forbidden the two males or the two females or (the young) which the wombs of the two females enclose? Or were you present when Allâh ordered you such a thing? Then who does more wrong than one who invents a lie against Allâh, to lead mankind astray without knowledge. Certainly Allâh guides not the people who are Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers)."

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    Of camels a pair, and oxen a pair; say, hath He forbidden the two males, or the two females, or (the young) which the wombs of the two females enclose? - Were ye present when Allah ordered you such a thing? But who doth more wrong than one who invents a lie against Allah, to lead astray men without knowledge? For Allah guideth not people who do wrong.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    and a pair of camels and a pair of oxen. Ask ˹them˺, "Has He forbidden ˹to you˺ the two males or the two females or what is in the wombs of the two females? Or were you present when Allah gave you this commandment?" Who does more wrong than those who fabricate lies against Allah to mislead others without ˹any˺ knowledge? Surely Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.

  • Taqi Usmani

    And (He has created) two of camels and two of oxen. Say, "Is it the two males that He has prohibited or the two females or whatever the wombs of the two females contain? Or were you present when Allah has advised you of this?" So, who is more unjust than the one who fabricates a lie against Allah in order to misguide people without knowledge? Surely, Allah gives no guidance to an unjust people.

  • Abdul Haleem

    And a pair of camels and a pair of cattle- ask them , ‘Has He forbidden the two males, the two females, or the young in the wombs of the two females? Were you present when God gave you these commands?’ So who is more wicked than he who fabricates lies against God with no basis in knowledge in order to lead people astray? God does not guide the evildoers.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    Of camels two, of oxen two. Say: 'Is it the two males He has forbidden or the two females? Or what the wombs of the two females contain? Or were you witnesses when God charged you with this? Then who does greater evil than he who forges against God a lie, in order that he may lead mankind astray without any knowledge? Surely God guides not the people of the evildoers.'

  • E. Henry Palmer

    And of camels two, and cows two; say, 'Are the two males unlawful, or the two females, or what the wombs of the two females contain? Were ye witnesses when God ordained for you these?- Then who is more unjust than he who devises a lie against God, to lead men astray without knowledge? verily, God guides not the unjust people. '

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    And of camels two, and cows two; say, "Are the two males unlawful, or the two females, or what the wombs of the two females contain? Were you witnesses when Allah ordained this for you? - Then who is more unjust than he who devises a lie against Allah, to lead men astray without knowledge? Verily, Allah guides not the unjust people. "

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And of the camels two, and of the bovine two. Say, "Has He prohibited the two males or even the two females? Or even what the wombs of the two females contain? Or even were you witnesses as Allah enjoined you with this? Then who is more unjust than he who fabricates against Allah a lie that he may lead mankind into error without (any) knowledge? Surely Allah does not guide the unjust people."

  • George Sale

    And of camels hath God given you one pair, and of oxen one pair. Say, hath He forbidden the two males of these, or the two females; or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Were ye present when God commanded you this? And who is more unjust than he who deviseth a lie against God, that he may seduce men without understanding? Verily God directeth not unjust people.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    And of the camels a pair, and of oxen a pair; Say: "Has He forbidden the two males, or the two females, or (the young) which the wombs of the two females hold? or were you present when Allah ordered you such a thing?" Then who does more wrong than one who invents a lie against Allah, to lead astray the Mankind without knowledge? For Allah does not guide people who do wrong.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    And (He created) the pair of camels and the pair of cows. Say, `Is it the two males that He has made unlawful or the two females or is it that which the wombs of the two females contain (which He has forbidden)? Or were you present when Allâh enjoined this (unlawfulness and lawfulness) on you?' Who is more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allâh deliberately that he may lead the people astray without having any knowledge. Verily, Allâh does not guide the unjust people.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    And two of camels and two of oxen. Say, ‘Is it the two males that He has forbidden or the two females, or what is contained in the wombs of the two females? Were you witnesses when Allah enjoined this upon you?’ So who is a greater wrongdoer than him who fabricates a lie against Allah to mislead the people without any knowledge? Indeed Allah does not guide the wrongdoing lot.