Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And He it is that made you the successors of the earth, and raised some of you above others in degree, that He might try you by what He has given you. Thy Lord is swift in retribution; and He is forgiving and merciful.

وَهُوَ الَّذ۪ي جَعَلَكُمْ خَلَٓائِفَ الْاَرْضِ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَكُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجَاتٍ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ ف۪ي مَٓا اٰتٰيكُمْۜ اِنَّ رَبَّكَ سَر۪يعُ الْعِقَابِۘ وَاِنَّهُ لَغَفُورٌ رَح۪يمٌ
Wahuwa allathee jaAAalakum khala-ifaal-ardi warafaAAa baAAdakum fawqa baAAdindarajatin liyabluwakum fee ma atakuminna rabbaka sareeAAu alAAiqabi wa-innahu laghafoorun raheem
#wordmeaningroot
1wahuwaAnd He
2alladhī(is) the One Who
3jaʿalakum(has) made youجعل
4khalāifasuccessorsخلف
5l-arḍi(of) the earthارض
6warafaʿaand raisedرفع
7baʿḍakumsome of youبعض
8fawqaaboveفوق
9baʿḍinothersبعض
10darajātin(in) ranksدرج
11liyabluwakumso that He may test youبلو
12in
13what
14ātākumHe has given youاتي
15innaIndeed
16rabbakayour Lordربب
17sarīʿu(is) swiftسرع
18l-ʿiqābi(in) the punishmentعقب
19wa-innahuand indeed, He (is)
20laghafūrun[certainly], Oft-Forgivingغفر
21raḥīmunMost Mercifulرحم
  • Aisha Bewley

    It is He who appointed you khalifs on the earth and raised some of you above others in rank so He could test you regarding what He has given you. Your Lord is Swift in Retribution; and He is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

  • Progressive Muslims

    And He is the One who made you inheritors on Earth, and He raised some of you over others in grades, to test you with what He had given you. Your Lord is quick to punishment, and He is Forgiving, Merciful.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    He it is Who has made you inheritors of the earth after other nations. And your ranks are determined by your actions. People and nations must create in them the capacity to live with honor (10:14). The real test is what you do with that which He has given you. Your Lord is Swift in retribution. Yet He is Forgiving, Merciful.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And He it is that made you the successors of the earth, and raised some of you above others in degree, that He might try you by what He has given you. Thy Lord is swift in retribution; and He is forgiving and merciful.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And He is the One who made you inheritors on the earth, and He raised some of you over others in grades, to test you with what He had given you. Your Lord is swift to punishment, and He is Forgiving, Merciful.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    He is the One who made you successors on earth, and He raised some of you over others in grades, to test you with what He had given you. Your Lord is quick to punishment, and He is Forgiving, Compassionate.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    He is the One who made you inheritors of the earth, and He raised some of you above others in rank, in order to test you in accordance with what He has given you. Surely, your Lord is efficient in enforcing retribution, and He is Forgiver, Most Merciful.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    It is He who made you trustees on the earth, and exalted some in rank over others in order to try you by what He has given you. Indeed your Lord's retribution is swift, yet He is forgiving and kind.

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

    And it is He who has made you successors upon the earth and has raised some of you above others in degrees that He may try you through what He has given you. Indeed, your Lord is swift in penalty; but indeed, He is Forgiving and Merciful.

  • Muhammad Asad

    For, He it is who has made you inherit the earth, and has raised some of you by degrees above others, so that He might try you by means of what He has bestowed upon you. Verily, thy Sustainer is swift in retribution: yet, behold, He is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    He it is Who hath placed you as viceroys of the earth and hath exalted some of you in rank above others, that He may try you by (the test of) that which He hath given you. Lo! Thy Lord is swift in prosecution, and Lo! He verily is Forgiving, Merciful.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    For He it is Who has appointed you vicegerent over the earth, and has exalted some of you over others in rank that He may try you in what He has bestowed is upon you.* Indeed your Lord is swift in retribution, and He is certainly AllForgiving, All-Compassionate.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    He is it Who has inducted you on earth and made one generation inherit the other, and He promoted and exalted, in rank, honour, estimation, development, power, and wealth some above others, and arranged you in grades so as to test your qualities with what He has ordained for you. You had better realize that Allah, your Creator, is swift indeed in putting the law in execution and in effecting just retribution and He is also Ghafurun and Rahimun.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    God is the One Who has put you (as His representative) in charge of the earth. He has put you in different positions of authority to try you Know that your Lord's justice is swift; yet He is also Forgiving and Merciful.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And it is He Who has made you generations coming after generations, replacing each other on the earth. And He has raised you in ranks, some above others that He may try you in that which He has bestowed on you. Surely your Lord is Swift in retribution, and certainly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    It is He Who hath made you (His) agents, inheritors of the earth: He hath raised you in ranks, some above others: that He may try you in the gifts He hath given you: for thy Lord is quick in punishment: yet He is indeed Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    He is the One Who has placed you as successors on earth and elevated some of you in rank over others, so He may test you with what He has given you. Surely your Lord is swift in punishment, but He is certainly All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

  • Taqi Usmani

    It is He who made you the vicegerents of the earth and raised some of you in ranks over others, so that He may test you in what He has given you. Surely, your Lord is swift in punishing, and surely He is Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful.

  • Abdul Haleem

    It is He who made you successors on the earth and raises some of you above others in rank, to test you through what He gives you. , your Lord is swift in punishment, yet He is most forgiving and merciful.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    It is He who has appointed you viceroys in the earth, and has raised some of you in rank above others, that He may try you in what He has given you. Surely thy Lord is swift in retribution; and surely He is All-forgiving, All-compassionate.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    He it is who made you vicegerents, and raised some of you above others in degree, to try you by that which he has brought you;- verily, thy Lord is swift to punish, but, verily, He is forgiving and merciful.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    He it is who made you Vicegerents (Agents, Successors, Inheritors) of the earth, and raised some of you above others in degree (or rank, virtue, power, wealth, ability etc. ), to try you by that which he has given you; Verily, your Lord is swift to punish, but, verily, He is Forgiving and Merciful.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And He is (The One) Who made you succeeding each other (in) the earth, and has raised some of you above others (Literally: above "some" others) in degrees, that He may try you in what He has brought you. Surely your Lord is swift in punishment, and surely He is indeed Ever-Forgiving, Ever-Merciful.

  • George Sale

    It is He who hath appointed you to succeed your predecessors in the earth, and hath raised some of you above others by various degrees of worldly advantages, that He might prove you by that which He hath bestowed on you. Thy Lord is swift in punishing; and He is also gracious and merciful.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    And it is He Who has made you generations, (and) inheritors replacing each other on the earth,: He has raised you in ranks, some above others: That He may try you by the gifts that He has given to you: Surely, your Lord is quick in punishment: And indeed, He is Often Forgiving (Ghafoor), Most Merciful (Raheem).

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    And He it is Who has made you successors (of others and rulers) of the land, and He has exalted some of you over the others in degrees (of rank) so that He may try you by that which He has given you. Surely, your Lord is Quick at retribution; and He is all the same, Great Protector, Ever Merciful.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    It is He who has made you successors on the earth, and raised some of you in rank above others so that He may test you in respect to what He has given you. Indeed your Lord is swift in retribution, and indeed He is all-forgiving, all-merciful.