Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

If those who ignore warning but knew the time when they will not restrain the Fire from their faces, nor from their backs, nor will they be helped!

لَوْ يَعْلَمُ الَّذ۪ينَ كَفَرُوا ح۪ينَ لَا يَكُفُّونَ عَنْ وُجُوهِهِمُ النَّارَ وَلَا عَنْ ظُهُورِهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يُنْصَرُونَ
Law yaAAlamu allatheena kafaroo heenala yakuffoona AAan wujoohihimu annara walaAAan thuhoorihim wala hum yunsaroon
#wordmeaningroot
1lawIf
2yaʿlamuknewعلم
3alladhīnathose who
4kafarūdisbelievedكفر
5ḥīna(the) timeحين
6lā(when) not
7yakuffūnathey will avertكفف
8ʿanfrom
9wujūhihimutheir facesوجه
10l-nārathe Fireنور
11walāand not
12ʿanfrom
13ẓuhūrihimtheir backsظهر
14walāand not
15humthey
16yunṣarūnawill be helpedنصر
  • Aisha Bewley

    If those who are kafir only knew of the time when they will not be able to keep the Fire away from their faces or their backs! And they will receive no help!

  • Progressive Muslims

    If only those who reject knew, that they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces, nor from their backs, nor will they be helped.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    If those who are bent upon denial, but knew that they will not be able to repel the fire from their faces and from their backs, and they will not be helped!

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    If those who ignore warning but knew the time when they will not restrain the Fire from their faces, nor from their backs, nor will they be helped!

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    If only those who reject knew, that they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces, nor from their backs, nor will they be helped.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    If only those who reject knew, that they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces, nor from their backs, nor will they be helped.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    If only those who disbelieve could envision themselves when they try to ward off the fire - off their faces and their backs! No one will help them then.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    If only the unbelievers could apprehend the moment when they would neither be able to ward off the fire from their faces and their backs, nor help reach them!

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

    If those who disbelieved but knew the time when they will not avert the Fire from their faces or from their backs and they will not be aided...

  • Muhammad Asad

    If they but knew - they who are bent on deny­ing the truth - a time when they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces, nor from their backs, and will not find any succour!

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    If those who disbelieved but knew the time when they will not be able to drive off the fire from their faces and from their backs, and they will not be helped!

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    If only the unbelievers knew of the Hour when they shall not be able to keep off the Fire from their faces, nor from their backs; nor shall they be helped.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    If only these infidels who deny Allah knew that there shall come a time when they shall not be able to avert the blazing fire from their faces nor from their backs nor shall they be afforded help!

  • Bijan Moeinian

    If the disbelievers could see the Day that they are trying to turn the Fire off from their faces and from their backs while nobody comes to their help.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    If only those who disbelieved knew (the time) when they will not be able to ward off the Fire from their faces, nor from their backs, and they will not be helped.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    If only the Unbelievers knew (the time) when they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces, nor yet from their backs, and (when) no help can reach them!

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    If only the disbelievers knew that a time will come when they will not be able to keep the Fire off their faces or backs, nor will they be helped.

  • Taqi Usmani

    Only if the disbelievers were to know the time when they will not (be able to) keep off the fire from their faces or from their backs, nor will they be helped.

  • Abdul Haleem

    If the disbelievers only knew, the time will arrive when they will not be able to ward off the Fire from their faces or their backs, and they will get no help.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    If the unbelievers but knew when that they shall not ward off the Fire from their faces nor from their backs, neither shall they be helped!

  • E. Henry Palmer

    Did those who misbelieve but know when the fire shall not be warded off from their faces nor from their backs, and they shall not be helped!

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    And they say, "When will this threat (come to pass), if you tell the truth?"

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    If the ones who have disbelieved knew while (Or: the time when) they will not restrain the Fire from their faces nor from their backs, nor will they be vindicated.

  • George Sale

    If they who believe not, knew that the time will surely come, then they shall not be able to drive back the fire of hell from their faces, nor from their backs, neither shall they be helped, they would not hasten it.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    If the disbelievers only knew (the time) when they will not be able to keep away the Fire from their faces, nor from their back and (when) no help can reach them!

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    How good it would be if those who disbelieve could know the time when they will not be able to ward off (the flames of) the fire from their faces nor from their backs and they shall not be helped!

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    If only the faithless knew of the time when they will not be able to keep the Fire off their faces and their backs, nor will they be helped!