Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

Say thou: “I have no power to do myself benefit or harm save that God should will. And had I knowledge of the Unseen, I would have acquired abundance of wealth, and evil would not have touched me; I am only a warner and bearer of glad tidings to people who believe.”

قُلْ لَٓا اَمْلِكُ لِنَفْس۪ي نَفْعاً وَلَا ضَراًّ اِلَّا مَا شَٓاءَ اللّٰهُۜ وَلَوْ كُنْتُ اَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لَاسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِۚ وَمَا مَسَّنِيَ السُّٓوءُ اِنْ اَنَا۬ اِلَّا نَذ۪يرٌ وَبَش۪يرٌ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ۟
Qul la amliku linafsee nafAAan waladarran illa ma shaa Allahuwalaw kuntu aAAlamu alghayba lastakthartu mina alkhayriwama massaniya assoo-o in ana illanatheerun wabasheerun liqawmin yu/minoon
#wordmeaningroot
1qulSayقول
2Not
3amlikuI have powerملك
4linafsīfor myselfنفس
5nafʿan(to) benefitنفع
6walāand no
7ḍarran(power to) harmضرر
8illāexcept
9what
10shāawillsشيا
11l-lahuAllah
12walawAnd if
13kuntuI wouldكون
14aʿlamuknowعلم
15l-ghayba(of) the unseenغيب
16la-is'takthartusurely I could have multipliedكثر
17minaof
18l-khayrithe goodخير
19wamāand not
20massaniya(could) have touched meمسس
21l-sūuthe evilسوا
22inNot
23anā(am) I
24illāexcept
25nadhīruna warnerنذر
26wabashīrunand a bearer of good tidingsبشر
27liqawminto a peopleقوم
28yu'minūnawho believeامن
  • Aisha Bewley

    Say: ‘I possess no power to help or harm myself, except as Allah wills. If I had had knowledge of the Unseen, I would have sought to gain much good and no evil would have touched me. I am only a warner and a bringer of good news to people who have iman.’

  • Progressive Muslims

    Say: "I do not posses for myself any benefit or harm, except what God wills. And if I could know the future, then I would have increased my good fortune, and no harm would have come to me. I am but a warner and a bearer of good news to a people who believe."

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    Say, "I do not even have the power to benefit myself or to avert harm to myself, contrary to the Laws of Allah. Had I the knowledge of what is beyond the reach of human perception, I would have amassed abundant fortune, and no adversity would ever touch me. I am but a Warner and a bearer of good news for those who believe in the Message."

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    Say thou: “I have no power to do myself benefit or harm save that God should will. And had I knowledge of the Unseen, I would have acquired abundance of wealth, and evil would not have touched me; I am only a warner and bearer of glad tidings to people who believe.”

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    Say: "I do not possess for myself any benefit or harm, except what God wills. And if I could know the future, then I would have increased my good fortune, and no harm would have come to me. I am but a warner and a bearer of good news to a people who believe."

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    Say, "I do not possess for myself any benefit or harm, except what God wills. If I could know the future, then I would have increased my good fortune, and no harm would have come to me. I am but a warner and a bearer of good news to a people who acknowledge."

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    Say, "I have no power to benefit myself, or harm myself. Only what GOD wills happens to me. If I knew the future, I would have increased my wealth, and no harm would have afflicted me. I am no more than a warner, and a bearer of good news for those who believe."

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    Tell them: "I am not master of my own gain or loss but as God may please. If I had the knowledge of the Unknown I would have enjoyed abundance of the good, and no evil would have touched me. I am only a bearer of warnings and bringer of happy news for those who believe."

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

    Say, "I hold not for myself benefit or harm, except what Allah has willed. And if I knew the unseen, I could have acquired much wealth, and no harm would have touched me. I am not except a warner and a bringer of good tidings to a people who believe."

  • Muhammad Asad

    Say : "It is not within my power to bring benefit to, or avert harm from, myself, except as God may please. And if I knew that which is beyond the reach of human perception, abundant good fortune-would surely have fallen to my lot, and no evil would ever have touched me. I am nothing but a warner, and a herald of glad tidings unto people who will believe."

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    Say: For myself I have no power to benefit, nor power to hurt, save that which Allah willeth. Had I knowledge of the Unseen, I should have abundance of wealth, and adversity would not touch me. I am but a warner, and a bearer of good tidings unto folk who believe.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Tell them : 'I have no power to benefit or harm myself except as Allah may please. And had I knowledge of the unseen, I should have amassed all kinds of good, and no evil would have ever touched me. I am merely a warner and the herald of glad tidings to those who have faith.'

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    Say to them O Muhammad: "I have no control over what will become nor of what will befall me, be it good or bad but as Allah wills. He is the Principle Power by Whom events are unalterably predetermined". "If I indulged in prophecy and were able to foretell future events and realize the unseen I would have made all grace abound in me, and never would I have failed to be out of harm's way". "I am only a spectacle and a warning to people whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand".

  • Bijan Moeinian

    Tell them: "I have no power to make my life more pleasant nor can I prevent any misfortune which will happen to me. Only God can do these things. If I knew the unseen, I would have taken advantage of it and have prevented the unfortunate events. I am only a Warner and have good news for those who believe.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "I possess no power over benefit or harm to myself except as Allâh wills. If I had the knowledge of the Ghaib (Unseen), I should have secured for myself an abundance of wealth, and no evil should have touched me. I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings unto people who believe."

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    Say: "I have no power over any good or harm to myself except as Allah willeth. If I had knowledge of the unseen, I should have multiplied all good, and no evil should have touched me: I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings to those who have faith."

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    Say, "I have no power to benefit or protect myself, except by the Will of Allah. If I had known the unknown, I would have benefited myself enormously, and no harm would have ever touched me. I am only a warner and deliverer of good news for those who believe."

  • Taqi Usmani

    Say, "I have no power to bring a benefit or a harm to myself, except that which Allah wills. If I had the knowledge of the Unseen, I would have accumulated a lot of good things, and no evil would have ever touched me. I am but a warner, and a herald of good news for a people who believe."

  • Abdul Haleem

    Say , ‘I have no control over benefit or harm, to myself, except as God may please: if I had knowledge of what is hidden, I would have abundant good things and no harm could touch me. I am no more than a bearer of warning, and good news to those who believe.’

  • Arthur John Arberry

    Say: 'I have no power to profit for myself; or hurt, but as God will. Had I knowledge of the Unseen I would have acquired much good, and evil would not have touched me. I am only a warner, and a bearer of good tidings, to a people believing.'

  • E. Henry Palmer

    Say, 'I cannot control profit or harm for myself, save what God will. If I knew the unseen I should surely have much that is good, nor would evil touch me; I am but a warner and a herald of good tidings unto a people who believe.'

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    Say, "For myself I have no power to benefit, nor power to harm, save what Allah will. Had I knowledge of the Unseen I should surely have multiplied all that is good, and no adversity would touch me; I am but a Warner and a herald of good tidings unto a people who have faith."

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    Say, "I do not possess (any) benefit or harm for myself, except what ever Allah decides; and if I had known the Unseen, I would indeed have got plenty of the most charitable things, and in no way would odious times have touched me. Decidedly I am nothing except a constant warner and a constant bearer of good tidings to a people who believe.".

  • George Sale

    Say, 'I have no power to do good or harm to myself save as Allah please. And if I had the knowledge of the unseen, I should have secured abundance of good; and evil would not have touched me. I am only a Warner and a bearer of good tidings.'

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    Say: "I have no power over any good or harm to myself except as Allah wills. If I had knowledge of the unseen, I should have multiplied all good, and no evil could have touched me: I am only a Warner, and a bringer of glad tidings to those who have Faith (in Allah)."

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    Say, `I have no power over (bringing) any gain or (avoiding) any harm to myself save to the extent that Allâh will. And had I known the unseen I would surely have secured a great deal of good (for myself) and no harm would ever have come to me. I am only a Warner (to the wicked) and a Bearer of good tidings (to the people who believe).

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    Say, ‘I have no control over any benefit for myself nor any harm except what Allah may wish. Had I known the Unseen, I would have acquired much good, and no ill would have befallen me. I am only a warner and a bearer of good news to a people who have faith.’