Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And when it is said to them: “Work not corruption in the land,” they say: “We are but those who do right.”

وَاِذَا ق۪يلَ لَهُمْ لَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْاَرْضِۙ قَالُٓوا اِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ
Wa-itha qeela lahum latufsidoo fee al-ardi qaloo innama nahnumuslihoon
#wordmeaningroot
1wa-idhāAnd when
2qīlait is saidقول
3lahumto them
4(Do) not
5tuf'sidūspread corruptionفسد
6in
7l-arḍithe earthارض
8qālūthey sayقول
9innamāOnly
10naḥnuwe
11muṣ'liḥūna(are) reformersصلح
  • Aisha Bewley

    When they are told, ‘Do not cause corruption on the earth,’ they say, ‘We are only putting things right. ’

  • Progressive Muslims

    And if they are told: "Do not make evil in the land, " they Say: "But we are the reformers!"

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    (By declining to submit to the Divine Values, every individual will formulate his own set of values. The obvious result would be corruption and chaos in the earth). When they are told not to cause corruption and disorder in the land, they say, "We are but reformers."

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And when it is said to them: “Work not corruption in the land,” they say: “We are but those who do right.”

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And if they are told: "Do not make corruption in the land," they say: "But we are reformers!"

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    If they are told "Do not make evil in the land," they say, "But we are the reformers!"

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    When they are told, "Do not commit evil," they say, "But we are righteous."

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    When asked to desist from spreading corruption in the land they say: "Why, we are reformers. "

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

    And when it is said to them, "Do not cause corruption on the earth," they say, "We are but reformers. "

  • Muhammad Asad

    And when they are told, "Do not spread corruption on earth," they answer, "We are but improving things!"

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    And when it is said unto them: Make not mischief in the earth, they say: We are peacemakers only.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Whenever they are told: "Do not spread mischief on earth," they say: “Why! We indeed are the ones who set things right.”

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    And when told to stop making mischief on earth nor create discord, they say: "But we only try to bring people to abandon the wrong course of life and conduct and adopt the right one till the new principle governs their thoughts".

  • Bijan Moeinian

    And when they are told, "Do not to make mischief on the earth," they reply: “/ we are indeed the righteous ones. ”

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And when it is said to them: "Make not mischief on the earth," they say: "We are only peace-makers."

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    When it is said to them: "Make not mischief on the earth," they say: "Why, we only Want to make peace!"

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    When they are told, "Do not spread corruption in the land," they reply, “We are only peace-makers!”

  • Taqi Usmani

    When it is said to them, "Do not spread disorder on the earth", they say, “We are but reformers.”

  • Abdul Haleem

    When it is said to them, ‘Do not cause corruption in the land,’ they say, ‘We are only putting things right,’

  • Arthur John Arberry

    When it is said to them, 'Do not corruption in the land', they say, 'We are only ones that put things right. '

  • E. Henry Palmer

    And when it is said to them, 'Do not evil in the earth,' they say, 'We do but what is right. '

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    And when it is said to them, "Do not evil in the earth," they say, "We do only what is right"

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And when it is said to them, "Do not corrupt in the earth, " they say, "Surely we are only doers of righteousness. " (i.e. reformers, peacemakers)

  • George Sale

    When one saith unto them, act not corruptly in the earth; they reply, Verily we are men of integrity.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    When it is said to them: "Do not make mischief on the earth, " they say: "Why, we only want to make peace!"

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    When it is said to them, `Do not disturb the peace of the land (by hypocritical tactics),' they say, `We are simply setting things right (and so helping the cause of peace). '

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    When they are told, ‘Do not cause corruption on the earth,’ they say, ‘We are only reformers!’