Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And when it is said to them: “Believe as mankind has believed,” they say: “Shall we believe as the foolish have believed?” In truth, it is they who are the foolish; but they know not.

وَاِذَا ق۪يلَ لَهُمْ اٰمِنُوا كَمَٓا اٰمَنَ النَّاسُ قَالُٓوا اَنُؤْمِنُ كَمَٓا اٰمَنَ السُّفَـهَٓاءُۜ اَلَٓا اِنَّهُمْ هُمُ السُّفَـهَٓاءُ وَلٰكِنْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
Wa-itha qeela lahum aminoo kamaamana annasu qaloo anu/minu kamaamana assufahao ala innahum humu assufahaowalakin la yaAAlamoon
#wordmeaningroot
1wa-idhāAnd when
2qīlait is saidقول
3lahumto them
4āminūBelieveامن
5kamāas
6āmanabelievedامن
7l-nāsuthe peopleنوس
8qālūthey sayقول
9anu'minuShould we believeامن
10kamāas
11āmanabelievedامن
12l-sufahāuthe foolsسفه
13alāBeware
14innahumcertainly they
15humuthemselves
16l-sufahāu(are) the foolsسفه
17walākin[and] but
18not
19yaʿlamūnathey knowعلم
  • Aisha Bewley

    When they are told, ‘Have iman in the way that the people have iman,’ they say, ‘What! Are we to have iman in the way that fools have iman?’ No indeed! They are the fools, but they do not know it.

  • Progressive Muslims

    And if they are told: "Believe, as the people have believed," they Say: "Shall we believe as the fools have believed" No, they are the fools but they do not know.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    (Their arrogance and blind following hamper their power of reasoning. ) When they are told to see the Truth as other men and women have seen, they retort, "Shall we believe as the fools do?" Oh, verily, it is they, they who are fools! But they know it not.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And when it is said to them: “Believe as mankind has believed,” they say: “Shall we believe as the foolish have believed?” In truth, it is they who are the foolish; but they know not.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And if they are told: "Believe, as the people have believed," they say: "Shall we believe like the foolish have believed?" No, they are the foolish but they do not know.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    If they are told, "acknowledge as the people have acknowledged," they say, "Shall we acknowledge as the fools have acknowledged?" No, they are the fools but they do not know.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    When they are told, "Believe like the people who believed," they say, "Shall we believe like the fools who believed?" In fact, it is they who are fools, but they do not know.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    When asked to believe as others do, they say: "Should we believe like fools?" And yet they are the fools, even though they do not know.

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

    And when it is said to them, "Believe as the people have believed," they say, "Should we believe as the foolish have believed?" Unquestionably, it is they who are the foolish, but they know not.

  • Muhammad Asad

    And when they are told, "Believe as other people believe," they answer, "Shall we believe as the weak-minded believe?" Oh, verily, it is they, they who are weak-minded -but they know it not!

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    And when it is said unto them: believe as the people believe, they say: shall we believe as the foolish believe? are not they indeed the foolish? But they know not.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Whenever they are told: "Believe as others believe," they answer: “Shall we believe as the fools have believed?” Indeed it is they who are the fools, but they are not aware of it.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    And when told to conform their will to Allah’s will and to recognise Him, believe in Him and give credence to His Omnipotence and Authority as other people have conformed to His will, they say: "Shall we demean ourselves like the simpletons did and follow the same course they followed?" Indeed, they are the fools who said in their hearts, "There is no god," but they are ignorant and unknowing of the truth.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    And when they are told: "Believe as the people believe", they say: “You are asking us to believe like those fools?” In fact it is they who are fools, but they do not realize it.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And when it is said to them (hypocrites): "Believe as the people (followers of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, Al-Ansâr and Al-Muhajirûn) have believed," they say: "Shall we believe as the fools have believed?" Verily, they are the fools, but they know not.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    When it is said to them: "Believe as the others believe:" They say: "Shall we believe as the fools believe?" Nay, of a surety they are the fools, but they do not know.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    And when they are told, "Believe as others believe," they reply, “Will we believe as the fools believe?” Indeed, it is they who are fools, but they do not know.

  • Taqi Usmani

    And when it is said to them, "Believe as people have believed," they say, “Shall we believe as the fools have believed?” Beware, it is, in fact, they who are the fools, but they do not know.

  • Abdul Haleem

    When it is said to them, ‘Believe, as the others believe,’ they say, ‘Should we believe as the fools do?’ but they are the fools, though they do not know it.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    When it is said to them, 'Believe as the people believe', they say, 'Shall we believe, as fools believe?' Truly, they are the foolish ones, but they do not know.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    And when it is said to them, 'Believe as other men believe,' they say, 'Shall we believe as fools believe?' Are not they themselves the fools? and yet they do not know.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    And when it is said to them, "Believe as other men believe," they say, "Shall we believe as fools believe?" Are not they themselves the fools? And yet they do not know.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And when it is said to them, "Believe just as mankind has believed, " they say, "Shall we believe just as the fools have believed?" Verily, they, (only) they, are surely the fools, but they do not know.

  • George Sale

    And when one saith unto them, believe ye as others believe; they answer, shall we believe as fools believe? Are not they themselves fools? But they know it not.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    When it is said to them: "Believe as the (other) men believe:" They say: "Shall we believe as the fools have believed?" On the contrary, they are the fools, but they do not know.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    And when it is said to them, `Believe as (other) people (- Companions of the Prophet) believed,' they say, `Shall we believe as the weak-minded have believed?' Beware! it is they only who are weak-minded, but they do not know (this fact).

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    And when they are told, ‘Believe like the people who have believed,’ they say, ‘Shall we believe like the fools who have believed?’ Look! They are themselves the fools, but they do not know.