Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

The lightning nigh snatches away their sight; whenever it gives them light, they walk therein; and when it darkens over them, they stand still. And had God willed, He would have taken away their hearing and their sight; God is over all things powerful.

يَكَادُ الْبَرْقُ يَخْطَفُ اَبْصَارَهُمْۜ كُلَّمَٓا اَضَٓاءَ لَهُمْ مَشَوْا ف۪يهِۙ وَاِذَٓا اَظْلَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ قَامُواۜ وَلَوْ شَٓاءَ اللّٰهُ لَذَهَبَ بِسَمْعِهِمْ وَاَبْصَارِهِمْۜ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَد۪يرٌ۟
Yakadu albarqu yakhtafu absarahumkullama adaa lahum mashaw feehi wa-itha athlamaAAalayhim qamoo walaw shaa Allahu lathahababisamAAihim waabsarihim inna Allaha AAalakulli shay-in qadeer
#wordmeaningroot
1yakāduAlmostكود
2l-barquthe lightningبرق
3yakhṭafusnatches awayخطف
4abṣārahumtheir sightبصر
5kullamāWheneverكلل
6aḍāait flashesضوا
7lahumfor them
8mashawthey walkمشي
9fīhiin it
10wa-idhāand when
11aẓlamait darkensظلم
12ʿalayhimon them
13qāmūthey stand (still)قوم
14walawAnd if
15shāahad willedشيا
16l-lahuAllah
17ladhahabaHe would certainly have taken awayذهب
18bisamʿihimtheir hearingسمع
19wa-abṣārihimand their sightبصر
20innaIndeed
21l-lahaAllah
22ʿalā(is) on
23kullieveryكلل
24shayinthingشيا
25qadīrunAll-Powerfulقدر
  • Aisha Bewley

    The lightning all but takes away their sight. Whenever they have light, they walk in it but whenever darkness covers them, they halt. If Allah wished, He could take away their hearing and their sight. Allah has power over all things.

  • Progressive Muslims

    The lightning nearly snatches away their sight, whenever it lights the path they walk in it, and when it becomes dark for them they stand. Had God willed, He would have taken away their hearing and their sight; God is capable of all things.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    (People who reject the Divine Revelation and rely solely on their intellect, do not realize that Revelation is to the intellect what sunlight is to the human eye. It takes them out of darkness into Light (2:257)). They walk a few steps, as if in flashes of lightning, in a stop and go fashion. And when darkness prevails, they stand still. It is the Law of Allah that those who defy Reason eventually have the proper use of their perceptual senses, hearing and vision, taken away. Behold, Allah is the All-Powerful Designer of His Laws and He has Supreme Control over all things. ((2:201), (7:183), (11:15), (17:18-21), (29:54), (30:24), (42:20), (79:36), (82:16)).

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    The lightning nigh snatches away their sight; whenever it gives them light, they walk therein; and when it darkens over them, they stand still. And had God willed, He would have taken away their hearing and their sight; God is over all things powerful.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    The lightning nearly snatches their sight, whenever it lights the path they walk in it, and when it becomes dark for them they stand. Had God willed, He would have taken their hearing and their sight; God is capable of all things.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    The lightning nearly snatches away their sight, whenever it lights the path, they walk in it, and when it becomes dark for them, they stand. Had God willed, He would have taken away their hearing and their sight. God is capable of all things.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    The lightning almost snatches away their eyesight. When it lights for them, they move forward, and when it turns dark, they stand still. If GOD wills, He can take away their hearing and their eyesight. GOD is Omnipotent.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    Verily the lightning could snatch away their eyes. When it flashes forth they walk in its flare. When darkness returns they stand still. And if the Lord wills so He could take away their hearing and sight; surely God is all-powerful.

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

    The lightning almost snatches away their sight. Every time it lights for them, they walk therein; but when darkness comes over them, they stand . And if Allah had willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.

  • Muhammad Asad

    The lightning well-nigh takes away their sight; whenever it gives them light, they advance therein, and whenever darkness falls around them, they stand still. And if God so willed, He could indeed take away their hearing and their sight: for, verily, God has the power to will anything.

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    The lightning almost snatcheth away their sight from them. As often as it flasheth forth for them they walk therein, and when it darkeneth against them they stand still. If Allah willed, He could destroy their hearing and their sight. Lo! Allah is able to do all things.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    It is as if the lightning would snatch their sight; whenever it gleams a while for them they walk a little, and when darkness covers them they halt. If Allah so willed, He could indeed take away their hearing and their sight. Surely Allah is All-Powerful.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    Lightning very nearly snatches their sense of sight; as often as it emits for them gleams they proceed under its light and when it darkens, their eyes shrivel into darkness in their heads and they stand dead; and had Allah willed He would have deprived them of their sense of hearing and that of sight, faculties divine; He is indeed Qadirun (Omnipotent) to effect all things.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    The lightening makes them almost blind but provides them with a few second of insight so that they take a few steps forward. If God decides to deprive them even of this favor (a few second of light), he can make them completely deaf and blind as he is capable of doing anything that he wishes.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    The lightning almost snatches away their sight, whenever it flashes for them, they walk therein, and when darkness covers them, they stand still. And if Allâh willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight. Certainly, Allâh has power over all things.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    The lightning all but snatches away their sight; every time the light (Helps) them, they walk therein, and when the darkness grows on them, they stand still. And if Allah willed, He could take away their faculty of hearing and seeing; for Allah hath power over all things.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    It is as if the lightning were about to snatch away their sight. Whenever lightning strikes, they walk in its light, but when darkness covers them, they stand still. Had Allah willed, He could have taken away their hearing and sight. Surely Allah is Most Capable of everything.

  • Taqi Usmani

    and lightning (all but) snatches away their eyesight; every time a flash gives them light, they walk by it; and when darkness falls upon them, they stand still. And if Allah willed, He would certainly take away their hearing and their eyes: surely Allah is powerful to do anything.

  • Abdul Haleem

    The lightning almost snatches away their sight: whenever it flashes on them they walk on and when darkness falls around them they stand still. If God so willed, He could take away their hearing and sight: God has power over everything.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    the lightning wellnigh snatches away their sight; whensoever it gives them light, they walk in it, and when the darkness is over them, they halt; had God willed, He would have taken away their hearing and their sight. Truly, God is powerful over everything.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    The lightning well-nigh snatches off their sight, whenever it shines for them they walk therein; but when it is dark for them they halt; and if God willed He would go off with their hearing and their sight; verily, God is mighty over all.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    The lightning well-nigh snatches off their sight, whenever it shines for them they walk therein; but when it is dark for them they halt; and if Allah willed He would go off with their hearing and their sight; verily, Allah is mighty over all.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    The lightning almost snatches their beholdings (Literally: eyesights); whenever it illuminates for them they walk in it, and when it darkens over them, they keep stationed; and if Allah had so decided, He would indeed have gone away with (i. e., taken away) their hearing and their beholdings. (Literally: eyesights) Surely Allah is Ever Determiner over everything.

  • George Sale

    the lightning wanteth but little of taking away their sight; so often as it enlighteneth them, they walk therein, but when darkness cometh on them, they stand still; and if God so pleased, he would certainly deprive them of their hearing and their sight, for God is almighty.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    The lightning almost snatches away their sight, every time the light (helps) them, they walk in there, and when the darkness covers them, they stand still. And if Allah willed, He could take away their hearing and their sight; Because Allah has power (Khadir) over all things.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    The lightning (being so intensely dazzling) may well-nigh snatch away their sight. As often as it flashes for them they walk (a few steps) in it (- its light), and when it darkens against them they come to a halt. Indeed, if Allâh had so willed He would have taken away their hearing and their sight. Allâh is indeed Possessor of power to do all that He will.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    The lightning almost snatches away their sight: whenever it shines for them, they walk in it, and when the darkness falls upon them, they stand. Had Allah willed, He would have taken away their hearing and their sight. Indeed Allah has power over all things.