Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

They will not fight you all together save in fortified cities or from behind walls. Their might is strong among themselves. Thou thinkest them together, but their hearts are diverse; for it is that they are people who do not reason!

لَا يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ جَم۪يعاً اِلَّا ف۪ي قُرًى مُحَصَّنَةٍ اَوْ مِنْ وَرَٓاءِ جُدُرٍۜ بَأْسُهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ شَد۪يدٌۜ تَحْسَبُهُمْ جَم۪يعاً وَقُلُوبُهُمْ شَتّٰىۜ ذٰلِكَ بِاَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَا يَعْقِلُونَۚ
La yuqatiloonakum jameeAAanilla fee quran muhassanatin aw min wara-ijudurin ba/suhum baynahum shadeedun tahsabuhum jameeAAanwaquloobuhum shatta thalika bi-annahum qawmun layaAAqiloon
#wordmeaningroot
1Not
2yuqātilūnakumwill they fight youقتل
3jamīʿanallجمع
4illāexcept
5in
6qurantownsقري
7muḥaṣṣanatinfortifiedحصن
8awor
9minfrom
10warāibehindوري
11judurinwallsجدر
12basuhumTheir violenceباس
13baynahumamong themselvesبين
14shadīdun(is) severeشدد
15taḥsabuhumYou think theyحسب
16jamīʿan(are) unitedجمع
17waqulūbuhumbut their heartsقلب
18shattā(are) dividedشتت
19dhālikaThat
20bi-annahum(is) because they
21qawmun(are) a peopleقوم
22not
23yaʿqilūnathey reasonعقل
  • Aisha Bewley

    They will not fight against you all together as a group except in fortified towns or behind high walls. Their hostility towards each other is intense. They are full of bravado in each other’s company. You consider them united but their hearts are scattered wide. That is because they are people who do not use their intellect.

  • Progressive Muslims

    They will not fight you all unless they are in fortified towns, or from behind walls. Their might appears formidable among themselves. You would think that they are united, but their hearts are divided. This is because they are people who do not understand.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    Never will they fight you, even if they form a coalition, other than from within fortified strongholds or from behind walls. Within themselves is great adversity for each other. You may think they are united but their hearts are far apart. This, because they are a people who use not reason.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    They will not fight you all together save in fortified cities or from behind walls. Their might is strong among themselves. Thou thinkest them together, but their hearts are diverse; for it is that they are people who do not reason!

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    They will not fight you all together unless they are in fortified towns, or from behind walls. Their might appears formidable among themselves. You would think that they are united, but their hearts are divided. This is because they are people who do not comprehend.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    They will not fight you all unless they are in fortified towns, or from behind walls. Their might appears formidable among themselves. You would think that they are united, but their hearts are divided. This is because they are people who do not understand.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    They do not get together to fight you unless they are in well-shielded buildings, or behind walls. Their might appears formidable among themselves. You would think that they are united, when in fact their hearts are divided. This is because they are people who do not understand.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    They will not fight you in a body except in fortified cities, or from behind the walls. Their enmity among themselves is great. You think they are united, but divided are their hearts. That is because these people are devoid of sense,

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

    They will not fight you all except within fortified cities or from behind walls. Their violence among themselves is severe. You think they are together, but their hearts are diverse. That is because they are a people who do not reason.

  • Muhammad Asad

    Never will they fight you, in unison, otherwise than from within fortified strongholds or from behind walls. Severe is their warlike discord among themselves: thou wouldst think that they are united, whereas their hearts are at odds : this, because they are people who will not use their reason.

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    They will not fight against you in a body save in fortified villages or from behind walls. Their adversity among themselves is very great. Ye think of them as a whole whereas their hearts are divers. That is because they are a folk who have no sense.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    They will never fight against you as a body (in an open battlefield); and if they fight against you they will fight only in fortified townships or from behind walls. Intense is their hostility to one another. You reckon them united while their hearts are divided. That is because they are a people devoid of reason.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    They will not fight you in all, except in fortified villages strengthened against attack, or from behind walls in a position of defense when they are besieged. They are badly disposed to enmity at each other. You think they are unity personified while in effect their hearts are totally diversified. This is on account of their lack of sound judgement in the choice of means and ends.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    It may appear to you that the hypocrites are united. They are in fact divided among themselves. They will never fight with you unless there is a wall between you and them or that they are safe in their castles. They are deprived of the faculty of thinking.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    They fight not against you even together, except in fortified townships, or from behind walls. Their enmity among themselves is very great. You would think they were united, but their hearts are divided. That is because they are a people who understand not.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    They will not fight you (even) together, except in fortified townships, or from behind walls. Strong is their fighting (spirit) amongst themselves: thou wouldst think they were united, but their hearts are divided: that is because they are a people devoid of wisdom.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    Even united, they would not ˹dare˺ fight against you except ˹from˺ within fortified strongholds or from behind walls. Their malice for each other is intense: you think they are united, yet their hearts are divided. That is because they are a people with no ˹real˺ understanding.

  • Taqi Usmani

    They do not fight you, even assembled together, but in fortified towns, or from behind the walls. Their quarrelling between themselves is severe. You think that they are united, while their hearts are divided. That is because they are a people who have no sense.

  • Abdul Haleem

    Even united they would never fight you, except from within fortified strongholds or behind high walls. There is much hostility between them: you think they are united but their hearts are divided because they are people devoid of reason.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    They will not fight against you all together except in fortified cities, or from behind walls. Their valour is great, among themselves; you think of them as a host; but their hearts are scattered; that is because they are a people who have no sense.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    They will not fight against you in a body save in fortified cities, or from behind walls; their valour is great amongst themselves;- thou dost reckon them as one body, but their hearts are separated. This is because they are a people who have no sense!

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    They will not fight against you in a body save in fortified towns or from behind walls; strong is the conflict among themselves. You may think them one body, but their heart are divided; that is because they are a people devoid of sense.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    They will not fight against you all togther except in fortified towns or from beyond walls. Their violence is strict among themselves; you reckon that they are all toghther (as a whole), (but) (Literally: and) their hearts are diverse; that is for that they are a people who do not consider.

  • George Sale

    They will not fight against you in a body, except in fenced towns, or from behind walls. Their strength in war among themselves is great: Thou thinkest them to be united; but their hearts are divided. This, because they are people who do not understand.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    They will not fight you (even) together, except in fortified townships, or from behind walls. Their fighting (spirit) is strong among themselves: You would think they are united, but their hearts are divided. That is because they are a people who understand not.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    They (- the Jews) will not (even) fight against you offering a joint front. They will fight only (from) within fortified towns or from behind ramparts. Their fighting spirit among themselves is (desperately) severe. You think them to be united but their hearts are divided. That is because they are a people who do not refrain (from mischief).

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    They will not fight against you in a body except in fortified townships or from behind walls. Their might is great among themselves. You suppose them to be a body, but their hearts are disunited. That is because they are a lot who do not apply reason,