Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

Whoso is guided, he is but guided for his soul; and whoso strays, he but strays against it; and no bearer bears the burden of another. And We do not punish until We have raised up a messenger.

مَنِ اهْتَدٰى فَاِنَّمَا يَهْتَد۪ي لِنَفْسِه۪ۚ وَمَنْ ضَلَّ فَاِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَاۜ وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ اُخْرٰىۜ وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّب۪ينَ حَتّٰى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولاً
Mani ihtada fa-innama yahtadeelinafsihi waman dalla fa-innama yadilluAAalayha wala taziru waziratun wizra okhrawama kunna muAAaththibeena hattanabAAatha rasoola
#wordmeaningroot
1maniWhoever
2ih'tadā(is) guidedهدي
3fa-innamāthen only
4yahtadīhe is guidedهدي
5linafsihifor his soulنفس
6wamanAnd whoever
7ḍallagoes astrayضلل
8fa-innamāthen only
9yaḍilluhe goes astrayضلل
10ʿalayhāagainst it
11walāAnd not
12taziruwill bearوزر
13wāziratuna bearer of burdenوزر
14wiz'raburdenوزر
15ukh'rā(of) anotherاخر
16wamāAnd not
17kunnāWeكون
18muʿadhibīnaare to punishعذب
19ḥattāuntil
20nabʿathaWe have sentبعث
21rasūlana Messengerرسل
  • Aisha Bewley

    Whoever is guided is only guided to his own good. Whoever is misguided is only misguided to his detriment. No burden-bearer can bear another’s burden. We never punish until We have sent a Messenger.

  • Progressive Muslims

    Whoever is guided is guided for himself, and whoever is misguided is for his own loss. And no person shall carry the load of another, and We were not to punish until We send a messenger.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    So, whoever goes right, does it for his own "Self", and whoever strays, strays against his own "Self". No person bears the load of another. And We never punish any people until We have sent a Messenger. (The Eternal Messenger now is the Book of Allah).

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    Whoso is guided, he is but guided for his soul; and whoso strays, he but strays against it; and no bearer bears the burden of another. And We do not punish until We have raised up a messenger.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    Whoever is guided is guided for himself, and whoever is misguided is for his own loss. And no person shall carry the burdens of another, and We were not to punish until We send a messenger.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    Whoever is guided is guided for himself, and whoever is misguided is for his own loss. No person shall carry the load of another, and We were not to punish until We send a messenger.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    Whoever is guided, is guided for his own good, and whoever goes astray does so to his own detriment. No sinner will bear the sins of anyone else. We never punish without first sending a messenger.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    "He who finds the right path does so for himself; and he who goes astray does so to his own loss; and no one who carries a burden bears another's load. We never punish till We have sent a messenger.

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

    Whoever is guided is only guided for his soul. And whoever errs only errs against it. And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. And never would We punish until We sent a messenger.

  • Muhammad Asad

    Whoever chooses to follow the right path, follows it but for his own good; and whoever goes astray, goes but astray to his own hurt; and no bearer of burdens shall be made to bear another" burden. Moreover. We would never chastise ere We have sent an apostle .

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    Whosoever goeth right, it is only for (the good of) his own soul that he goeth right, and whosoever erreth, erreth only to its hurt. No laden soul can bear another's load, We never punish until we have sent a messenger.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    He who follows the Right Way shall do so to his own advantage; and he who strays shall incur his own loss. No one shall bear another's burden. And never do We punish any people until We send a Messenger (to make the Truth distinct from falsehood).

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    Indeed, he who is steered by the spirit of truth into all truth and Providence his guide benefits his own soul, and he who errs and strays from the path of truth and righteousness will prejudice his own soul. No soul bearing wrongs or not, will in any way bear the wrong of another, nor would We inflict a penalty on a people until We had sent to them a Messenger serving as a spectacle and a warning and they counselled deaf.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    Whoever accepts the guidance, has done himself a favor. Whoever has chooses the wrong path, he has done an injustice to himself. Nobody will be held responsible for somebody else’s wrong doing and I will never punish without first having sent a Messenger (to warn.)

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    Whoever goes right, then he goes right only for the benefit of his ownself. And whoever goes astray, then he goes astray to his own loss. No one laden with burdens can bear another’s burden. And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning).

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    Who receiveth guidance, receiveth it for his own benefit: who goeth astray doth so to his own loss: No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another: nor would We visit with Our Wrath until We had sent an messenger (to give warning).

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    Whoever chooses to be guided, it is only for their own good. And whoever chooses to stray, it is only to their own loss. No soul burdened with sin will bear the burden of another. And We would never punish ˹a people˺ until We have sent a messenger ˹to warn them˺.

  • Taqi Usmani

    Whoever adopts the right path does so for his own benefit, and whoever goes astray does so to his own detriment, and no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another, and it is not Our way to punish (anyone) unless We send a Messenger.

  • Abdul Haleem

    Whoever accepts guidance does so for his own good; whoever strays does so at his own peril. No soul will bear another’s burden, nor do We punish until We have sent a messenger.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    Whosoever is guided, is only guided to his own gain, and whosoever goes astray, it is only to his own loss; no soul laden bears the load of another. We never chastise, until We send forth a Messenger.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    He who accepts guidance, accepts it only for his own soul: and he who errs, errs only against it; nor shall one burdened soul bear the burden of another. Nor would we punish until we had sent an apostle.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    He who accepts guidance (or does right), accepts it only for his own soul: and he who errs, errs only against it; nor shall one burdened soul bear the burden of another. Nor would We punish until we had sent a Messenger (with warnings).

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    Whoever is guided, surely he is guided only for himself; (i. e., for his own gain) and whoever errs (away), then surely he errs (away) only upon himself; (i.e., to his own loss) and no encumbered self will be encumbered with the encumbrance of another (self); and in no way are We tormenting (anyone) until We have sent forth a Messenger.

  • George Sale

    He who shall be rightly directed, shall be directed to the advantage only of his own soul; and he who shall err, shall err only against the same: Neither shall any laden soul be charged with the burden of another. We did not punish any people, until we had first sent an apostle to warn them.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    Whoever takes the guidance, takes it for his own good: And Whoever goes astray does so to his loss: No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another: And We will not come down with Our Anger until We had sent a messenger (to warn).

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    He who follows the right way follows it to his own good and he who goes astray, surely, he goes astray to his own loss. And no soul that bears the burden shall bear the burden of another. And We never punish unless We have sent a Messenger.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    Whoever is guided is guided only for his own soul, and whoever goes astray, goes astray only to its detriment. No bearer shall bear another’s burden. We do not punish until We have sent an apostle.