Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And make thou not thy hand chained to thy neck; nor extend thou it to its full extent, then sit down blameworthy and denuded.

وَلَا تَجْعَلْ يَدَكَ مَغْلُولَةً اِلٰى عُنُقِكَ وَلَا تَبْسُطْهَا كُلَّ الْبَسْطِ فَتَقْعُدَ مَلُوماً مَحْسُوراً
Wala tajAAal yadaka maghloolatan ilaAAunuqika wala tabsutha kulla albastifataqAAuda malooman mahsoora
#wordmeaningroot
1walāAnd (do) not
2tajʿalmakeجعل
3yadakayour handيدي
4maghlūlatanchainedغلل
5ilāto
6ʿunuqikayour neckعنق
7walāand not
8tabsuṭ'hāextend itبسط
9kulla(to its) utmostكلل
10l-basṭireachبسط
11fataqʿudaso that you sitقعد
12malūmanblameworthyلوم
13maḥsūraninsolventحسر
  • Aisha Bewley

    Do not keep your hand chained to your neck but do not extend it either to its full extent so that you sit there blamed and destitute.

  • Progressive Muslims

    And do not make your hand stingy by holding it to your neck, nor shall you lay it fully open so you become in despair and regret.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    You should not keep your hand chained to your neck in stinginess, nor open it foolishly lest you sit down destitute and denuded.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And make thou not thy hand chained to thy neck; nor extend thou it to its full extent, then sit down blameworthy and denuded.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And do not make your hand stingy by holding it to your neck, nor shall you lay it fully open so you become in despair and regret.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    Do not make your hand stingy by holding it to your neck, nor shall you make it fully open so you become in despair and regret.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    You shall not keep your hand stingily tied to your neck, nor shall you foolishly open it up, lest you end up blamed and sorry.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    Do not be niggardly, nor extravagant that you may later feel reprehensive and constrained.

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

    And do not make your hand chained to your neck or extend it completely and become blamed and insolvent.

  • Muhammad Asad

    And neither allow thy hand to remain shackled to thy neck, nor stretch it forth to the utmost limit , lest thou find thyself blamed , or even destitute.

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    And let not thy hand be chained to thy neck nor open it with a complete opening, lest thou sit down rebuked, denuded.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    (vi) Do not keep your hand fastened to your neck nor outspread it, altogether outspread, for you will be left sitting rebuked, destitute.*

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    And do not bind your hand to your neck, as it were, unwilling to give or spend anything, nor should you spread it in the "spread-eagle style", lest you sit brooding on the vast abyss of reprimand and woeful want.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    You shall not be stingy. You shall not be extravagant either as you will be blamed once you end up in poverty.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And let not your hand be tied (like a miser) to your neck, nor stretch it forth to its utmost reach (like a spendthrift), so that you become blameworthy and in severe poverty.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    Make not thy hand tied (like a niggard's) to thy neck, nor stretch it forth to its utmost reach, so that thou become blameworthy and destitute.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    Do not be so tight-fisted, for you will be blameworthy; nor so open-handed, for you will end up in poverty.

  • Taqi Usmani

    And do not keep your hand tied to your neck, nor extend it to the full extent, lest you should be sitting reproached, empty-handed.

  • Abdul Haleem

    Do not be tight-fisted, nor so open-handed that you end up blamed and overwhelmed with regret.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    And keep not thy hand chained to thy neck, nor outspread it widespread altogether, or thou wilt sit reproached and denuded.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    Make not thy hand fettered to thy neck, nor yet spread it out quite open, lest thou shouldst have to sit down blamed and straitened in means.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    Let not your hand be fettered to your neck (i. e. selfish and tight fisted), nor yet spread it out quite open, lest you should have to sit down blamed and destitute.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And do not set up your hand shackled to your neck, (i. e., Do not be niggardly) nor outspread it widespread altogether, (Literally: outspread it all outspreading, i.e., do not be a spendthrift) for then you will sit blamed and regretfully rejected.

  • George Sale

    And let not thy hand be tied up to thy neck; neither open it with an unbounded expansion, lest thou become worthy of reprehension, and be reduced to poverty.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    And do not make your hand tied to your neck, (like a miser), nor push it out to its longest reach, so that you become worthy of blame and being penniless.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    And do not keep your hand shackled to your neck (out of miserliness), nor stretch it out to an entire stretching (extravagantly), lest you sit down reproached (incurring blame) and exhausted (on becoming penniless).

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    Do not keep your hand chained to your neck, nor open it altogether, or you will sit blameworthy, regretful.