Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

Those to whom they call seek the means of approach to their Lord, which of them should be nearest, and hope for His mercy and fear His punishment; the punishment of thy Lord is to be feared.

اُو۬لٰٓئِكَ الَّذ۪ينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ اِلٰى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَس۪يلَةَ اَيُّهُمْ اَقْرَبُ وَيَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَهُ وَيَخَافُونَ عَذَابَهُۜ اِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ كَانَ مَحْذُوراً
Ola-ika allatheena yadAAoonayabtaghoona ila rabbihimu alwaseelata ayyuhum aqrabuwayarjoona rahmatahu wayakhafoona AAathabahuinna AAathaba rabbika kana mahthoora
#wordmeaningroot
1ulāikaThose
2alladhīnawhom
3yadʿūnathey callدعو
4yabtaghūnaseekبغي
5ilāto
6rabbihimutheir Lordربب
7l-wasīlatathe means of accessوسل
8ayyuhumwhich of them
9aqrabu(is) nearestقرب
10wayarjūnaand they hopeرجو
11raḥmatahu(for) His mercyرحم
12wayakhāfūnaand fearخوف
13ʿadhābahuHis punishmentعذب
14innaIndeed
15ʿadhāba(the) punishmentعذب
16rabbika(of) your Lordربب
17kānaisكون
18maḥdhūran(ever) fearedحذر
  • Aisha Bewley

    Those they call on are themselves seeking the means by which they might approach their Lord – even those who are the closest to Him – and are hoping for His mercy and fearing his punishment. The punishment of your Lord is truly something to be feared.

  • Progressive Muslims

    The ones you call on, they are themselves seeking a path to their Lord which is nearer, and they desire His mercy, and they fear His retribution. The retribution of your Lord is to be feared!

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    Even the believing sages whom they call upon, are themselves striving to obtain their Lord's favor and closeness. They hope for His Grace, and fear His Requital. Verily, your Lord's Requital is something to beware of!

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    Those to whom they call seek the means of approach to their Lord, which of them should be nearest, and hope for His mercy and fear His punishment; the punishment of thy Lord is to be feared.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    The ones you call on, they are themselves seeking a path to their Lord which is nearer, and they desire His mercy, and they fear His retribution. The retribution of your Lord is to be feared!

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    The ones they call on, they are themselves seeking a path to their Lord which is nearer, and they desire His mercy, and they fear His retribution. The retribution of your Lord is to be feared!

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    Even the idols that they implore are seeking the ways and means towards their Lord. They pray for His mercy, and fear His retribution. Surely, the retribution of your Lord is dreadful.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    Those they invoke themselves seek the way to their Lord, (striving) which one of them shall be nearest (to Him); and hope for His grace, and dread His punishment. Indeed, the punishment of your Lord is to be feared!

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

    Those whom they invoke seek means of access to their Lord, which of them would be nearest, and they hope for His mercy and fear His punishment. Indeed, the punishment of your Lord is ever feared.

  • Muhammad Asad

    Those whom they invoke are themselves striving to obtain their Sustainer's favour - those among them who are closest - hoping for His grace and dreading His chastisement: for, verily, thy Sustainer's chastisement is something to beware of!

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    Those unto whom they cry seek the way of approach to their Lord, which of them shall be the nearest; they hope for His mercy and they fear His doom. Lo! the doom of thy Lord is to be shunned.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Those whom they call upon are themselves seeking the means of access to their Lord, each trying to be nearer to Him. They crave for His Mercy and dread His chastisement.* Surely your Lord's punishment is to be feared.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    Those to whom they make a devout supplication -Saints, jinn or angels- are themselves devout servants of Allah seeking the union of their nature with the Divine, and striving which of them shall be the nearest to Allah and the more efficient in serving His purpose! They entertain expectation of His mercy and they dread His retributive punishment. Indeed, the punishment Allah, your Creator, inflicts on the offender makes one heedful, for the thought of it arouses an emotional feeling tinged with latent and deep mysterious fear.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    In fact, those whom people call upon for help (such as Jesus, Mary, saints, etc. ), strive to get closer and closer to the Lord by all possible means. They hope for His mercy and fear His punishment. The punishment of your Lord is indeed a terrible thing.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    Those whom they call upon desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord (Allâh), as to which of them should be the nearest; and they hope for His Mercy and fear His Torment. Verily, the Torment of your Lord is (something) to be afraid of!

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    Those whom they call upon do desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord, - even those who are nearest: they hope for His Mercy and fear His Wrath: for the Wrath of thy Lord is something to take heed of.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    ˹Even˺ the closest ˹to Allah˺ of those invoked would be seeking a way to their Lord, hoping for His mercy, and fearing His punishment. Indeed, your Lord’s torment is fearsome.

  • Taqi Usmani

    Those whom they invoke, do themselves seek the means of access to their Lord as to which of them becomes the closest, and they hope for His Mercy and fear His punishment. The punishment of your Lord is really something to be feared.

  • Abdul Haleem

    Those they pray to are themselves seeking a way to their Lord, even those who are closest to Him. They hope for His mercy and fear His punishment. The punishment of your Lord is much to be feared:

  • Arthur John Arberry

    Those they call upon are themselves seeking the means to come to their Lord, which of them shall be nearer; they hope for His mercy, and fear His chastisement. Surely thy Lord's chastisement is a thing to beware of.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    Those on whom they call, seek themselves for a means of approaching their Lord, (to see) which of them is nearest: and they hope for His mercy and they fear His torment; verily, the torment of thy Lord is a thing to beware of.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    Those on whom they call, themselves seek for a means of approaching to their Lord, to see which of them is nearest: and they hope for His mercy and they fear His doom; verily, the doom of your Lord is to be shunned.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    Those they invoke are (themselves) seeking the means for (close) proximity to their Lord, whichever of them will be nearer; and they hope for His mercy and fear His torment. Surely your Lord?s torment is a thing to be wary of.

  • George Sale

    Those whom ye invoke, do themselves desire to be admitted to a near conjunction with their Lord; striving which of them shall approach nearest unto Him: They also hope for his mercy, and dread his punishment; for the punishment of thy Lord is terrible.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    Those whom they call upon want a way to reach their Lord— Even those who are nearest: Hope for His Mercy, and fear His Anger: Because the Anger of your Lord is something to regard.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    Those whom they call upon (apart from Him, thinking them to be a means of gaining nearness to God,) themselves seek nearness to their Lord and solicit His favour (even) those of them who are nearest (to God are still competing to be closer to Him) and hope for His mercy and fear His punishment. As a matter of fact the punishment of your Lord is a thing to beware of.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    They are the ones who supplicate, seeking a recourse to their Lord, whoever is nearer , expecting His mercy and fearing His punishment. ’ Indeed your Lord’s punishment is a thing to beware of.