Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

“And that: ‘We sat there on seats to hear; but whoso listens in now finds for him a flame waiting.’

وَاَنَّا كُنَّا نَقْعُدُ مِنْهَا مَقَاعِدَ لِلسَّمْعِۜ فَمَنْ يَسْتَمِعِ الْاٰنَ يَجِدْ لَهُ شِهَاباً رَصَداًۙ
Waanna kunna naqAAudu minhamaqaAAida lissamAAi faman yastamiAAi al-anayajid lahu shihaban rasada
#wordmeaningroot
1wa-annāAnd that we
2kunnāused toكون
3naqʿudusitقعد
4min'hāthere in
5maqāʿidapositionsقعد
6lilssamʿifor hearingسمع
7famanbut (he) who
8yastamiʿilistensسمع
9l-ānanow
10yajidwill findوجد
11lahufor him
12shihābana flaming fireشهب
13raṣadanwaitingرصد
  • Aisha Bewley

    We used to sit there on special seats to listen in. But anyone listening now finds a fiery meteor in wait for him.

  • Progressive Muslims

    "And we used to sit in it in places of listening, but anyone who sits now finds a projectile homing in on him. "

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    (The nomads continued), "And we used to sit on places listening to the 'heavenly news'. But now whoever listens will find a flame waiting for him." (The brilliant flame of Divine Revelation is now ever-ready to torch the conjecture of the astrologers (37:6-9), (67:5)).

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    “And that: ‘We sat there on seats to hear; but whoso listens in now finds for him a flame waiting.’

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    "And we used to sit in it in places of listening, but anyone who sits now finds a projectile seeking him."

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    "We used to sit in it in places of listening, but anyone who sits now finds a projectile seeking him."

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    " 'We used to sit there in order to spy. Anyone who listens is pursued by a powerful projectile.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    We sat in observatories to listen; but any one who listened found a shooting star in wait for him.

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

    And we used to sit therein in positions for hearing, but whoever listens now will find a burning flame lying in wait for him.

  • Muhammad Asad

    notwithstanding that we were established in positions to listening to it: and anyone who now tries to listen will find a flame lying in wait for him!

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    And we used to sit on places (high) therein to listen. But he who listeneth now findeth a flame in wait for him;

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    and that "we would take up stations in the heaven to try to hear but anyone who now attempts to listen finds a shooting meteor in wait for him";

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    "Long did we sit peering deep into heaven to spy what is being said or discussed in the heaven's realm. But now he of us who endeavours to pry into the realm is followed by a fiery celestial body and suffers annihilation".

  • Bijan Moeinian

    "And we were used to seat in some places in the space, monitoring intergalactic bands of noises/voices. But those places now are in the projectile of dangerous meteors."

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    ‘And verily, we used to sit there in stations, to (steal) a hearing, but any who listens now will find a flaming fire watching him in ambush.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    'We used, indeed, to sit there in (hidden) stations, to (steal) a hearing; but any who listen now will find a flaming fire watching him in ambush.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    We used to take up positions there for eavesdropping, but whoever dares eavesdrop now will find a flare lying in wait for them.

  • Taqi Usmani

    and that we used to sit at places therein to listen; but if one will (try to) listen now, he will find a flame in ambush for him,

  • Abdul Haleem

    we used to sit in places there, listening, but anyone trying to listen now will find a shooting star lying in wait for him––

  • Arthur John Arberry

    We would sit there on seats to hear; but any listening now finds a meteor in wait for him.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    and we did sit in certain seats thereof to listen; but whoso of us listens now finds a shooting-star for him on guard.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    "And we used to sit in some high hidden places therein to steal a hearing, but he who would try to listen now would find a flame lying in wait for him:

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And that we used to sit (there) on seats for (over)hearing; yet whoever listens now finds a flaming (meteor) (closely) observing him.

  • George Sale

    And we sat on some of the seats thereof to hear the discourse of its inhabitants; but whoever listeneth now, findeth a flame laid in ambush for him, to guard the celestial confines.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    " ‘And verily, we used indeed, to sit there in (the hidden) places, to listen in but anyone who listens now will find a flaming fire (and shooting stars) watching him in hiding (to drive him away).

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    "And that we used to sit in some of the observatories to listen to something. But he that tries to listen (in order to forecast some event) now (with the advent of Islam) finds a shooting star in ambush for him.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    We used to sit in its positions to eavesdrop, but anyone listening now finds a flame waiting for him.