Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And thus We raised them up: — that they might question one another. Said a speaker among them: “How long have you tarried?” They said: “We have tarried a day, or a part of a day.” Said they: “Your Lord best knows how long you have tarried. Then send one of you with this coin of yours to the city, and let him see what food is purest and bring you a provision therefrom; and let him be circumspect, and let not anyone be aware of you.

وَكَذٰلِكَ بَعَثْنَاهُمْ لِيَتَسَٓاءَلُوا بَيْنَهُمْۜ قَالَ قَٓائِلٌ مِنْهُمْ كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْۜ قَالُوا لَبِثْنَا يَوْماً اَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍۜ قَالُوا رَبُّكُمْ اَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثْتُمْ فَابْعَثُٓوا اَحَدَكُمْ بِوَرِقِكُمْ هٰذِه۪ٓ اِلَى الْمَد۪ينَةِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ اَيُّهَٓا اَزْكٰى طَعَاماً فَلْيَأْتِكُمْ بِرِزْقٍ مِنْهُ وَلْيَتَلَطَّفْ وَلَا يُشْعِرَنَّ بِكُمْ اَحَداً
Wakathalika baAAathnahumliyatasaaloo baynahum qala qa-ilun minhumkam labithtum qaloo labithna yawman aw baAAdayawmin qaloo rabbukum aAAlamu bima labithtum fabAAathooahadakum biwariqikum hathihi ila almadeenatifalyanthur ayyuha azka taAAamanfalya/tikum birizqin minhu walyatalattaf walayushAAiranna bikum ahada
#wordmeaningroot
1wakadhālikaAnd similarly
2baʿathnāhumWe raised themبعث
3liyatasāalūthat they might questionسال
4baynahumamong themبين
5qālaSaidقول
6qāiluna speakerقول
7min'humamong them
8kamHow long
9labith'tumhave you remainedلبث
10qālūThey saidقول
11labith'nāWe have remainedلبث
12yawmana dayيوم
13awor
14baʿḍaa partبعض
15yawmin(of) a dayيوم
16qālūThey saidقول
17rabbukumYour Lordربب
18aʿlamuknows bestعلم
19bimāhow long
20labith'tumyou have remainedلبث
21fa-ib'ʿathūSo sendبعث
22aḥadakumone of youاحد
23biwariqikumwith this silver coin of yoursورق
24hādhihiwith this silver coin of yours
25ilāto
26l-madīnatithe cityمدن
27falyanẓurand let him seeنظر
28ayyuhāwhich is
29azkāthe purestزكو
30ṭaʿāmanfoodطعم
31falyatikumand let him bring to youاتي
32biriz'qinprovisionرزق
33min'hufrom it
34walyatalaṭṭafand let him be cautiousلطف
35walāAnd let not be aware
36yush'ʿirannaAnd let not be awareشعر
37bikumabout you
38aḥadananyoneاحد
  • Aisha Bewley

    That was the situation when we woke them up so they could question one another. One of them asked, ‘How long have you been here?’ They replied, ‘We have been here for a day or part of a day.’ They said, ‘Your Lord knows best how long you have been here. Send one of your number into the city with this silver you have, so he can see which food is purest and bring you some of it to eat. But he should go about with caution so that no one is aware of you,

  • Progressive Muslims

    And it was thus that We delivered them so they would ask themselves. A speaker from amongst them said: "How long have you stayed" They said: "We stayed a day or part of a day." He said: "Your Lord is surely aware how long you stayed, so send one of you with these stamped coins of yours to the city, and let him see which is the tastiest food, and let him come with a provision of it. And let him be careful and let no one take notice of you."

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    And so, when We caused them to rise (out of the Cave), they began to ask one another (about the next step). One of them asked, "How long have you been here?" "We have been here a day or part of a day!" they answered. Finally they said, "Your Lord knows best how long. (They were so committed to their mission that they hardly noticed how the days and nights went by). Let one of you go with these silver coins to the town, and look for the best available food, and bring you some provisions. But let him exercise caution, and by no means make anyone aware of you."

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And thus We raised them up: — that they might question one another. Said a speaker among them: “How long have you tarried?” They said: “We have tarried a day, or a part of a day.” Said they: “Your Lord best knows how long you have tarried. Then send one of you with this coin of yours to the city, and let him see what food is purest and bring you a provision therefrom; and let him be circumspect, and let not anyone be aware of you.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And it was thus that We delivered them so they would ask themselves. A speaker from among them said: "How long have you stayed?" They said: "We stayed a day or part of a day." He said: "Your Lord is surely aware how long you stayed, so send one of you with these stamped coins of yours to the city, and let him see which is the tastiest food, and let him come with a provision of it. And let him be careful and let no one notice you."

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    Thus We roused them so they would ask themselves. A speaker from amongst them said, "How long have you stayed?" They said, "We stayed a day or part of a day." He said, "Your Lord is surely aware how long you stayed, so send one of you with these money of yours to the city, and let him see which is the tastiest food, and let him come with a provision of it. Let him be courteous and let no one take notice of you."

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    When we resurrected them, they asked each other, "How long have you been here?" "We have been here one day or part of the day," they answered. "Your Lord knows best how long we stayed here, so let us send one of us with this money to the city. Let him fetch the cleanest food, and buy some for us. Let him keep a low profile, and attract no attention.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    Even so We roused them that they may question one another. One of them asked: "How long have you stayed here?" They said: "A day or less than a day." "Your Lord knows best, " they said, "how long you have stayed. So send one of you to the town with this money of yours to look for wholesome food and bring it for you; but he should be careful not to let your presence known.

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

    And similarly, We awakened them that they might question one another. Said a speaker from among them, "How long have you remained ?" They said, "We have remained a day or part of a day." They said, "Your Lord is most knowing of how long you remained. So send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the city and let him look to which is the best of food and bring you provision from it and let him be cautious. And let no one be aware of you.

  • Muhammad Asad

    And so, We awakened them; and they began to ask one another . One of them asked: "How long have you remained thus?" answered: "We have remained thus a day, or part of a day." Said they : "Your Sustainer knows best how long you have thus remained. Let, then, one of you go with these silver coins to the town, and let him find out what food is purest there, and bring you thereof provisions. But let him behave with great care and by no means make anyone aware of you:

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    And in like manner We awakened them that they might question one another. A speaker from among them said: How long have ye tarried? They said: We have tarried a day or some part of a day, (Others) said: Your Lord best knoweth what ye have tarried. Now send one of you with this your silver coin unto the city, and let him see what food is purest there and bring you a supply thereof. Let him be courteous and let no man know of you.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Likewise, We roused them in a miraculous way that they might question one another. One of them asked: "How long did you remain (in this state)?" The others said: "We remained so for a day or part of a day." Then they said: "Your Lord knows better how long we remained in this state. Now send one of you to the city with this coin of yours and let him see who has the best food, and let him buy some provisions from there. Let him be cautious and not inform anyone of our whereabouts.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    So conditioned, We aroused them and stirred them into activity only to question each other as to the length of time they had laid themselves to rest. "How long do you think you have been in this place to repose your wearied virtues?" asked one of them. "Probably a day or less", they said. "Allah, your Creator, knows best how long. Meantime send one of you with this silver coin to town in quest of the best food and he brings back some of it to satisfy our hunger, but he must be gentle and courteous and not to attract attention or fix directly upon himself nor indirectly upon you the notice of others.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    When I woke them up, one of them asked: "How long have we been sleeping?" The others replied: “Who knows, perhaps a day or so …

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    Likewise, We awakened them (from their long deep sleep) that they might question one another. A speaker from among them said: "How long have you stayed (here)?" They said: "We have stayed (perhaps) a day or part of a day." They said: "Your Lord (Alone) knows best how long you have stayed (here). So send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the town, and let him find out which is the good lawful food, and bring some of that to you. And let him be careful and let no man know of you.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    Such (being their state), we raised them up (from sleep), that they might question each other. Said one of them, "How long have ye stayed (here)?" They said, "We have stayed (perhaps) a day, or part of a day." (At length) they (all) said, "Allah (alone) knows best how long ye have stayed here.... Now send ye then one of you with this money of yours to the town: let him find out which is the best food (to be had) and bring some to you, that (ye may) satisfy your hunger therewith: And let him behave with care and courtesy, and let him not inform any one about you.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    And so We awakened them so that they might question one another. One of them exclaimed, "How long have you remained ˹asleep˺?" Some replied, “Perhaps a day, or part of a day.” They said ˹to one another˺, “Your Lord knows best how long you have remained. So send one of you with these silver coins of yours to the city, and let him find which food is the purest, and then bring you provisions from it. Let him be ˹exceptionally˺ cautious, and do not let him give you away.

  • Taqi Usmani

    In this way We raised them up until they asked each other. One of them said, "How long did you tarry?" They said, “A day, or part of a day.” They said, “Your Lord knows best how long you tarried.” So, send one of you with this silver (coin) of yours to the city and let him look around which of the eatables are the purest and let him bring you some food from there. And he must act in polite manner, and must not let anyone know about you.

  • Abdul Haleem

    In time We woke them, and they began to question one another. One of them asked, ‘How long have you been here?’ and answered, ‘A day or part of a day,’ but then said, ‘Your Lord knows best how long you have been here. One of you go to the city with your silver coins, find out where the best food is there, and bring some back. But be careful not to let anyone know about you:

  • Arthur John Arberry

    And even so We raised them up again that they might question one another. One of them said, 'How long have you tarried?' They said, 'We have tarried a day, or part of a day.' They said, 'Your Lord knows very well how long you have tarried. Now send one of you forth with this silver to the city, and let him look for which of them has purest food, and bring you provision thereof; let him be courteous, and apprise no man of you.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    Thus did we raise them up that they might question each other. Spake a speaker amongst them, 'How long have ye tarried?' They said, 'We have tarried a day or part of a day.' They said, 'Your Lord knows best your tarrying; so send one of you with this coin of yours to the city, and let him look which of them has purest food, and let him bring you provision thereof; and let him be subtle and not let any one perceive you.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    Had you come suddenly upon them you would surely have turned and fled away from them, and would surely have been filled by them with terror.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And thus We made them rise again that they might ask one another (Literally: among themselves). A speaker from among them said, "How long have you lingered?" They said, "We have lingered a day, or part (Literally: some "part" of a day) of a day." (Others) said, "Your Lord knows best how long you have lingered. So send one of you forth with this money to the city, then let him look for whichever of them has the purest (Literally: most cleansed) food, so let him come up to you with a provision thereof, and let him be courteous, and definitely let no man be aware of your (presence).

  • George Sale

    And so We awaked them from their sleep, that they might ask questions of one another. One of them spake and said, how long have ye tarried here? They answered, we have tarried a day, or part of a day. The others said, your Lord, best knoweth the time ye have tarried: And now send one of you with this your money into the city, and let him see which of its inhabitants hath the best and cheapest food, and let him bring you provision from him; and let him behave circumspectly, and not discover you to any one.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    ☼ Such (being their condition), We woke them up (from their sleep), that they may question each other. One of them said, "How long have you stayed (here)?" They said, "We (might) have stayed a day, or part of a day." (At the end), they (all) said, "Allah (alone) knows best how long you have stayed here... Now then you send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the town: And let him find out which is the best food (to eat) and bring some of that (food) to you, so that (you may) satisfy your hunger with it: And let him act with care and courtesy, and let him not inform anyone about you.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    And (just as We made them dormant) We raised them (to life from the state of lethargy). So that they questioned one another. One of them asked, `How long have you remained (dormant)?' (Some of them) said, `We have remained (in this state of inactivity) a day or a part of a day.' (Others) said, `Only your Lord knows best (the time) you have remained so. Now send one of you with these silver coins of yours to the city, he should see which of its (inhabitants) has the best and purest food and let him bring for you provisions from it. And let him be courteous and let him not at all apprise anyone about you.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    So it was that We aroused them so that they might question one another. One of them said, ‘How long have you stayed ?’ They said, ‘We have stayed a day, or part of a day.’ They said, ‘Your Lord knows best how long you have stayed. Send one of you to the city with this money. Let him observe which of them has the purest food, and bring you provisions from there. Let him be attentive, and let him not make anyone aware of you.