Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

So they went forth. When they had come to the people of a city, they asked its people for food, but they refused them hospitality. And they found therein a wall upon the point of collapse, and he set it upright. He said: “If thou hadst wished, thou couldst have taken for it recompense.”

فَانْطَلَقَا۠ حَتّٰٓى اِذَٓا اَتَيَٓا اَهْلَ قَرْيَةٍۨ اسْتَطْعَمَٓا اَهْلَهَا فَاَبَوْا اَنْ يُضَيِّفُوهُمَا فَوَجَدَا ف۪يهَا جِدَاراً يُر۪يدُ اَنْ يَنْقَضَّ فَاَقَامَهُۜ قَالَ لَوْ شِئْتَ لَتَّخَذْتَ عَلَيْهِ اَجْراً
Fantalaqa hattaitha ataya ahla qaryatin istatAAamaahlaha faabaw an yudayyifoohuma fawajadafeeha jidaran yureedu an yanqadda faaqamahuqala law shi/ta lattakhathta AAalayhi ajra
#wordmeaningroot
1fa-inṭalaqāSo they set outطلق
2ḥattāuntil
3idhāwhen
4atayāthey cameاتي
5ahla(to the) peopleاهل
6qaryatin(of) a townقري
7is'taṭʿamāthey asked for foodطعم
8ahlahā(from) its peopleاهل
9fa-abawbut they refusedابي
10anto
11yuḍayyifūhumāoffer them hospitalityضيف
12fawajadāThen they foundوجد
13fīhāin it
14jidārana wallجدر
15yurīdu(that) want(ed)رود
16anto
17yanqaḍḍacollapseقضض
18fa-aqāmahuso he set it straightقوم
19qālaHe saidقول
20lawIf
21shi'tayou wishedشيا
22lattakhadhtasurely you (could) have takenاخذ
23ʿalayhifor it
24ajrana paymentاجر
  • Aisha Bewley

    So they went on until they reached the inhabitants of a town. They asked them for food but they refused them hospitality. They found there a wall about to fall down and he built it up. Musa said, ‘If you had wanted, you could have taken a wage for doing that.’

  • Progressive Muslims

    So they ventured forth until they came to the people of a town. They requested food from its people but they refused to host them. Then they found a wall which was close to collapsing, so he built it. He said: "If you wished, you could have asked a wage for it!"

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    So they proceeded. When they reached a township, they asked its folk for food, but they refused them hospitality. Soon they saw a wall that was about to collapse, and he fixed it. Moses said, "If you had wished, you could taken a wage for that."

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    So they went forth. When they had come to the people of a city, they asked its people for food, but they refused them hospitality. And they found therein a wall upon the point of collapse, and he set it upright. He said: “If thou hadst wished, thou couldst have taken for it recompense.”

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    So they ventured forth until they came to the people of a town. They requested food from its people but they refused to host them. Then they found a wall which was close to collapsing, so he built it. He said: "If you had wished, you could have asked a wage for it!"

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    So they ventured forth until they came to the people of a town. They requested food from its people but they refused to host them. Then they found a wall which was close to collapsing, so he built it. He said, "If you wished, you could have asked a wage for it!"

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    So they went. When they reached a certain community, they asked the people for food, but they refused to host them. Soon, they found a wall about to collapse, and he fixed it. He said, "You could have demanded a wage for that!"

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    The two went on till they came upon some villagers, and asked the people for food, but they refused to entertain them. There they found a wall that was crumbling, which he repaired. Moses remarked: "You could have demanded wages for it if you liked."

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

    So they set out, until when they came to the people of a town, they asked its people for food, but they refused to offer them hospitality. And they found therein a wall about to collapse, so al-Khidh r restored it. said, "If you wished, you could have taken for it a payment."

  • Muhammad Asad

    And so the two went on, till, when they came upon some village people, they asked them for food; but those refused them all hospitality. And they saw in that (village a wall which was on the point of tumbling down, and rebuilt it said: "Hadst thou so wished, surely thou couldst have obtained some payment for it?"

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    So they twain journeyed on till, when they came unto the folk of a certain township, they asked its folk for food, but they refused to make them guests. And they found therein a wall upon the point of falling into ruin, and he repaired it. (Moses) said: If thou hadst wished, thou couldst have taken payment for it.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Then the two went forth until when they came to a town, they asked its people for food, but they refused to play host to them. They found in that town a wall that was on the verge of tumbling down, and he buttressed it, whereupon Moses said: "If you had wished, you could have received payment for it."

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    Again they made their way onward until they came across a town where they asked the people for food but the people neither offered nor afforded welcome or entertainment to strangers and consequently denied then hospitality. So they made their way onward only to find a wall about to fall and he -the teacher- repaired it and brought it back to its original state, and there Mussa exclaimed: "Had you willed you could have charged a price for it".

  • Bijan Moeinian

    They went on till they reached a village. They ask the people for food but they found them not so hospitable. Soon they found a wall about to collapse. The wise man took upon himself to fix the wall. Moses said: "You should have asked a wage for what you did (so that we could buy some food.)"

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    Then they both proceeded, till, when they came to the people of a town, they asked them for food, but they refused to entertain them. Then they found therein a wall about to collapse and he (Khidr) set it up straight. said: If you had wished, surely, you could have taken wages for it!"

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    Then they proceeded: until, when they came to the inhabitants of a town, they asked them for food, but they refused them hospitality. They found there a wall on the point of falling down, but he set it up straight. (Moses) said: "If thou hadst wished, surely thou couldst have exacted some recompense for it!"

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    So they moved on until they came to the people of a town. They asked them for food, but the people refused to give them hospitality. There they found a wall ready to collapse, so the man set it right. Moses protested, "If you wanted, you could have demanded a fee for this."

  • Taqi Usmani

    Then, they moved ahead until they came to the people of a town; they asked its people for food, and they refused to host them. Then, they found there a wall tending to fall down. So he (KhaDir) set it right. He (Mūsā) said, "If you wished, you could have charged a fee for this."

  • Abdul Haleem

    And so they travelled on. Then, when they came to a town and asked the inhabitants for food but were refused hospitality, they saw a wall there that was on the point of falling down and the man repaired it. Moses said, ‘But if you had wished you could have taken payment for doing that.’

  • Arthur John Arberry

    So they departed; until, when they reached the people of a city, they asked the people for food, but they refused to receive them hospitably. There they found a wall about to tumble down, and so he set it up. He said, 'If thou hadst wished, thou couldst have taken a wage for that.'

  • E. Henry Palmer

    So they set out until when they came to the people of a city; and they asked the people thereof for food; but they refused to entertain them. And they found therein a wall which wanted to fall to pieces, and he set it upright. Said (Moses), 'Hadst thou pleased thou mightst certainly have had a hire for this.'

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    Said Moses, "If ever I ask you about anything after this, keep me not in your company. Now have you received a promise from me."

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    So they (both) went off until, when they came up to the population of a city, they asked its population for food, yet they refused to receive them hospitably (i. e. as guests). Then they found therein a wall that would have collapsed down, so he set it up. He said, "If you so decided, indeed you could have taken to yourself a reward for it."

  • George Sale

    They went forwards therefore, until they came to the inhabitants of a certain city: And they asked food of the inhabitants thereof; but they refused to receive them. And they found therein a wall, which was ready to fall down; and he set it upright. Whereupon Moses said unto him, if thou wouldest, thou mightest doubtless have received a reward for it.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    Then they proceeded further: Until, when they came to the people of a town, they asked them for food, but they refused to have them as guests. Then they found there a wall almost falling down, but he put it up straight. (Musa) said: "If you wanted, surely you could have asked for some repayment (wages) for it!"

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    So both of them again set out till when they came upon the inhabitants of a town they asked them for food, but they refused to entertain them as guests. Then they found therein (- the town) a wall which was on the point of falling down and he (- the divine being) repaired it. (Moses) said, `If you had wanted, you could have charged for it.'

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    So they went on. When they came to the people of a town, they asked its people for food, but they refused to extend them any hospitality. There they found a wall which was about to collapse, so he erected it. He said, ‘Had you wished, you could have taken a wage for it.’