Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

They forbade not one another what is perverse, but they did it; evil was what they did.

كَانُوا لَا يَتَنَاهَوْنَ عَنْ مُنْكَرٍ فَعَلُوهُۜ لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ
Kanoo la yatanahawnaAAan munkarin faAAaloohu labi/sa ma kanooyafAAaloon
#wordmeaningroot
1kānūThey had beenكون
2not
3yatanāhawnaforbidding each otherنهي
4ʿanfrom
5munkarinwrongdoingنكر
6faʿalūhuthey did [it]فعل
7labi'saSurely, evilباس
8(was) what
9kānūthey wereكون
10yafʿalūnadoingفعل
  • Aisha Bewley

    They would not restrain one another from any of the wrong things that they did. How evil were the things they used to do!

  • Progressive Muslims

    They would not stop each other from doing sin. Wickedness is what they used to do.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    They restrained not one another from violating the Divine Values. Miserable indeed was their behavior.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    They forbade not one another what is perverse, but they did it; evil was what they did.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    They would not stop each other from doing vice. Wickedness is what they used to do.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    They would not stop each other from doing sin. Wickedness is what they used to do.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    They did not enjoin one another from committing evil. Miserable indeed is what they did.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    They did not restrain one another from the wicked things they used to do; and vile were the things that they were doing!

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

    They used not to prevent one another from wrongdoing that they did. How wretched was that which they were doing.

  • Muhammad Asad

    They would not prevent one another from doing whatever hateful things they did: vile indeed was what they were wont to do!

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    They restrained not one another from the wickedness they did. Verily evil was that they used to do!

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    They did not forbid each other from committing the abominable deeds they committed.* Indeed what they did was evil.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    They never exhorted each other to laudable conduct but they shut their eyes to iniquities and abuses. Evil indeed is what they perpetrated of atrocities and wrong deeds.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    They would not forbid each other of wrongdoings; what an evil way of life they had chosen

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    They used not to forbid one another from Al-Munkar (wrong, evil-doing, sins, polytheism, disbelief) which they committed. Vile indeed was what they used to do.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    Nor did they (usually) forbid one another the iniquities which they committed: evil indeed were the deeds which they did.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    They did not forbid one another from doing evil. Evil indeed was what they did!

  • Taqi Usmani

    They did not forbid each other from any evil they committed. Evil indeed is what they have been doing.

  • Abdul Haleem

    they did not forbid each other to do wrong. How vile their deeds were!

  • Arthur John Arberry

    They forbade not one another any dishonour that they committed; surely evil were the things they did.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    they would not desist from the wrong they did; evil is that which they did.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    They would not restrain each other from the wickedness they did; verily, evil is that which they used to do.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    They used not to forbid one another any malfeasance that they performed. Miserable indeed was whatever they were performing!

  • George Sale

    They forbade not one another the wickedness which they committed; and wo unto them for what they committed.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    Also (because) they did not (often) prevent one another from the iniquities that they committed: The deeds that they did were indeed evil.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    They did not prohibit one another from hateful things they committed. How evil were the practices they used to follow!

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    They would not forbid one another from the wrongs that they committed. Surely, evil is what they had been doing.