Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

The truth is, they say the like of what the former peoples said;

بَلْ قَالُوا مِثْلَ مَا قَالَ الْاَوَّلُونَ
Bal qaloo mithla ma qalaal-awwaloon
#wordmeaningroot
1balNay
2qālūthey sayقول
3mith'la(the) likeمثل
4(of) what
5qālasaidقول
6l-awalūnathe former (people)اول
  • Aisha Bewley

    However, they say the same as previous peoples said.

  • Progressive Muslims

    No, they have said the same as what the people of old had said.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    Nay, they say what the people of the olden times used to say.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    The truth is, they say the like of what the former peoples said;

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    No,they have said the same as what the people of old had said.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    Indeed, they have said the same as what the people of old had said.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    They said what their ancestors said.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    And talk as did the people of old.

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

    Rather, they say like what the former peoples said.

  • Muhammad Asad

    But nay, they speak as the people of olden times did speak:

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    Nay, but they say the like of that which said the men of old;

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Nay, but they say the like of what their predecessors of yore had said.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    No. they express their thoughts in words identical with those uttered by their ancestors.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    Their response (to the Lord’s invitation) is the same as their forefathers’ saying:

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    Nay, but they say the like of what the men of old said.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    On the contrary they say things similar to what the ancients said.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    But they ˹just˺ say what their predecessors said.

  • Taqi Usmani

    But they say as the earlier people had said.

  • Abdul Haleem

    But, like others before them,

  • Arthur John Arberry

    Nay, but they said the like of what the ancients said.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    Nay, but they said like that which those of yore did say.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    And He it is Who gives you life and death; and His is the alternation of the night and the day; have you then no sense?

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    No indeed, (but) they said the like of what the earliest (people) said.

  • George Sale

    But the unbelieving Meccans say as their predecessors said:

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    To the opposite (effect), they say things similar to what the olden (people) said.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    But (rather than trying to understand) they repeated what the former people had said.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    Rather they say just like what the ancients said.