Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And they said: “Is it a single mortal among us we are to follow? Then should we be in error and insanity.

فَقَالُٓوا اَبَشَراً مِنَّا وَاحِداً نَتَّبِعُهُٓۙ اِنَّٓا اِذاً لَف۪ي ضَلَالٍ وَسُعُرٍ
Faqaloo abasharan minna wahidannattabiAAuhu inna ithan lafee dalalinwasuAAur
#wordmeaningroot
1faqālūAnd saidقول
2abasharanIs (it) a human beingبشر
3minnāamong us
4wāḥidanoneوحد
5nattabiʿuhu(that) we should follow himتبع
6innāIndeed, we
7idhanthen
8lafī(will be) surely in
9ḍalālinerrorضلل
10wasuʿurinand madnessسعر
  • Aisha Bewley

    They said, ‘Are we to follow a human being, one of us? Then we would truly be misguided, quite insane!

  • Progressive Muslims

    They said: "Shall we follow one of us; a human being We will then go astray, and be in Hell. "

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    And they said, "What! A human being! Shall we follow a man among us while he has no party with him? Behold, we then, shall fall into error and loss.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And they said: “Is it a single mortal among us we are to follow? Then should we be in error and insanity.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    They said: "Shall we follow one of us; a human being? We will then go astray, and be in Hell."

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    They said, "Shall we follow one of us; a human being? We will then go astray, and be in hell."

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    They said, "Shall we follow one of us; a human being? We will then go astray, then end up in Hell.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    And said: "Should we follow only one man among us? In that case we shall he in error and insane.

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

    And said, "Is it one human being among us that we should follow? Indeed, we would then be in error and madness.

  • Muhammad Asad

    and they said: "Are we to follow one single mortal, one from among ourselves? In that case, behold, we would certainly sink into error and folly!

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    For they said; Is it a mortal man, alone among us, that we are to follow? Then indeed we should fall into error and madness.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    saying: "Are we to follow a single mortal, one from among ourselves? If we do that, we shall surely be in error and folly.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    They said: "Is it in conformity with correct reasoning that one human among us and of human character would be the leader to follow? " We would be indeed at variance with what one approves or regards as right, and we would be of unsound mind"

  • Bijan Moeinian

    They said: "Are we crazy to follow a lonely person who is just a human being like us?"

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And they said: "A man, alone among us - shall we follow him? Truly then we should be in error and distress (or madness)!"

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    For they said: "What! a man! a Solitary one from among ourselves! shall we follow such a one? Truly should we then be straying in mind, and mad!

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    arguing, "How can we follow one ˹average˺ human being from among us? We would then truly be misguided and insane.

  • Taqi Usmani

    So they said, "Shall we follow a single human being from among us? Then we will be in error and insanity.

  • Abdul Haleem

    they said, ‘What? A man? Why should we follow a lone man from amongst ourselves? That would be misguided; quite insane!

  • Arthur John Arberry

    and said, 'What, shall we follow a mortal, one out of ourselves? Then indeed we should be in error and insanity!

  • E. Henry Palmer

    and said, 'A mortal, one of us, alone, shall we follow him? then indeed were we in error and excitement!

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    So they said, "What! A single mortal from among us! Shall we follow him? Most surely we shall then be in sure error and madness:

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    So they said, "Should we closely follow a mortal, one out of ourselves? Lo, surely we are indeed in error and insanity!

  • George Sale

    and said, shall we follow a single man among us? Verily we should then be guilty of error, and preposterous madness:

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    And they said: "A man! A solitary one from among ourselves! Shall we follow him? Truly, should we then be straying in mind, and mad!

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    And they said, `Shall we follow a man who hails from ourselves and is all alone? (If we do) indeed we, in that case, would be (involved) in a great error and (suffering from) insanity.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    and they said, ‘Are we to follow a lone human from ourselves?! Indeed then we would be in error and madness. ’