Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

Those who said: “God has made a covenant with us, that we believe not any messenger until he brings us an offering consumed by fire.” Say thou: “There came to you messengers before me with clear signs, and with what you say; why then did you kill them, if you be truthful?”

اَلَّذ۪ينَ قَالُٓوا اِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَهِدَ اِلَيْنَٓا اَلَّا نُؤْمِنَ لِرَسُولٍ حَتّٰى يَأْتِيَنَا بِقُرْبَانٍ تَأْكُلُهُ النَّارُۜ قُلْ قَدْ جَٓاءَكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِنْ قَبْل۪ي بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَبِالَّذ۪ي قُلْتُمْ فَلِمَ قَتَلْتُمُوهُمْ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِق۪ينَ
Allatheena qaloo inna AllahaAAahida ilayna alla nu/mina lirasoolin hattaya/tiyana biqurbanin ta/kuluhu annaruqul qad jaakum rusulun min qablee bilbayyinatiwabillathee qultum falima qataltumoohum in kutum sadiqeen
#wordmeaningroot
1alladhīnaThose who
2qālūsaidقول
3innaIndeed
4l-lahaAllah
5ʿahida(has) taken promiseعهد
6ilaynāfrom us
7allāthat not
8nu'minawe (should) believeامن
9lirasūlinin a Messengerرسل
10ḥattāuntil
11yatiyanāhe brings to usاتي
12biqur'bānina sacrifice قرب
13takuluhuconsumes itاكل
14l-nāruthe fireنور
15qulSayقول
16qadSurely
17jāakumcame to youجيا
18rusulunMessengersرسل
19minfrom
20qablībefore meقبل
21bil-bayinātiwith the clear Signsبين
22wabi-alladhīand with what
23qul'tumyou speakقول
24falimaSo why
25qataltumūhumyou killed themقتل
26inif
27kuntumyou areكون
28ṣādiqīnatruthfulصدق
  • Aisha Bewley

    Those who say, ‘Allah has made a contract with us that we should not have iman in any Messenger until he brings us a sacrifice consumed by fire. ’ Say, ‘Messengers came to you before me with the Clear Signs and with what you say. So why did you kill them if you are telling the truth?’

  • Progressive Muslims

    Those who said: "God has pledged to us that we should not believe in a messenger unless he brings us an offering which the fire will not devour. " Say: "Messengers have come to you before me with clarity and with what you have said, so why did you kill them if you were truthful"

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    It is they (the Children of Israel) who say, "God has taken a promise from us that we shall not believe in any Messenger unless he brings us a burnt offering. " (An animal sacrifice that a fire from the heaven shall consume, or that burning of the sacrifice shall be an ordinance). Say (O Prophet), " Messengers before me came to you with clear Revelations, and as you claim, with burnt offering. Why then did you slay them?" (I Thessalonians ii, 15 / Matthew xxiii, 37)

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    Those who said: “God has made a covenant with us, that we believe not any messenger until he brings us an offering consumed by fire.” Say thou: “There came to you messengers before me with clear signs, and with what you say; why then did you kill them, if you be truthful?”

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    Those who said: "God has pledged to us that we should not believe in a messenger unless he brings us an offering which the fire will devour." Say: "Messengers have come to you before me with clarity and with what you have said, so why did you kill them if you were truthful?"

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    Those who said, "God has pledged to us that we should not acknowledge a messenger unless he brings us an offering which the fire will devour." Say, "Messengers have come to you before me with proof and with what you have said, so why did you fight/kill them if you were truthful?"

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    It is they who said, "GOD has made a covenant with us that we shall not believe in any messenger, unless he produces an offering that gets consumed by fire." Say, "Messengers before me have come to you with clear proofs, including what you just demanded. Why then did you kill them, if you are truthful?"

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    To those who say: "God has ordained that we should not believe an apostle who does not bring burnt offerings, " say: "Many an apostle had come to you before me with manifest proofs, even with what you mention; then why did you kill them if you were men of truth?"

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

    those who said, "Indeed, Allah has taken our promise not to believe any messenger until he brings us an offering which fire will consume. " Say, "There have already come to you messengers before me with clear proofs and that of which you speak. So why did you kill them, if you should be truthful?"

  • Muhammad Asad

    As for those who maintain, "Behold, God has bidden us not to believe in any apostle unless he comes unto us with burnt offerings" - say : "Even before me there came unto you apostles with all evidence of the truth, and with that whereof you speak: why, then, did you slay them, if what you say is true?"

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    (The same are) those who say: Lo! Allah hath charged us that we believe not in any messenger until he bring us an offering which fire (from heaven) shall devour. Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Messengers came unto you before me with miracles, and with that (very miracle) which ye describe. Why then did ye slay them? (Answer that) if ye are truthful!

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    To those who say: 'Allah has directed us that we accept none as Messenger until he makes an offering that the fire will consume', say: 'Other Messengers came to you before me with clear signs, and with the sign you have mentioned. So why did you slay them, if what you say is true?

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    Who said: "Allah has enjoined us not to give credence to a Prophet until he has presented to us an offering which of necessity be devoured by a fire from heaven. " Say to them O Muhammad: "Many Prophets before me had presented you with clear evidence of Allah’s Omnipotence and of their delegated divine authority and with such divinely miraculous acts as you have described, why then did you bring death upon them if indeed you are declaring the truth!"

  • Bijan Moeinian

    They (the Jews) also say: "God has asked us not to believe in any Prophet unless his sacrifice is being struck with a thunder from the heaven. " Tell them: “If it is so, then why did you kill the previous Prophets who performed such a miracle (refer to the case of Prophet Elijah in I Kings, 18-19)?”

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    Those (Jews) who said: "Verily, Allâh has taken our promise not to believe in any Messenger unless he brings to us an offering which the fire (from heaven) shall devour." Say: "Verily, there came to you Messengers before me, with clear signs and even with what you speak of; why then did you kill them, if you are truthful?"

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    They (also) said: "Allah took our promise not to believe in an messenger unless He showed us a sacrifice consumed by Fire (From heaven)." Say: "There came to you messengers before me, with clear Signs and even with what ye ask for: why then did ye slay them, if ye speak the truth?"

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    Those ˹are the same people˺ who say, "Allah has commanded us not to believe in any messenger unless he brings us an offering to be consumed by fire ˹from the sky˺." Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Other prophets did in fact come to you before me with clear proofs and ˹even˺ what you demanded—why then did you kill them, if what you say is true?”

  • Taqi Usmani

    (There are) those who have said, "Allah has directed us that we should not believe in a messenger unless he comes to us with an offering to be eaten up by the fire."Say, “A number of messengers have come to you, before me, with clear signs and with what you have said. So, why did you kill them, if you are true?

  • Abdul Haleem

    To those who say, ‘God has commanded us not to believe in any messenger unless he brings us an offering that fire consumes,’ say , ‘Messengers before me have come to you with clear signs, including the one you mention. If you are sincere, why did you kill them?’

  • Arthur John Arberry

    Those same men said, 'God has made covenant with us, that we believe not any Messenger until he brings to us a sacrifice devoured by fire. ' Say: 'Messengers have come to you before me bearing clear signs, and that you spoke of; why therefore did you slay them, if you speak truly?'

  • E. Henry Palmer

    who say, 'Verily, God has covenanted with us that we should not believe in an apostle until he gives us a sacrifice which fire devours. ' Say, 'There have come to you apostles before me with manifest signs, and with what ye talk about; why then did ye kill them, if ye speak the truth?

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    Who say, "Verily, Allah has covenanted with us that we should not believe in a Messenger until he brings us a sacrifice which fire devours. " Say, "There have come to you Messengers before me with manifest signs, and with the very thing you talk about; why then did you kill them, if you speak the truth?

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    The ones who said, "Surely Allah has covenanted (with) us that we (should) not believe any Messenger until he comes up to us with an all-sanctified sacrifice to be eaten (up) by fire. " Say, "Messengers even before me already came to you with supreme evidences and with that which you said. Why then did you kill them in case you are sincere?"

  • George Sale

    who also say, surely God hath commanded us, that we should not give credit to any apostle, until one should come unto us with a sacrifice, which should be consumed by fire. Say, apostles have already come unto you before me, with plain proofs, and with the miracle which ye mention: Why therefore have ye slain them, if ye speak truth?

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    They (also) said: "Allah took our promise not to believe in a messenger (of Allah) unless he showed us a sacrifice (as a sign) consumed by fire (from heaven). " Say: "There came to you messengers before me, with Clear Signs and (also with) even with what you ask for, why did you then kill them, if you speak the truth?"

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    (These are the very Jews) who said, `Surely, Allâh has enjoined us not to believe in any Messenger unless He brings us an offering which is consumed by the fire (in accordance with mosaic law). ' Say, `Surely Messengers have come to you before me with clear signs and with that of which you speak. Why, then did you seek to kill them if you have been right (in your demand)?'

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    those who say, ‘Allah has pledged us not to believe in any apostle unless he brings us an offering consumed by fire,’ say, ‘Apostles before me certainly brought you manifest signs and what you speak of. Then why did you kill them, should you be truthful?’