Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

Whoso denies God after his faith — save he who is compelled thereto but whose heart finds rest in faith; but whoso expands his breast to denial, upon them is wrath from God; and they have a great punishment.

مَنْ كَفَرَ بِاللّٰهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ ا۪يمَانِه۪ٓ اِلَّا مَنْ اُكْرِهَ وَقَلْبُهُ مُطْمَئِنٌّ بِالْا۪يمَانِ وَلٰكِنْ مَنْ شَرَحَ بِالْكُفْرِ صَدْراً فَعَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبٌ مِنَ اللّٰهِۚ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظ۪يمٌ
Man kafara billahi minbaAAdi eemanihi illa man okriha waqalbuhu mutma-innunbil-eemani walakin man sharaha bilkufrisadran faAAalayhim ghadabun mina Allahiwalahum AAathabun AAatheem
#wordmeaningroot
1manWhoever
2kafaradisbelievesكفر
3bil-lahiin Allah
4minafter
5baʿdiafterبعد
6īmānihihis beliefامن
7illāexcept
8man(one) who
9uk'rihais forcedكره
10waqalbuhuwhile his heartقلب
11muṭ'ma-innun(is) contentطمن
12bil-īmāniwith the faithامن
13walākinBut
14man(one) who
15sharaḥaopensشرح
16bil-kuf'rito disbeliefكفر
17ṣadran(his) breastصدر
18faʿalayhimthen upon them
19ghaḍabun(is) a wrathغضب
20minaof
21l-lahiAllah
22walahumand for them
23ʿadhābun(is) a punishmentعذب
24ʿaẓīmungreatعظم
  • Aisha Bewley

    Those who reject Allah after having had iman – except for someone forced to do it whose heart remains at rest in its iman – but as for those whose breasts become dilated with kufr, anger from Allah will come down on them. They will have a terrible punishment.

  • Progressive Muslims

    Whoever rejects God after having believed; except for one who is forced while his heart is still content with belief; and has opened his chest to rejection, then they will have a wrath from God and they will have a great retribution.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    Anyone who utters unbelief, after accepting faith in Allah, except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in faith, is different from the one who is fully content with disbelief. The latter group invites Allah's Requital, and theirs is an awful doom.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    Whoso denies God after his faith — save he who is compelled thereto but whose heart finds rest in faith; but whoso expands his breast to denial, upon them is wrath from God; and they have a great punishment.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    Whoever rejects God after having believed - except for he who is forced while his heart is still content with belief - and has comforted his chest towards rejection, then these will have a wrath from God and they will have a great retribution.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    Whoever rejects God after having acknowledged; except for one who is forced while his heart is still content with acknowledgement; and has opened his chest to rejection, then they will have a wrath from God and they will have a great retribution.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    Those who disbelieve in GOD, after having acquired faith, and become fully content with disbelief, have incurred wrath from GOD. The only ones to be excused are those who are forced to profess disbelief, while their hearts are full of faith.,

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    Whosoever denies having once believed -- unless he is forced to do so while his heart enjoys the peace of faith -- and opens his mind to disbelief will suffer the wrath of God. Their punishment will be great,

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

    Whoever disbelieves in Allah after his belief... except for one who is forced while his heart is secure in faith. But those who open their breasts to disbelief, upon them is wrath from Allah, and for them is a great punishment;

  • Muhammad Asad

    As for anyone who denies God after having once attained to faith-and this, to be sure, does not apply to one who does it under duress, the while his heart remains true to his faith, but him who willingly opens up his heart to a denial of the truth-: upon all such God's condemnation, and tremendous suffering awaits them:

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    Whoso disbelieveth in Allah after his belief - save him who is forced thereto and whose heart is still content with the Faith - but whoso findeth ease in disbelief: On them is wrath from Allah. Theirs will be an awful doom.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Except for those who were forced to engage in infidelity to Allah after believing the while their hearts remained firmly convinced of their belief, the ones whose hearts willingly embraced disbelief shall incur Allah's wrath and a mighty chastisement lies in store for them.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    He who renounces his faith in Allah after he has conformed his will earlier to His will shall suffer for it unless he has been forced to do so by persecution and assault but deep down he preserves a heart happily maintaining the image of religious and spiritual virtues. But he who cunningly and deceptively incites someone to reject the idea of Faith and allures him or her to brighter worlds shall have come within the measure of Allah's wrath and these are they who shall pass through nature to eternal suffering.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    There is no blame on those who have to deny their faith under persecution, if they harbor it in their hearts. But those who renounce their religion (after having chosen to believe,) they will face the anger of the Lord and theirs will be a sever punishment.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    Whoever disbelieved in Allâh after his belief, except him who is forced thereto and whose heart is at rest with Faith; but such as open their breasts to disbelief, on them is wrath from Allâh, and theirs will be a great torment.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    Any one who, after accepting faith in Allah, utters Unbelief,- except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in Faith - but such as open their breast to Unbelief, on them is Wrath from Allah, and theirs will be a dreadful Penalty.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    Whoever disbelieves in Allah after their belief—not those who are forced while their hearts are firm in faith, but those who embrace disbelief wholeheartedly—they will be condemned by Allah and suffer a tremendous punishment.

  • Taqi Usmani

    Whoever rejects his faith in Allah after having believed in Him - not the one who is compelled (to utter a word of disbelief) under duress while his heart is at peace with Faith, but the one who has laid his breast wide open for disbelief - upon such people is the wrath of Allah, and for them there is a heavy punishment.

  • Abdul Haleem

    With the exception of those who are forced to say they do not believe, although their hearts remain firm in faith, those who reject God after believing in Him and open their hearts to disbelief will have the wrath of God upon them and a grievous punishment awaiting them.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    Whoso disbelieves in God, after he has believed -- excepting him who has been compelled, and his heart is still at rest in his belief -- but whosoever's breast is expanded in unbelief, upon them shall rest anger from God, and there awaits them a mighty chastisement;

  • E. Henry Palmer

    Whoso disbelieves in God after having believed, unless it be one who is forced and whose heart is quiet in the faith,- but whoso expands his breast to misbelieve,- on them is wrath from God, and for them is mighty woe!

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    Whoever disbelieves in Allah after having believed - unless it be one who is forced and whose heart is still content in the faith - but whoever expands his breast to (easing) disbelieve - on them is wrath from Allah, and theirs is a mighty doom.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    Whoever has disbelieved in Allah even after his belief excepting him who has been compelled and his heart is (still) composed with belief-but whoever has his breast expanded in disbelief, then upon them is anger from Allah and they will have a tremendous torment.

  • George Sale

    Whoever denieth God, after he hath believed, except him who shall be compelled against his will, and whose heart continueth stedfast in the faith, shall be severely chastised: But whoever shall voluntarily profess infidelity, on those shall the indignation of God fall, and they shall suffer a grievous punishment.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    Any one who, after accepting the Faith in Allah, says (words of) unbelief— Except under force (from outside, but in) his heart remaining firm in Faith— (Whereas) on such as those who open their chests to unbelief— On them is Anger from Allah, and theirs will be a fearful Penalty.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    Those who disbelieve in Allâh after they have believed in Him - but not those who are compelled (to recant) while their hearts find peace (and are firm) in the faith - (and) those who accept disbelief from the core of their hearts shall incur the displeasure of Allâh and shall receive a stern punishment.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    Whoever renounces faith in Allah after his faith —barring someone who is compelled while his heart is at rest in faith— but those who open up their breasts to unfaith, upon such shall be Allah’s wrath, and there is a great punishment for them.