Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And We sent before thee only men to whom We revealed — so ask the people of the remembrance, if you know not —

وَمَٓا اَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ اِلَّا رِجَالاً نُوح۪ٓي اِلَيْهِمْ فَسْـَٔلُٓوا اَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَۙ
Wama arsalna min qablika illarijalan noohee ilayhim fas-aloo ahla aththikriin kuntum la taAAlamoon
#wordmeaningroot
1wamāAnd not
2arsalnāWe sentرسل
3minbefore you
4qablikabefore youقبل
5illāexcept
6rijālanmenرجل
7nūḥīWe revealedوحي
8ilayhimto them
9fasalūso askسال
10ahla(the) peopleاهل
11l-dhik'ri(of) the Reminderذكر
12inif
13kuntumyouكون
14lā(do) not
15taʿlamūnaknowعلم
  • Aisha Bewley

    We have only ever sent before you men who were given Revelation – ask the People of the Reminder if you do not know – who brought Clear Signs and Revealed Books.

  • Progressive Muslims

    And We did not send any except men before you whom We inspired, so ask the people who received the Reminder if you do not know.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    (O Prophet) Before you We sent none but men to whom We granted Revelation. (Tell the deniers), "If you do not know this, ask the followers of previous Revelations."

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And We sent before thee only men to whom We revealed — so ask the people of the remembrance, if you know not —

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And We did not send any except men before you whom We inspired, so ask the people who have received the Reminder if you do not know.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    We did not send any except men/walkers before you whom We inspired, so ask the people who received the Reminder if you do not know.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    We did not send before you except men whom we inspired. Ask those who know the scripture, if you do not know.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    We sent before you none (as apostles) but men, to whom We sent revelations. In case you are unaware, enquire of those who are keepers of the Oracles of God.

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

    And We sent not before you except men to whom We revealed . So ask the people of the message if you do not know.

  • Muhammad Asad

    AND before thy time, We never sent any but men, whom We inspired: and if you have not realized this, ask the followers of revelation,"

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    And We sent not (as Our messengers) before thee other than men whom We inspired - Ask the followers of the Remembrance if ye know not! -

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    (O Muhammad), whenever We raised any Messengers before you, they were no other than human beings;* (except that) to them We sent revelation. So ask those who possess knowledge* if you do not know.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    And never did Allah send Messengers before you O Muhammad but were men and not angels to whom We inspired Our message. Therefore, you -infidels- may ask those who are well versed in the antecedent Scriptures -Jews and Christians- if indeed you do not know;

  • Bijan Moeinian

    Any Prophet sent before you was a human being armed with My Revelations. If you have any doubt about it (and think that the Prophet of God must be an angel or something, ) ask those who know the Scripture.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And We sent not (as Our Messengers) before you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) any but men, whom We sent revelation, (to preach and invite mankind to believe in the Oneness of Allâh). So ask (you, O pagans of Makkah) of those who know the Scripture , if you know not.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    And before thee also the messengers We sent were but men, to whom We granted inspiration: if ye realise this not, ask of those who possess the Message.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    We did not send ˹messengers˺ before you ˹O Prophet˺ except mere men inspired by Us. If you ˹polytheists˺ do not know ˹this already˺, then ask those who have knowledge ˹of the Scriptures˺.

  • Taqi Usmani

    We did not send (messengers) before you other than men whom We inspired with revelation. So, ask the people (having the knowledge) of the Reminder (the earlier Scriptures), if you do not know.

  • Abdul Haleem

    , all the messengers We sent before you were simply men to whom We had given the Revelation: you can ask those who have knowledge if you do not know.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    We sent not any before thee, except men to whom We revealed: 'Question the people of the Remembrance, if it should be that you do not know --

  • E. Henry Palmer

    And we have not sent before thee any but men whom we inspire, - ask ye those who have the Reminder, if ye know not yourselves,-

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    And We have not sent before you any but men, whom We inspired - Ask you those who possess the Reminder (or the Message), if you know not yourselves,

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And in no way did We send (even) before you, except men to whom We revealed. "So ask the population of the Remembrance, in case you (i.e. the pagan Arabs) do not know."

  • George Sale

    We have not sent any before thee, as our apostles, other than men, unto whom We spake by revelation. Inquire therefore of those who have the custody of the scriptures, if ye know not this to be truth.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    And also before you the messengers that We sent were only men, to whom We gave (the Message by) revelation: If you do not realize this, ask of those who possess the Message.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    And we sent not (as Messengers) before you but they were men to whom We revealed (Our teachings). So ask the people of the Reminder (-the Qur'ân), if you do not know.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    We did not send before you except as men to whom We revealed —ask the People of the Reminder if you do not know—