Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

Thou wilt not make the dead to hear, nor wilt thou make the deaf to hear the call when they turn and go.

اِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِــعُ الْمَوْتٰى وَلَا تُسْمِــعُ الصُّمَّ الدُّعَٓاءَ اِذَا وَلَّوْا مُدْبِر۪ينَ
Innaka la tusmiAAu almawta walatusmiAAu assumma adduAAaa ithawallaw mudbireen
#wordmeaningroot
1innakaIndeed, you
2(can) not
3tus'miʿucause to hearسمع
4l-mawtāthe deadموت
5walāand not
6tus'miʿucan you cause to hearسمع
7l-ṣumathe deafصمم
8l-duʿāathe callدعو
9idhāwhen
10wallawthey turn backولي
11mud'birīnaretreatingدبر
  • Aisha Bewley

    You will not make dead men hear and you will not make deaf men hear the call when they turn their backs in flight.

  • Progressive Muslims

    You cannot make the dead hear, nor can you make the deaf hear the call when they turn their backs and flee.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    But verily, you cannot make the dead (or the "living-dead") hear, nor can you make the deaf of heart to hear the call when they turn back to retreat.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    Thou wilt not make the dead to hear, nor wilt thou make the deaf to hear the call when they turn and go.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    You cannot make the dead hear, nor can you make the deaf hear the call when they turn their backs and flee.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    You cannot make the dead hear, nor can you make the deaf hear the call when they turn their backs and flee.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    You cannot make the dead, nor the deaf, hear the call, if they turn away.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    You cannot make the dead to listen, or the deaf to hear the call, when they have turned their backs,

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

    Indeed, you will not make the dead hear, nor will you make the deaf hear the call when they have turned their backs retreating.

  • Muhammad Asad

    verily, thou canst not make the dead hear: and thou canst not make the deaf hear this call when they turn their backs and go away,

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    Lo! thou canst not make the dead to hear, nor canst thou make the deaf to hear the call when they have turned to flee;

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Surely you cannot make the dead hear you, nor can you make the deaf hear your call if they turn back in flight,

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    But you shall not be able to make your voice reach the spiritually dead nor shall you be able to make it reach the worthless who counsel deaf nor do they open their hearts' ears when they turn their backs.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    You can not deliver the message to the dead person nor can you make the deaf to hear you; especially when they turn away from you.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    Verily, you cannot make the dead to hear nor can you make the deaf to hear the call (i.e. benefit them and similarly the disbelievers), when they flee, turning their backs.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    Truly thou canst not cause the dead to listen, nor canst thou cause the deaf to hear the call, (especially) when they turn back in retreat.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    You certainly cannot make the dead hear ˹the truth˺. Nor can you make the deaf hear the call when they turn their backs and walk away.

  • Taqi Usmani

    Surely, you cannot make the dead to hear, nor can you make the deaf to hear your call when they turn their backs in retreat,

  • Abdul Haleem

    You cannot make the dead hear, you cannot make the deaf listen to your call when they turn their backs and leave,

  • Arthur John Arberry

    Thou shalt not make the dead to hear, neither shalt thou make the deaf to hear the call when they turn about, retreating.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    Verily, thou canst not make the dead to hear, and thou canst not make the deaf to hear the call when they turn their backs on thee;

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    Rely you then upon Allah, for you stand on obvious Truth.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    Surely you will not make the dead to hear, nor will you make the deaf to hear the call when they turn away, withdrawing.

  • George Sale

    Verily thou shalt not make the dead to hear, neither shalt thou make the deaf to hear thy call to the true faith, when they retire and turn their backs:

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    Truly, you cannot make the dead to hear, nor can make the deaf to hear the call, especially when they go away in hiding,

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    Of course you cannot make the dead hear nor can you make the deaf hear (your) call when they retreat turning their backs (on you).

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    Indeed you cannot make the dead hear, nor can you make the deaf hear the call when they turn their backs ,