Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And those who ignore warning, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert: the thirsty one thinks it water; when he has come to it, he finds it nothing, but finds God with him, and He pays his account in full — and God is swift in reckoning —

وَالَّذ۪ينَ كَفَرُٓوا اَعْمَالُهُمْ كَسَرَابٍ بِق۪يعَةٍ يَحْسَبُهُ الظَّمْاٰنُ مَٓاءًۜ حَتّٰٓى اِذَا جَٓاءَهُ لَمْ يَجِدْهُ شَيْـٔاً وَوَجَدَ اللّٰهَ عِنْدَهُ فَوَفّٰيهُ حِسَابَهُۜ وَاللّٰهُ سَر۪يعُ الْحِسَابِۙ
Wallatheena kafaroo aAAmaluhumkasarabin biqeeAAatin yahsabuhu aththam-anumaan hatta itha jaahu lamyajidhu shay-an wawajada Allaha AAindahu fawaffahu hisabahuwallahu sareeAAu alhisab
#wordmeaningroot
1wa-alladhīnaBut those who
2kafarūdisbelieveكفر
3aʿmāluhumtheir deedsعمل
4kasarābin(are) like a mirageسرب
5biqīʿatinin a lowlandقوع
6yaḥsabuhuthinks itحسب
7l-ẓamānuthe thirsty oneظما
8māan(to be) waterموه
9ḥattāuntil
10idhāwhen
11jāahuhe comes to itجيا
12lamnot
13yajid'huhe finds itوجد
14shayan(to be) anythingشيا
15wawajadabut he findsوجد
16l-lahaAllah
17ʿindahubefore himعند
18fawaffāhuHe will pay him in fullوفي
19ḥisābahuhis dueحسب
20wal-lahuAnd Allah
21sarīʿu(is) swiftسرع
22l-ḥisābi(in) the accountحسب
  • Aisha Bewley

    But the actions of those who are kafir are like a mirage in the desert. A thirsty man thinks it is water but when he reaches it, he finds it to be nothing at all, but he finds Allah there. He will pay him his account in full. Allah is swift at reckoning.

  • Progressive Muslims

    As for those who reject, their works are like a mirage in the desert. A thirsty person thinks it is water, until he reaches it, he finds it is nothing; and he finds God there and He pays him his due, and God is swift in judgment.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    But as for those who reject the Message, their deeds are like a mirage in the desert. The thirsty one supposes it to be water till he comes unto it and finds nothing. However, he does meet Allah's Law of Requital to compensate for his deeds. And Allah is Swift at taking account.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And those who ignore warning, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert: the thirsty one thinks it water; when he has come to it, he finds it nothing, but finds God with him, and He pays his account in full — and God is swift in reckoning —

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    As for those who reject, their works are like a mirage in the desert. A thirsty person thinks it is water, until he reaches it, he finds it is nothing; and he finds God there and He pays him his due, and God is swift in judgment.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    As for those who reject, their works are like a mirage in the desert. A thirsty person thinks it is water, until he reaches it, he finds it is nothing; he finds God there and He pays him his due, and God is swift in judgment.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    As for those who disbelieve, their works are like a mirage in the desert. A thirsty person thinks that it is water. But when he reaches it, he finds that it is nothing, and he finds GOD there instead, to requite him fully for his works. GOD is the most efficient reckoner.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    As for those who disbelieve, their deeds are like a mirage in the desert which the thirsty takes for water till he reaches it to find that there was nothing, and finds God with him who settles his account, for God is swift at the reckoning.

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

    But those who disbelieved - their deeds are like a mirage in a lowland which a thirsty one thinks is water until, when he comes to it, he finds it is nothing but finds Allah before Him, and He will pay him in full his due; and Allah is swift in account.

  • Muhammad Asad

    But as for those who are bent on denying the truth, their deeds are like a mirage in the desert, which the thirsty supposes to be water – until, when he approaches it, he finds that it was nothing: instead, he finds God with him, and He will pay him his account in full - for God is swift in reckoning!

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    As for those who disbelieve, their deeds are as a mirage in a desert. The thirsty one supposeth it to be water till he cometh unto it and findeth it naught, and findeth, in the place thereof, Allah Who payeth him his due; and Allah is swift at reckoning.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    But for those who deny the Truth, their deeds are like a mirage in the desert, which the thirsty supposes to be water until he comes to it only to find that it was nothing; he found instead that Allah was with Him and He paid his account in full. Allah is swift in settling the account.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    As for those who deny Allah and do not acknowledge His Messengers' missions, their hopes shall be doomed to disappointment. Their deeds shall avail them nothing but the frustration or non-fulfillment of expectation, a situation standing similitude exact of a mirage* falsely viewed by the parched and thirsty traveler as water, and when he reaches the spot in question his hopes are doomed to disappointment. He finds what is known to be at variance with fact, an optical illusion. But he finds Allah, the Omnipresent, the truth personified, Who requites him with what is commensurate with his deeds, and Allah is swift indeed in putting the law in execution.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    As for those who rejected (this Qur’an, ) their deeds are like a mirage. It gives them the allusion of water in a desert; but when they reach there, instead of water, they will find the Lord ready to question the figures in their accounts. God is the Most Efficient in Accounting.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    As for those who disbelieve, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert. The thirsty one thinks it to be water, until he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing; but he finds Allâh with him, Who will pay him his due (Hell). And Allâh is Swift in taking account.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    But the Unbelievers,- their deeds are like a mirage in sandy deserts, which the man parched with thirst mistakes for water; until when he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing: But he finds Allah (ever) with him, and Allah will pay him his account: and Allah is swift in taking account.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    As for the disbelievers, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert, which the thirsty perceive as water, but when they approach it, they find it to be nothing. Instead, they find Allah there ˹in the Hereafter, ready˺ to settle their account. And Allah is swift in reckoning.

  • Taqi Usmani

    As for those who disbelieve, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert plain, which a thirsty person deems to be water, until when he comes to it, he finds it nothing, and finds (the decree of) Allah with him, so He pays him his account in full. Allah is swift at reckoning.

  • Abdul Haleem

    But the deeds of those who disbelieve are like a mirage in a desert: the thirsty person thinks there will be water but, when he gets there, he finds only God, who pays him his account in full- God is swift in reckoning.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    And as for the unbelievers, their works are as a mirage in a spacious plain which the man athirst supposes to be water, till, when he comes to it, he finds it is nothing; there indeed he finds God, and He pays him his account in full; (and God is swift at the reckoning. )

  • E. Henry Palmer

    But those who misbelieve, their works are like the mirage in a plain, the thirsty counts it water till when he comes to it he finds nothing, but he finds that God is with him; and He will pay him his account, for God is quick to take account.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    That Allah may reward them for the best of that which they have done, and give them increase of His bounty; for Allah gives blessings without stint to whom He will.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And the ones who have disbelieved, their deeds are as a mirage in a low land, which the man all-athirst reckons to be water, till when he comes to it, he finds it nothing, and at it he finds Allah. Then He pays him his reckoning in full; and Allah is swift at the reckoning.

  • George Sale

    But as to the unbelievers, their works are like the vapour in a plain, which the thirsty traveller thinketh to be water, until, when he cometh thereto, he findeth it to be nothing; but he findeth God with him, and he will fully pay him his account; and God is swift in taking an account:

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    As for those who disbelieved (in this life)— Their deeds are like a mirage in sandy deserts, which a thirsty one mistakes it to be water; And when he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing: But (instead) he finds Allah (always) with him, and Allah will pay him his account that is due: And Allah is swift in taking account (Hasib).

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    And (as to) those who disbelieve, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert, the thirsty man assumes it to be water until he comes up to it and finds it is nothing at all. And (instead of water by his side) he finds (that) Allâh (has always been present) with him, and He then pays him his account in full, and Allâh is Swift at reckoning.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    As for the faithless, their works are like a mirage in a plain, which the thirsty man supposes to be water. When he comes to it, he finds it to be nothing; but there he finds Allah, who will pay him his full account, and Allah is swift at reckoning.