Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

Or like darkness in a fathomless sea: there covers it a wave, above which is a wave, above which are clouds: — darknesses one above another! — when he holds out his hand, he scarcely sees it. And he for whom God has made no light, there is for him no light.

اَوْ كَظُلُمَاتٍ ف۪ي بَحْرٍ لُجِّيٍّ يَغْشٰيهُ مَوْجٌ مِنْ فَوْقِه۪ مَوْجٌ مِنْ فَوْقِه۪ سَحَابٌۜ ظُلُمَاتٌ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍۜ اِذَٓا اَخْرَجَ يَدَهُ لَمْ يَكَدْ يَرٰيهَاۜ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَجْعَلِ اللّٰهُ لَهُ نُوراً فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ نُورٍ۟
Aw kathulumatin fee bahrinlujjiyyin yaghshahu mawjun min fawqihi mawjun min fawqihisahabun thulumatun baAAduhafawqa baAAdin itha akhraja yadahu lam yakad yarahawaman lam yajAAali Allahu lahu nooran fama lahu minnoor
#wordmeaningroot
1awOr
2kaẓulumātin(is) like (the) darkness[es]ظلم
3in
4baḥrina seaبحر
5lujjiyyindeepلجج
6yaghshāhucovers itغشو
7mawjuna waveموج
8minon it
9fawqihion itفوق
10mawjuna waveموج
11minon it
12fawqihion itفوق
13saḥābuna cloudسحب
14ẓulumātundarkness[es]ظلم
15baʿḍuhāsome of itبعض
16fawqaonفوق
17baʿḍinothersبعض
18idhāWhen
19akhrajahe puts outخرج
20yadahuhis handيدي
21lamhardly
22yakadhardlyكود
23yarāhāhe (can) see itراي
24wamanAnd (for) whom
25lamnot
26yajʿaliAllah (has) madeجعل
27l-lahuAllah (has) made
28lahufor him
29nūrana lightنور
30famāthen not
31lahufor him
32min(is) any
33nūrinlightنور
  • Aisha Bewley

    Or they are like the darkness of a fathomless sea which is covered by waves above which are waves above which are clouds, layers of darkness, one upon the other. If he puts out his hand, he can scarcely see it. Those Allah gives no light to, they have no light.

  • Progressive Muslims

    Or like the darkness out in a deep ocean in the midst of violent waves, with waves upon waves and dark clouds. Darkness upon darkness, if he brings out his own hand, he could barely see it. And for whomever God does not make a light, he will have no light.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    Or total darkness in the midst of a deep ocean, with waves upon waves and a thick cloud above - darkness upon darkness. When he holds out his hand, he can barely see it. Allah's Law does not give light to him who disregards His Light.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    Or like darkness in a fathomless sea: there covers it a wave, above which is a wave, above which are clouds: — darknesses one above another! — when he holds out his hand, he scarcely sees it. And he for whom God has made no light, there is for him no light.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    Or like the darkness out in a deep ocean in the midst of violent waves, with waves upon waves and dark clouds. Darkness upon darkness, if he brings out his own hand, he could barely see it. And for whoever God does not make a light, he will have no light.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    Or like the darkness out in a deep ocean in the midst of violent waves, with waves upon waves and dark clouds. Darkness upon darkness, if he brings out his own hand, he could barely see it. For whomever God does not make a light, he will have no light.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    Another allegory is that of being in total darkness in the midst of a violent ocean, with waves upon waves, in addition to thick fog. Darkness upon darkness - if he looked at his own hand, he could barely see it. Whomever GOD deprives of light, will have no light.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    Or like darkness in a wide, wide sea, waves surging upon waves, with clouds overhanging, darkness on darkness. If you stretch your hand, you could hardly see it. For him whom God does not give any light, there is no light.

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

    Or like darknesses within an unfathomable sea which is covered by waves, upon which are waves, over which are clouds - darknesses, some of them upon others. When one puts out his hand , he can hardly see it. And he to whom Allah has not granted light - for him there is no light.

  • Muhammad Asad

    Or like the depths of darkness upon an abysmal sea, made yet more dark by wave billowing over wave, with clouds above it all: depths of darkness, layer upon layer, when one holds up his hand, he can hardly see it: for he to whom God gives no light, no light whatever has he!

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    Or as darkness on a vast, abysmal sea. There covereth him a wave, above which is a wave, above which is a cloud. Layer upon layer of darkness. When he holdeth out his hand he scarce can see it. And he for whom Allah hath not appointed light, for him there is no light.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Or its similitude is that of depths of darkness upon an abysmal sea, covered by a billow, above which is a billow, above which is cloud, creating darkness piled one upon another; when he puts forth his hand, he would scarcely see it. He to whom Allah assigns no light, he will have no light.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    Or a world of darkness similar to that found in the depth of an ocean where billowy waves are superimposed upon billowy waves topped by dark clouds creating a coat of darkness superimposed upon coats of darkness where he sits or moves misted with darkness that if he stretches his hand he can hardly see it*. And he whom Allah blinds his mind's eyes and darkens his eyes shall he devoid of spiritual light and his hopes shall he doomed to disappointment.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    Their case may also be likened to a man who find himself in the middle of a violent ocean. There are waves upon waves. It is so dark that he cannot even see his own hand when stretching it for swimming in desperation. The one whom God has deprived of light, cannot find any light.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    Or is like the darkness in a vast deep sea, overwhelmed with waves topped by waves, topped by dark clouds, (layers of) darkness upon darkness: if a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it! And he for whom Allâh has not appointed light, for him there is no light.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    Or (the Unbelievers' state) is like the depths of darkness in a vast deep ocean, overwhelmed with billow topped by billow, topped by (dark) clouds: depths of darkness, one above another: if a man stretches out his hands, he can hardly see it! for any to whom Allah giveth not light, there is no light!

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    Or ˹their deeds are˺ like the darkness in a deep sea, covered by waves upon waves, topped by ˹dark˺ clouds. Darkness upon darkness! If one stretches out their hand, they can hardly see it. And whoever Allah does not bless with light will have no light!

  • Taqi Usmani

    Or (their deeds) are like layers of darkness in a vast deep sea overwhelmed by a wave, above which there is another wave, above which there are clouds - layers of darkness, one above the other. When one puts forth his hand, he can hardly see it; and the one to whom Allah does not give light can have no light at all.

  • Abdul Haleem

    Or like shadows in a deep sea covered by wave upon wave, with clouds above- layer upon layer of darkness- if he holds out his hand, he is scarcely able to see it. The one to whom God gives no light has no light at all.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    or they are as shadows upon a sea obscure covered by a billow above which is a billow above which are clouds, shadows piled one upon another; when he puts forth his hand, wellnigh he cannot see it. And to whomsoever God assigns no light, no light has he.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    Or like darkness on a deep sea, there covers it a wave above which is a wave, above which is a cloud,- darknesses one above the other,- when one puts out his hand he can scarcely see it; for he to whom God has given no light, he has no light.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    But those who disbelieve, their works are like the mirage in a desert, the thirsty suppose it to be water till when he comes to it he finds nothing, but he finds, instead, Allah is with him; and He will pay him his account, for Allah is quick to take account.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    Or (they are) as darkness (es) in a tumultuous sea (vast and deep) enveloped by waves above which are waves, upon which are clouds: darknesses above each other, (Some of them "are" above some "others") when he brings out his hand, he could almost not see it. And for whomever Allah makes no light, then in no way (can) he have light.

  • George Sale

    Or, as the darkness in a deep sea, covered by waves riding on waves, above which are clouds, being additions of darkness one over the other; when one stretcheth forth his hand, he is far from seeing it. And unto whomsoever God shall not grant his light, he shall enjoy no light at all.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    Or (the disbelievers condition) is like the depths of darkness in a vast deep ocean, overcome by huge waves on top of huge waves, with (darkest) clouds at the top: Depths of darkness, one upon another: If a man opened out his hand, he can barely see it! And for him Allah does not give Light, there is no Light!

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    Or (the deeds of the disbelievers are) like thick utter darkness of the fathomless deep sea, waves on top of which there are higher waves covering its surface which is overcast by clouds. These are (layers of) darkness (piled) one upon the other (as opposed to light upon light for the believers) so that a person, however much he may try, can hardly see his hand when he holds it out. Indeed, there is no light at all for the person whom Allâh gives no light.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    Or like the manifold darkness in a deep sea, covered by billow upon billow, overcast by clouds, manifold darkness, one on top of another: when he brings out his hand, he can hardly see it, and one whom Allah has not granted any light has no light.