Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

They know an outward part of the life of this world, but of the Hereafter they are heedless.

يَعْلَمُونَ ظَاهِراً مِنَ الْحَيٰوةِ الدُّنْيَاۚ وَهُمْ عَنِ الْاٰخِرَةِ هُمْ غَافِلُونَ
YaAAlamoona thahiranmina alhayati addunya wahum AAanial-akhirati hum ghafiloon
#wordmeaningroot
1yaʿlamūnaThey knowعلم
2ẓāhiran(the) apparentظهر
3minaof
4l-ḥayatithe lifeحيي
5l-dun'yā(of) the worldدنو
6wahumbut they
7ʿaniabout
8l-ākhiratithe Hereafterاخر
9hum[they]
10ghāfilūna(are) heedlessغفل
  • Aisha Bewley

    They know an outward aspect of the life of this world but are heedless of the Next World.

  • Progressive Muslims

    They only know the outside appearance of the worldly life; and regarding the Hereafter, they are ignorant.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    They know and care only about the apparent instant gratifications of the life of this world, and remain oblivious to the Eternal life to come.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    They know an outward part of the life of this world, but of the Hereafter they are heedless.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    They only know the outside appearance of the worldly life; and regarding the Hereafter, they are ignorant.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    They only know the outside appearance of the worldly life; and regarding the Hereafter, they are ignorant.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    They care only about things of this world that are visible to them, while being totally oblivious to the Hereafter.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    They only know the palpable life of this world, and are oblivious of the Hereafter.

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

    They know what is apparent of the worldly life, but they, of the Hereafter, are unaware.

  • Muhammad Asad

    they know but the outer surface of this world’s life, whereas of the ultimate things they are utterly un­aware.

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    They know only some appearance of the life of the world, and are heedless of the Hereafter.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    People simply know the outward aspect of the worldly life but are utterly heedless of the Hereafter.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    They -people- only look at things in life with respect to the aspect presenting itself to a slight or casual mental view and they are deceived by the smiling surface of the deep. They fail to take into account what the deep end affecting them profoundly is like. They are allured by the mundane, and oblivious of the Hereafter.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    People are so engaged in this worldly life that they are careless about Hereafter.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    They know only the outside appearance of the life of the world (i.e. the matters of their livelihood, like irrigating or sowing or reaping, etc.), and they are heedless of the Hereafter.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    They know but the outer (things) in the life of this world: but of the End of things they are heedless.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    They ˹only˺ know the worldly affairs of this life, but are ˹totally˺ oblivious to the Hereafter.

  • Taqi Usmani

    They know something superficial of the worldly life, but of the Hereafter they are negligent.

  • Abdul Haleem

    they only know the outer surface of this present life and are heedless of the life to come.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    They know an outward part of the present life, but of the Hereafter they are heedless.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    They know the outside of this world's life, but of the hereafter they are heedless.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    It is Allah's promise! Allah will not fail His promise, but most of mankind know not.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    They know an outward (part) of the present life, (Literally: lowly life, i. e., the life of this world) and of the Hereafter they, (it is) they who are heedless.

  • George Sale

    They know the outward appearance of this present life; but they are careless as to the life to come.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    They know only the appearance (the outer things) of life in this world: But they do not care for the end of (all) things.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    They know only the apparent side of the present life, and they are completely unmindful of the next.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    They know just an outward aspect of the life of the world, but they are oblivious of the Hereafter.