Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

For it is that when their messengers brought them clear signs: — and they said: “Shall mortals guide us?” — then they denied and turned away! But God is self-sufficient; and God is free from need and praiseworthy.

ذٰلِكَ بِاَنَّهُ كَانَتْ تَأْت۪يهِمْ رُسُلُهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَقَالُٓوا اَبَشَرٌ يَهْدُونَنَاۘ فَكَفَرُوا وَتَوَلَّوْا وَاسْتَغْنَى اللّٰهُۜ وَاللّٰهُ غَنِيٌّ حَم۪يدٌ
Thalika bi-annahu kanatta/teehim rusuluhum bilbayyinati faqalooabasharun yahdoonana fakafaroo watawallaw wastaghnaAllahu wallahu ghaniyyun hameed
#wordmeaningroot
1dhālikaThat
2bi-annahu(is) because
3kānathadكون
4tatīhimcome to themاتي
5rusuluhumtheir Messengersرسل
6bil-bayinātiwith clear proofsبين
7faqālūbut they saidقول
8abasharunShall human beingsبشر
9yahdūnanāguide usهدي
10fakafarūSo they disbelievedكفر
11watawallawand turned awayولي
12wa-is'taghnāAnd can do without themغني
13l-lahuAllah
14wal-lahuAnd Allah
15ghaniyyun(is) Self-sufficientغني
16ḥamīdunPraiseworthyحمد
  • Aisha Bewley

    That is because their Messengers brought them the Clear Signs but they said, ‘Are human beings going to guide us?’ So they were kafir and turned away. But Allah is completely independent of them. Allah is Rich Beyond Need, Praiseworthy.

  • Progressive Muslims

    That was because their messengers came to them with clear proofs, but they said: "Shall mere men guide us" So they rejected and turned away, and God had no need. And God is Rich, Praiseworthy.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    This, because their Messengers kept coming to them with self-evident Truth, but they said, "Shall mere human beings guide us?" And so they rejected and turned away. And Allah was ever Self-Sufficient. For, Allah is Independent, Owner of Praise.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    For it is that when their messengers brought them clear signs: — and they said: “Shall mortals guide us?” — then they denied and turned away! But God is self-sufficient; and God is free from need and praiseworthy.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    That was because their messengers came to them with clear proofs, but they said: "Shall mere human beings guide us?" So they rejected and turned away. And God had no need. And God is Rich, Praiseworthy.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    That was because their messengers came to them with clear proofs, but they said, "Shall humans guide us?" So they rejected and turned away. Yet, God had no need. God is Rich, Praiseworthy.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    This is because their messengers went to them with clear proofs, but they said, "Shall we follow humans like us?" They disbelieved and turned away. GOD does not need them; GOD is in no need, Praiseworthy.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    This was so because their apostles came to them with clear proofs, but they said: "What. Can a mortal show us the way?" And they denied and turned away; but God was unconcerned. God is all-sufficient, worthy of praise.

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

    That is because their messengers used to come to them with clear evidences, but they said, "Shall human beings guide us?" and disbelieved and turned away. And Allah dispensed ; and Allah is Free of need and Praiseworthy.

  • Muhammad Asad

    this, because time and again there came unto them their apostles with all evidence of the truth, but they replied, "Shall mere mortal men be our guides?" And so they. denied the truth and turned away. But God was not in need : for God is self-sufficient, ever to be praised.

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    That was because their messengers (from Allah) kept coming unto them with clear proofs (of Allah's Sovereignty), but they said: Shall mere mortals guide us? So they disbelieved and turned away, and Allah was independent (of them). Allah is Absolute, Owner of Praise.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    This was because their Messengers would come to them with Clear Signs,* but they would say: "Shall mortals (like ourselves) guide us to the Right Way?"* They rejected the Truth and turned away. Thereupon Allah became unconcerned with them, for Allah is Self-Sufficient, Innately Praiseworthy.*

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    These events were in the train of their response to their Messengers who brought them all the facts bearing witness to the truth and serving as a ground for belief; they made considerable efforts to bring them to themselves so that the spirit of truth would guide them into all truth. But they said: "How could it be so! shall we be steered by the guidance of mortals?" And so they refused to recognize Allah and they turned up their noses and turned a deaf ear. Allah ignored them and left them out of consideration; and Allah is Ghaiyun (Independent, Absolute) and Hamidun (Worthy of all praise).

  • Bijan Moeinian

    They were punished in this world and will be punished in Hereafter for the reason that they did not listen to the messenger that God (out of His mercy) sent to them. They were to proud to listen to a man like themselves and their false pride led them to disbelief. God indeed did not "need" their belief. God is the wealthiest (as everything belongs to Him) and He is the only one worthy of worship.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    That was because there came to them their Messengers with clear proofs (signs), but they said: "Shall mere men guide us?" So they disbelieved and turned away (from the truth). But Allâh was not in need (of them). And Allâh is Rich (Free of all needs), Worthy of all praise.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    That was because there came to them messengers with Clear Signs, but they said: "Shall (mere) human beings direct us?" So they rejected (the Message) and turned away. But Allah can do without (them): and Allah is free of all needs, worthy of all praise.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    That was because their messengers used to come to them with clear proofs, but they said ˹mockingly˺, "How can humans be our guides?" So they persisted in disbelief and turned away. And Allah was not in need ˹of their faith˺. For Allah is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.

  • Taqi Usmani

    That is because their messengers used to bring them clear proofs, but they said, "Shall some mortals give us guidance?" Thus they disbelieved and turned away, and Allah did not care. Allah is All-Independent, Ever-Praised.

  • Abdul Haleem

    That is because their messengers came to them with clear signs, yet they said, ‘Should we take guidance from mere mortals?’, rejected the message, and turned away. But God had no need for them: He is all sufficient, worthy of all praise.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    That is because their Messengers came to them with the clear signs, and then they said, 'What, shall mortals be our guides?' Therefore they disbelieved, and turned away; and God was in no need of them. And God is All-sufficient, All-laudable.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    That is because their apostles came to them with manifest signs, and they said, 'Shall mortals guide us?' and they misbelieved and turned their backs. But God was independent of them; for God is rich and to be praised!

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    That is because there came to them their messengers with clear arguments, but they said, "Shall mortals guide us? So they disbelieved and turned their backs; but Allah is independent of them, and Allah is Absolute (Self-sufficient), the Owner of Praise.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    That is for that their Messengers kept coming up to them with the supreme evidence (s), yet they said, "Will (mere) mortals guide us?" So they disbelieved, and turned away; and Allah dispensed with them; and Allah is Ever-Affluent, (Literally: Ever-Wealthy; Ever-Rich) Ever-Praiseworthy.

  • George Sale

    This shall they suffer, because their apostles came unto them with evident proofs of their mission, and they said, shall men direct us? Wherefore they believed not, and turned their backs. But God standeth in need of no person: For God is self-sufficient, and worthy to be praised.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    That was because messengers came to them with clear proofs, but they said: "Shall (mere) human beings direct us?" So they rejected (the Message) and turned away. But Allah is Free (Ghani) of all Needs, worthy of all Praise (Hameed).

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    That was because their Messengers (of God) kept on coming to them with clear proofs but they said, `Shall a mere human being guide us?' So they disbelieved and turned away (paying no heed). Thereupon Allâh showed them that He had no need of them. Indeed Allâh is Self-Sufficient (above all needs,) Worthy of All-Praise (in His own right).

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    That was because their apostles used to bring them manifest proofs, but they said, ‘Shall humans be our guides?!’ So they disbelieved and turned away, and Allah was in no need and Allah is all-sufficient, all-laudable.