Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

As are those who took a place of worship in harm and denial, and division among the believers, and as an outpost for those who warred against God and His messenger before. And they will swear: “We purposed only good”; but God bears witness that they are liars.

وَالَّذ۪ينَ اتَّخَذُوا مَسْجِداً ضِرَاراً وَكُفْراً وَتَفْر۪يقاً بَيْنَ الْمُؤْمِن۪ينَ وَاِرْصَاداً لِمَنْ حَارَبَ اللّٰهَ وَرَسُولَهُ مِنْ قَبْلُۜ وَلَيَحْلِفُنَّ اِنْ اَرَدْنَٓا اِلَّا الْحُسْنٰىۜ وَاللّٰهُ يَشْهَدُ اِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ
Wallatheena ittakhathoomasjidan diraran wakufran watafreeqan baynaalmu/mineena wa-irsadan liman haraba Allahawarasoolahu min qablu walayahlifunna in aradna illaalhusna wallahu yashhadu innahum lakathiboon
#wordmeaningroot
1wa-alladhīnaAnd those who
2ittakhadhūtakeاخذ
3masjidana masjidسجد
4ḍirāran(for causing) harmضرر
5wakuf'ranand (for) disbeliefكفر
6watafrīqanand (for) divisionفرق
7baynaamongبين
8l-mu'minīnathe believersامن
9wa-ir'ṣādanand (as) a stationرصد
10limanfor whoever
11ḥārabawarredحرب
12l-laha(against) Allah
13warasūlahuand His Messengerرسل
14minbefore
15qablubeforeقبل
16walayaḥlifunnaAnd surely they will swearحلف
17inNot
18aradnāwe wishرود
19illāexcept
20l-ḥus'nāthe goodحسن
21wal-lahuBut Allah
22yashhadubears witnessشهد
23innahumindeed, they
24lakādhibūna(are) surely liarsكذب
  • Aisha Bewley

    As for those who have set up a mosque, causing harm and out of kufr, to create division between the muminun, and in readiness for those who previously made war on Allah and His Messenger, they will swear, ‘We only desired the best. ’ But Allah bears witness that they are truly liars.

  • Progressive Muslims

    And there are those who establish a temple to do harm and cause rejection, and to divide between the believers, and as an outpost for those who fought God and His messenger before. They will swear that they only wanted to do good, and God bears witness that they are liars.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    (The hypocrites keep making schemes. ) They built a Masjid out of mischief and to promote disbelief, and sectarianism among the believers, and as an outpost for those who warred against Allah and His Messenger before. They will surely swear, "We had but good intentions", but Allah bears witness that they are liars.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    As are those who took a place of worship in harm and denial, and division among the believers, and as an outpost for those who warred against God and His messenger before. And they will swear: “We purposed only good”; but God bears witness that they are liars.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And there are those who have taken a temple to do harm and cause rejection, and to divide between the believers, and as an outpost for those who fought God and His messenger before. They will swear that they only wanted to do good, and God bears witness that they are liars.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    There are those who establish a temple to do harm and cause rejection, to cause division among those who acknowledge, and as an outpost for those who fought God and His messenger before. They will swear that they only wanted to do good, but God bears witness that they are liars.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    There are those who abuse the masjid by practicing idol worship, dividing the believers, and providing comfort to those who oppose GOD and His messenger. They solemnly swear: "Our intentions are honorable!" GOD bears witness that they are liars.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    There are those who built a mosque on opposition and disbelief, and to cause rifts among the faithful, and to serve as an outpost for those who have warred against God and His Apostle before this. Yet they will surely swear: "We had only meant well." But God is witness that they are liars.

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

    And those who took for themselves a mosque for causing harm and disbelief and division among the believers and as a station for whoever had warred against Allah and His Messenger before. And they will surely swear, "We intended only the best." And Allah testifies that indeed they are liars.

  • Muhammad Asad

    AND who have established a house of worship in order to create mischief, and to promote apostasy and disunity among the believers, and to provide an outpost for all who from the outset have been warring against God and His Apostle. And they will surely swear , "We had but the best of intentions!" -the while God bears witness that they are lying.

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    And as for those who chose a place of worship out of opposition and disbelief, and in order to cause dissent among the believers, and as an outpost for those who warred against Allah and His messenger aforetime, they will surely swear: We purposed naught save good. Allah beareth witness that they verily are liars.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Then there are others who have set up a mosque to hurt the True Faith, to promote unbelief, and cause division among believers, and as an ambush for one who had earlier made war on Allah and His Messenger. They will surely swear: "We intended nothing but good," whereas Allah bears witness that they are liars.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    Those who built a Mosque professedly from religious motives when in fact it was built from selfish and evil motives: to be a vexation to the Muslims, to establish infidelity, to be a mere nest of the conspirators against Islam to cause dissent among the Muslims and set them at variance and to be an outpost for the warriors who fought against Allah and His Messenger before. They swear to you O Muhammad that they only mean good, but Allah knows well and bears witness that they are liars.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    There are some (hypocrites led by Abu Amir, the Christian monk, who eventually went to Rome and encouraged the Caesar to attack the newly established Islamic nation which led to the expedition to Tabuk by Prophet Mohammad) who built their own mosque to use it as a mean to harm the cause, spread disbelief and to cause a division between the believers. They are the ones who have declared war with God a long time ago. Although they swear that they have the best intention, God hereby declares that they are liars.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And as for those who put up a mosque by way of harm and disbelief and to disunite the believers and as an outpost for those who warred against Allâh and His Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) aforetime, they will indeed swear that their intention is nothing but good. Allâh bears witness that they are certainly liars.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    And there are those who put up a mosque by way of mischief and infidelity - to disunite the Believers - and in preparation for one who warred against Allah and His Messenger aforetime. They will indeed swear that their intention is nothing but good; But Allah doth declare that they are certainly liars.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    There are also those ˹hypocrites˺ who set up a mosque ˹only˺ to cause harm, promote disbelief, divide the believers, and as a base for those who had previously fought against Allah and His Messenger. They will definitely swear, "We intended nothing but good," but Allah bears witness that they are surely liars.

  • Taqi Usmani

    And (there are) those who have built a mosque to cause harm (to Islam) and to promote infidelity and to create dissention among the believers and to provide a station for one who has been at war with Allah and His Messenger even before. They will certainly swear (and say), "We intended to do nothing but good." Allah testifies that they are liars

  • Abdul Haleem

    Then there are those who built a mosque––in an attempt to cause harm, disbelief, and disunity among the believers––as an outpost for those who fought God and His Messenger before: they swear, ‘Our intentions were nothing but good,’ but God bears witness that they are liars.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    And those who have taken a mosque in opposition and unbelief, and to divide the believers, and as a place of ambush for those who fought God and His Messenger aforetime -- they will swear 'We desired nothing but good'; and God testifies they are truly liars.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    And there are those who have taken to a mosque for mischief, and for misbelief, and to make a breach amongst the believers, and for an ambush for him who made war against God and His Apostle before; they surely swear, 'We only wished for what was good;' but God bears witness that they are liars.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    And there are those who have chosen a place of worship (or mosque) for mischief and infidelity, in order to cause dissent amongst the believers, and for an outpost for those who made war against Allah and His Messenger in the past; they surely swear, "We only wished for what was good;" but Allah bears witness that they are liars.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And the ones who have taken to themselves a mosque (imposing) injury and disbelief, and (to cause) disunity among the believers, and as an outpost (of observation) for the ones who warred against Allah and His Messenger earlier; and definitely they will indeed swear, "Decidedly we would do nothing except the fairest (deeds);" and Allah bears witness that surely they are indeed liars.

  • George Sale

    There are some who have built a temple to hurt the faithful, and to propagate infidelity, and to foment division among the true believers, and for a lurking place for him who hath fought against God and his apostle in time past; and they swear, saying, verily we intended no other than to do for the best: But God is witness that they do certainly lie.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    And there are those who built a mosque by the way of mischief and without (true) faith— To divide the believers— And in preparation for one who fought against Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad) before. Truly, they will swear that their intention is nothing but good; But Allah declares that they are surely liars.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    And (there are among the hypocrites) those who have built a mosque to cause harm (to Islam) and to promote disbelief and in order to cause discord among the believers, and to provide a hiding place for him who had already made war against Allâh and His Messenger. And they will certainly swear (saying), `We meant nothing but good (in building the mosque).' But Allâh bears witness that they are certainly liars.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    As for those who took to a mosque for sabotage and for defiance, and to cause division among the faithful, and for the purpose of ambush by those who have fought Allah and His Apostle before —they will surely swear: ‘We desired nothing but good,’ and Allah bears witness that they are indeed liars.