Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

How, when if they get the better of you, they observe neither pact of kinship nor obligation to protect? They please you with their mouths, but their hearts refuse; and most of them are perfidious.

كَيْفَ وَاِنْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَيْكُمْ لَا يَرْقُبُوا ف۪يكُمْ اِلاًّ وَلَا ذِمَّةًۜ يُرْضُونَكُمْ بِاَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَتَأْبٰى قُلُوبُهُمْۚ وَاَكْثَرُهُمْ فَاسِقُونَۚ
Kayfa wa-in yathharoo AAalaykumla yarquboo feekum illan wala thimmatan yurdoonakumbi-afwahihim wata/ba quloobuhum waaktharuhum fasiqoon
#wordmeaningroot
1kayfaHowكيف
2wa-inwhile, if
3yaẓharūthey gain dominanceظهر
4ʿalaykumover you
5they do not regard (the ties)
6yarqubūthey do not regard (the ties)رقب
7fīkumwith you
8illan(of) kinshipالل
9walāand not
10dhimmatancovenant of protectionذمم
11yur'ḍūnakumThey satisfy youرضو
12bi-afwāhihimwith their mouthsفوه
13watabābut refuseابي
14qulūbuhumtheir heartsقلب
15wa-aktharuhumand most of themكثر
16fāsiqūna(are) defiantly disobedientفسق
  • Aisha Bewley

    How indeed! For if they get the upper hand over you, they will respect neither kinship nor treaty. They please you with their mouths but their hearts belie their words. Most of them are deviators.

  • Progressive Muslims

    How is it that when they come upon you they disregard all ties, either those of kinship or of pledge. They seek to please you with their words, but their hearts deny, and most of them are wicked.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    How can there be a treaty seeing that if they get the upper hand of you, they would respect no ties and no pacts with you? They pleased you with their speech but their hearts opposed you. Most of them are those who slip away from their word.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    How, when if they get the better of you, they observe neither pact of kinship nor obligation to protect? They please you with their mouths, but their hearts refuse; and most of them are perfidious.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    How is it that when they come upon you they disregard all ties, either those of kinship or of pledge. They seek to please you with their words, but their hearts deny, and the majority of them are wicked.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    How is it that if they ever defeated you they would neither respect neither any rights of kinship nor any pledge. They seek to please you with their words, but their hearts deny, and most of them are wicked.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    How can they (demand a pledge) when they never observed any rights of kinship between you and them, nor any covenant, if they ever had a chance to prevail. They pacified you with lip service, while their hearts were in opposition, and most of them are wicked.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    How (can they be trusted)? If they prevail against you they will neither observe pacts nor good faith with you. They flatter you with their tongues, but their hearts are averse to you, for most of them are iniquitous.

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

    How while, if they gain dominance over you, they do not observe concerning you any pact of kinship or covenant of protection? They satisfy you with their mouths, but their hearts refuse , and most of them are defiantly disobedient.

  • Muhammad Asad

    How ? -since, if they were to overcome you, they would not respect any tie nor any obligation to protect . They seek to please you with their mouths, the while their hearts remain averse ; and most of them are iniquitous.

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    How (can there be any treaty for the others) when, if they have the upper hand of you, they regard not pact nor honour in respect of you? They satisfy you with their mouths the while their hearts refuse. And most of them are wrongdoers.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    How can there be any covenant with the other polytheists for were they to prevail against you, they will respect neither kinship nor agreement. They seek to please you with their tongues while their hearts are averse to you, and most of them are wicked.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    So conditioned, how can these Pagans impel themselves to the sense of feelings and good disposition toward you people when they entertain evil thoughts of you! If they get an advantage over you and prevail against you they shall reduce you to a useless form disregarding totally the ties of kinship as well as their obligations. They put in words the sweet discourse which gratifies you while their hearts bode ill, and most of them are indeed wicked.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    As far as the other idol worshipers are concerned, they never observed any right of kinship between you and them and, if they had the upper hand, they would have never offered any treaty to you. Therefore, how can they ask for a treaty ? No way; they try to seem pleasant by using the right words but they have the worse intention as most of them are corrupt.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    How (can there be such a covenant with them) that when you are overpowered by them, they regard not the ties, either of kinship or of covenant with you? With (good words from) their mouths they please you, but their hearts are averse to you, and most of them are Fâsiqûn (rebellious, disobedient to Allâh).

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    How (can there be such a league), seeing that if they get an advantage over you, they respect not in you the ties either of kinship or of covenant? With (fair words from) their mouths they entice you, but their hearts are averse from you; and most of them are rebellious and wicked.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    How ˹can they have a treaty˺? If they were to have the upper hand over you, they would have no respect for kinship or treaty. They only flatter you with their tongues, but their hearts are in denial, and most of them are rebellious.

  • Taqi Usmani

    How (can they have a treaty) while if they overcome you, they will not observe any bond or treaty with you. They want to please you with (words of) their mouths, but their hearts refuse. Most of them are sinners.

  • Abdul Haleem

    when, if they were to get the upper hand over you, they would not respect any tie with you, of kinship or of treaty? They please you with their tongues, but their hearts are against you and most of them are lawbreakers.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    How? If they get the better of you, they will not observe towards you any bond or treaty, giving you satisfaction with their mouths but in their hearts refusing; and the most of them are ungodly.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    How!- if they prevail against you, they will not observe either ties of blood or ties of client ship; they please you with their mouths, but their hearts refuse; and most of them do work abomination.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    How (can there be any treaty)! - for if they prevail against you, they respect neither ties of blood nor of agreements. They please you with their mouths while their heart refuse; and most of them work abomination (or are wicked and rebellious).

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    How? (i. e., How can they keep their covenant?) And in case they get the better of you, they will respect towards you neither consanguinity nor treaty; they satisfy you with their mouths, (but) their hearts refuse; and most of them are immoral..

  • George Sale

    How can they be admitted into a league with you, since, if they prevail against you, they will not regard in you either consanguinity or faith? They will please you with their mouths, but their hearts will be averse from you; for the greater part of them are wicked doers.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    How (can there be such a gathering), seeing that if they get an advantage over you, they do not respect for you the ties either of friendship or of promise (and treaty)? With (words from) their mouths they invite you, but their hearts are against you; And most of them are rebellious and wicked.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    How (can there be a treaty with deliberate violators of agreements) while, if they get the better of you they would respect no bond, nor words of honour in dealing with you. They would try to please you with (mere words of) their mouths whereas their hearts dissent (from what they say), and most of them are perfidious.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    How? For if they get the better of you, they will observe toward you neither kinship nor covenant. They please you with their mouths while their hearts spurn you; and most of them are transgressors.