Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And they say: “Are our gods better or is he?” They strike it for thee only by way of contention. The truth is, they are a contentious people.

وَقَالُٓوا ءَاٰلِهَتُنَا خَيْرٌ اَمْ هُوَۜ مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ اِلَّا جَدَلاًۜ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ
Waqaloo aalihatunakhayrun am huwa ma daraboohu laka illajadalan bal hum qawmun khasimoon
#wordmeaningroot
1waqālūAnd they saidقول
2aālihatunāAre our godsاله
3khayrunbetterخير
4amor
5huwahe
6Not
7ḍarabūhuthey present itضرب
8lakato you
9illāexcept
10jadalan(for) argumentجدل
11balNay
12humthey
13qawmun(are) a peopleقوم
14khaṣimūnaargumentativeخصم
  • Aisha Bewley

    They retort, ‘Who is better then, our gods or him?’ They only say this to you for argument’s sake. They are indeed a disputatious people.

  • Progressive Muslims

    And they said: "Are our gods better or is he" They only cited this to argue with you. Indeed, they are a quarrelsome people.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    And they say, "Which is better, our gods or he?" They raise this objection as a vain argument. Nay! But they are a contentious folk.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And they say: “Are our gods better or is he?” They strike it for thee only by way of contention. The truth is, they are a contentious people.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And they said: "Our gods are better or is he?" They only put this forth to argue with you. Indeed, they are a quarrelsome people.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    They said, "Are our gods better or is he?" They only cited this to argue with you. Indeed, they are a quarrelsome people.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    They said, "Is it better to worship our gods, or to worship him?" They said this only to argue with you. Indeed, they are people who have joined the opposition.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    And say: "Are our deities better or he?" They say this only for disputing. Surely they are a contentious people.

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

    And they said, "Are your gods better, or is he?" They did not present the comparison except for argument. But, , they are a people prone to dispute.

  • Muhammad Asad

    and say, "Which is better - our deities or he?" it is only in the spirit of dispute that they put this comparison before thee: yea, they are conten­tious folk!

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    And say: Are our gods better, or is he? They raise not the objection save for argument. Nay! but they are a contentious folk.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    and said: "Who is better, our deities or he?" They said so only out of contentiousness. They are a disputatious people.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    Knowing that he is venerated as a deity by Christians and that you Muhammad might have consigned him with their idols, to damnation, they created a connected series of statements intended to annoy you and subvert your position when they said: " Are our Gods the better or Him, and if his abode is Hell, we and our Gods would love to be there". They are quarrelsome people given to contention.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    "Who is better to worship, our gods or Jesus?" They said this in the spirit of dispute They are indeed nothing but a bunch of argumentative people.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And say: "Are our âlihah (gods) better or is he ?" They quoted not the above example except for argument. Nay! But they are a quarrelsome people. (See V. 21:98-101)

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    And they say, "Are our gods best, or he?" This they set forth to thee, only by way of disputation: yea, they are a contentious people.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    They exclaimed, "Which is better: our gods or Jesus?" They cite him only to argue. In fact, they are a people prone to dispute.

  • Taqi Usmani

    and said, "Are Our gods better or is he?" They did not cite it (the example) but for the sake of disputation. Rather, they are a quarrelsome people.

  • Abdul Haleem

    saying, ‘Are our gods better or him?’- they cite him only to challenge you: they are a contentious people-

  • Arthur John Arberry

    and say, 'What, are our gods better, or he?' They cite not him to thee, save to dispute;. nay, but they are a people contentious.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    and said, 'Are our gods better, or is he?' They did not set it forth to thee save for wrangling. Nay, but they are a contentious people.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    And they say, "Are our gods better, or is he?" They raise not the objection save by way of disputation; nay, they are a contentious people.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And they have said, "Are our gods more charitable, or rather he? In no way have they struck (the similitude) to you except in dispute; no indeed, (but) they are a people, (who are) constant adversaries.

  • George Sale

    and they said, are our gods better, or he? They have proposed this instance unto Thee no otherwise than for an occasion of dispute. Yea, they are contentious men.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    And (they) say: "Are our gods best or he (Isa)?" This they put in front of you, only by the way of dispute: Yes! They are a challenging (and opposing) people.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    And they said, `What! are our gods better or he (- the Christ)?' They have mentioned his case to you only by way of disputation. Nay, but (the thing is that) they are a contentious people.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    They say, ‘Are our gods better or he?’ They only cite him to you for the sake of contention. Rather they are a contentious lot.