Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And when affliction touches man, he calls to Us; then when We confer upon him favour from Us, he says: “I have only been given it according to knowledge.” The truth is, it is a means of denial, but most of them know not.

فَاِذَا مَسَّ الْاِنْسَانَ ضُرٌّ دَعَانَاۘ ثُمَّ اِذَا خَوَّلْنَاهُ نِعْمَةً مِنَّاۙ قَالَ اِنَّـمَٓا اُو۫ت۪يتُهُ عَلٰى عِلْمٍۜ بَلْ هِيَ فِتْنَةٌ وَلٰكِنَّ اَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
Fa-itha massa al-insana durrundaAAana thumma itha khawwalnahuniAAmatan minna qala innama ooteetuhu AAalaAAilmin bal hiya fitnatun walakinna aktharahum layaAAlamoon
#wordmeaningroot
1fa-idhāSo when
2massatouchesمسس
3l-insāna[the] manانس
4ḍurrunadversityضرر
5daʿānāhe calls upon Usدعو
6thummathen
7idhāwhen
8khawwalnāhuWe bestow (on) himخول
9niʿ'matana favorنعم
10minnāfrom Us
11qālahe saysقول
12innamāOnly
13ūtītuhuI have been given itاتي
14ʿalāfor
15ʿil'minknowledgeعلم
16balNay
17hiyait
18fit'natun(is) a trialفتن
19walākinnabut
20aktharahummost of themكثر
21(do) not
22yaʿlamūnaknowعلم
  • Aisha Bewley

    When harm touches man he calls on Us. Then when We grant him a blessing from Us he says, ‘I have only been given this because of my knowledge.’ In fact it is a trial but most of them do not know it.

  • Progressive Muslims

    So when the human is touched by adversity, he implores Us, then when We bestow a blessing upon him, he says: "I attained this because of knowledge I had!" Indeed, it is a test, but most of them do not know.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    But now this is so - when adversity touches the human, he calls upon Us. But as soon as We grant him Bliss from Us, he says, "I have been given this by way of skillful knowledge." Nay, this affords them a test of their character. But most of them know not that they do not know enough. ('La Ya'lamun' pertaining to knowledge, in my opinion, carries a double connotation here as rendered. And, however intelligent and skillful an individual may be, Divine Laws and the society work in concert toward his success).

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And when affliction touches man, he calls to Us; then when We confer upon him favour from Us, he says: “I have only been given it according to knowledge.” The truth is, it is a means of denial, but most of them know not.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    So when man is touched by adversity, he implores Us, then when We bestow a blessing upon him, he says: "I attained this because of knowledge I had!" Indeed, it is a test, but most of them do not know.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    So when the human is touched by adversity, he implores Us, then when We bestow a blessing upon him, he says: "I attained this because of knowledge I had!" Indeed, it is a test, but most of them do not know.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    If the human is touched by adversity, he implores us, but as soon as we bestow a blessing upon him, he says, "I attained this because of my cleverness!" Indeed, this is only a test, but most of them do not know.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    When a man is in trouble, he prays to God; but when We bestow a favour on him he says: "It has come to me through my acumen. " In fact, this is an illusion, but most men do not know.

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

    And when adversity touches man, he calls upon Us; then when We bestow on him a favor from Us, he says, "I have only been given it because of knowledge. " Rather, it is a trial, but most of them do not know.

  • Muhammad Asad

    NOW when affliction befalls man, he cries out unto Us for help; but when We bestow upon him a boon by Our grace, he says , "I have been given this by virtue of wisdom!" Nay, this is a trial: but most of them understand it not!

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    Now when hurt toucheth a man he crieth unto Us, and afterward when We have granted him a boon from Us, he saith: Only by force of knowledge I obtained it. Nay, but it is a test. But most of them know not.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    When an affliction befalls man,* he cries out to Us; but when We grant him a favour from Us, he says: "I have been granted this on account of my knowledge."* Nay; this (favour) is a test; but most of them do not know.*

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    And when man is touched or befallen with a misfortune or wedded to a calamity he invokes Us for relief, and when We extend to him a divine favour from the realm of heaven he says in response: "I have acquired what comes into my possession by reason of the knowledge inherent in me and for my intellectual acquaintance with fact". In effect, what We bestowed upon him, of favour and prospering influence, was simply a test of his true inclination but most of them fail to realize this fact.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    Most men pray to God when at need. Once God gives them what they want, they say: "I earned it in account of my hard work and know-how." The fact of the matter is their possessions are means of trial for them yet they do not understand it.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    When harm touches man, he calls to Us (for help); then when We have (rescued him from that harm and) changed it into a favour from Us, he says: "Only because of knowledge (that I possess) I obtained it." Nay, it is only a trial, but most of them know not!

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    Now, when trouble touches man, he cries to Us: But when We bestow a favour upon him as from Ourselves, he says, "This has been given to me because of a certain knowledge (I have)!" Nay, but this is but a trial, but most of them understand not!

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    When one is touched with hardship, they cry out to Us ˹alone˺. Then when We shower Our blessings upon them, they say, "I have been granted all this only because of ˹my˺ knowledge." Not at all! It is ˹no more than˺ a test. But most of them do not know.

  • Taqi Usmani

    When man is visited by a trouble, he prays to Us, but when, after that, We favor him with some blessing from Us, he says, "This is given to me because of (my) knowledge." No, but this is a trial, yet most of them do not know.

  • Abdul Haleem

    When man suffers some affliction, he cries out to Us, but when We favour him with Our blessing, he says, ‘All this has been given to me because of my knowledge’- it is only a test, though most of them do not know it.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    When some affliction visits a man, he calls unto Us; then, when We confer on him a blessing from Us, he says, 'I was given it only because of a knowledge. ' Nay, it is a trial, but most of them do not know it.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    And when harm touches man he calls on us; then, when we grant him favour from us, he says, 'Verily, I am given it through knowledge!' nay, it is a trial,- but most of them do not know!

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    Now when harm afflicts a man he calls upon Us; then, when We give him a favour from Us, he says, "I have been given it only by means of knowledge. " Nay, it is a trial, but most of them know not.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    So when an adversity touches man, he invokes Us; thereafter when We grant him a favor from Us, he says, "Surely I have been brought it only because of (my) knowledge. " No indeed, it is a temptation, but most of them do not know.

  • George Sale

    When harm befalleth man, he calleth upon Us; yet afterwards, when We have bestowed on him favour from Us, he saith, I have received it merely because of God's knowledge of my deserts. On the contrary, it is a trial; but the greater part of them know it not.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    When trouble comes to man, then he cries (and calls) to Us for help: When We give him a favor all by Ourselves, he says: "This has been given to me because of a certain knowledge (I have)!" No, but this is only a trial, but most of them do not understand!

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    And when harm afflicts a human being he calls upon Us. But when We confer Our favour on him he says, `I have been given this only on account of (my own) knowledge. It is not right, it is only a trial, yet most people do not know.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    When distress befalls man, he supplicates Us. Then, when We grant him a blessing from Us, he says, ‘I was given it by virtue of knowledge.’ Rather it is a test, but most of them do not know.