Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And they swore by God their strongest oaths that if a warner came to them, they would be more guided than any of the communities; but when a warner came to them, it increased them only in aversion,

وَاَقْسَمُوا بِاللّٰهِ جَهْدَ اَيْمَانِهِمْ لَئِنْ جَٓاءَهُمْ نَذ۪يرٌ لَيَكُونُنَّ اَهْدٰى مِنْ اِحْدَى الْاُمَمِۚ فَلَمَّا جَٓاءَهُمْ نَذ۪يرٌ مَا زَادَهُمْ اِلَّا نُفُوراًۙ
Waaqsamoo billahi jahda aymanihimla-in jaahum natheerun layakoonunna ahda minihda al-omami falamma jaahum natheerunma zadahum illa nufoora
#wordmeaningroot
1wa-aqsamūAnd they sworeقسم
2bil-lahiby Allah
3jahda(the) strongestجهد
4aymānihim(of) their oathsيمن
5la-inthat if
6jāahumcame to themجيا
7nadhīruna warnerنذر
8layakūnunnasurely, they would beكون
9ahdāmore guidedهدي
10minthan
11iḥ'dāanyاحد
12l-umami(of) the nationsامم
13falammāBut when
14jāahumcame to themجيا
15nadhīruna warnerنذر
16mānot
17zādahumit increased themزيد
18illābut
19nufūran(in) aversionنفر
  • Aisha Bewley

    They swore by Allah with their most earnest oaths that if a warner came to them they would be better guided than any other community. But then when a warner did come to them, it only increased their aversion,

  • Progressive Muslims

    And they swore by God in their strongest oaths, that if a warner came to them, they would be the most guided of all nations, but when a warner came to them, it only increased their aversion!

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    Thus it is, yet - they used to swear by Allah with their most solemn oaths that if a Warner came to them, they would follow his guidance better than any nation ever could. But now that a Warner has come unto them, it arouses in them nothing but aversion.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And they swore by God their strongest oaths that if a warner came to them, they would be more guided than any of the communities; but when a warner came to them, it increased them only in aversion,

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And they swore by God in their strongest oaths, that if a warner came to them, they would be the most guided of all nations, but when a warner came to them, it only increased their aversion!

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    They swore by God in their strongest oaths, that if a warner came to them, they would be the most guided of all nations, but when a warner came to them, it only increased their aversion!

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    They swore by GOD solemnly that if a warner went to them, they would be better guided than a certain congregation! However, now that the warner did come to them, this only plunged them deeper into aversion.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    The unbelievers swore on oath emphatically that if an admonisher came to them they would be guided better than the other communities. But when the admonisher came to them their aversion for the truth increased,

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

    And they swore by Allah their strongest oaths that if a warner came to them, they would be more guided than one of the nations. But when a warner came to them, it did not increase them except in aversion.

  • Muhammad Asad

    As it is, they swear by God with their most solemn oaths that if a warner should ever come to them, they would follow his guidance better than any of the communities : but now that a warner has come unto them, but increases their aversion,

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    And they swore by Allah, their most binding oath, that if a warner came unto them they would be more tractable than any of the nations; yet, when a warner came unto them it aroused in them naught save repugnance,

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Swearing by Allah their strongest oaths they claimed that if a warner came to them they would be better-guided than any other people.* But when a warner did come to them, his coming only increased their aversion (to the Truth).

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    The infidels make a solemn declaration with an appeal to Allah that if there comes to them a spectacle and warning they would regard him with more reverence than any other people and they would be more prepared than all others to acknowledge the message of truth guiding into all truth. Yet when there came to them the spectacle and the warning their mental attitude -pitifully- made them more averse.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    The disbelievers used to swear to join the religion of God, if it is purified out of its man made amendments. But when a Prophet was sent to them with the authentic/ original religion of God, they plainly refused it!

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And they swore by Allâh their most binding oath that if a warner came to them, they would be more guided than any of the nations (before them); yet when a warner (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) came to them, it increased in them nothing but flight (from the truth)

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    They swore their strongest oaths by Allah that if a warner came to them, they would follow his guidance better than any (other) of the Peoples: But when a warner came to them, it has only increased their flight (from righteousness),-

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    They swore by Allah their most solemn oaths that if a warner were to come to them, they would certainly be better guided than any other community. Yet when a warner did come to them, it only drove them farther away—

  • Taqi Usmani

    They had sworn forceful oaths that if a warner would come to them, they would be more receptive to guidance than any other community. But when a warner came to them, it added nothing to them but aversion,

  • Abdul Haleem

    swore their most solemn oath that, if someone came to warn them, they would be more rightly guided than any community, but when someone did come they turned yet further away,

  • Arthur John Arberry

    They have sworn by God the most earnest oaths that if a warner came to them, they would be more rightly guided than any one of the nations; but when a warner came to them, it increased them only in aversion,

  • E. Henry Palmer

    They swore by God with their most strenuous oath, verily, if there come to them a warner they would be more guided than any one of the nations; but when a warner comes to them, it only increases them in aversion,

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    Surely Allah sustains the heavens and the earth lest they fail (deviate, collapse); and if they should fail, there is none who can uphold them after Him; surely He is the Forbearing, the Forgiving.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And they have sworn by Allah their most earnest oaths that indeed in case a constant warner came to them, indeed they would definitely be more (rightly) guided than any one of the nations. Yet as soon as a constant warner came to them, in no way did it increase them in anything except in repulsion,

  • George Sale

    The Koreish swore by God, with a most solemn oath, that if a preacher had come unto them, they would surely have been more willingly directed than any nation: But now a preacher is come unto them, it hath only increased in them their aversion from the truth,

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    And they promised with their strongest words by Allah (Himself, they swore) that if a warner came to them, they would follow teachings better than any of the (other) peoples: But when a warner came to them, it has only increased their turning away (from righteousness)—

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    These people used to swear by Allâh by their most ardent oaths that if ever a Warner should come to them from Allâh they would be more rightly guided than anyone of the nations. But when a Warner did come to them this (coming of his) only increased them in aversion,

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    And they swore by Allah with solemn oaths that if a warner were to come to them they would be better guided than any of the nations. But when a warner came to them it only increased them in aversion,