Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

There denied before them the people of Noah, and the parties after them; and every community purposed against their messenger to seize him, and disputed with falsehood to refute thereby the truth. Then I seized them — and how was My retribution!

كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ وَالْاَحْزَابُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْۖ وَهَمَّتْ كُلُّ اُمَّةٍ بِرَسُولِهِمْ لِيَأْخُذُوهُ وَجَادَلُوا بِالْبَاطِلِ لِيُدْحِضُوا بِهِ الْحَقَّ فَاَخَذْتُهُمْ۠ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عِقَابِ
Kaththabat qablahum qawmu noohinwal-ahzabu min baAAdihim wahammat kulluommatin birasoolihim liya/khuthoohu wajadaloo bilbatililiyudhidoo bihi alhaqqa faakhathtuhumfakayfa kana AAiqab
#wordmeaningroot
1kadhabatDeniedكذب
2qablahumbefore themقبل
3qawmu(the) peopleقوم
4nūḥin(of) Nuh
5wal-aḥzābuand the factionsحزب
6minafter them
7baʿdihimafter themبعد
8wahammatand plottedهمم
9kullueveryكلل
10ummatinnationامم
11birasūlihimagainst their Messengerرسل
12liyakhudhūhuto seize himاخذ
13wajādalūand they disputedجدل
14bil-bāṭiliby falsehoodبطل
15liyud'ḥiḍūto refuteدحض
16bihithereby
17l-ḥaqathe truthحقق
18fa-akhadhtuhumSo I seized themاخذ
19fakayfaThen howكيف
20kānawasكون
21ʿiqābiMy penaltyعقب
  • Aisha Bewley

    The people of Nuh denied the truth before them, and the Confederates after them. Every nation planned to seize its Messenger and used false arguments to rebut the truth. So I seized them, and how was My retribution!

  • Progressive Muslims

    Denial had come before them from the people of Noah and the opponents after them, and every nation plotted against their messenger to seize him, and they disputed by means of falsehood to defeat with it the truth. So I took them; how then was My punishment!

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    Before their times, the people of Noah and generations after them too banded together in denying the Message. And every nation endeavored to seize its Messenger, and disputed with him with falsehood in order to refute the Truth. But it was I Who seized them, and, behold, how awesome was My grasping!

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    There denied before them the people of Noah, and the parties after them; and every community purposed against their messenger to seize him, and disputed with falsehood to refute thereby the truth. Then I seized them — and how was My retribution!

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    Denial had come before them from the people of Noah, and the Confederates after them. And every nation obsessed with their messenger - to take him - and they disputed by means of falsehood to defeat with it the truth. So I took them; how then was My punishment!

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    Before they, the people of Noah denied and the opponents after them. Every nation plotted against their messenger to seize him, and they disputed by means of falsehood to defeat with it the truth. So I seized them; how then was My punishment!

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    Disbelieving before them were the people of Noah, and many other opponents after them. Every community persecuted their messenger to neutralize him. And they argued with falsehood, to defeat the truth. Consequently, I punished them; how terrible was My retribution!

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    The people of Noah had denied before them, and many factions after them. Every nation has intrigued against its apostle and afflicted him, and argued with false arguments to condemn the truth. Then I seized them. How was then My retribution!

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

    The people of Noah denied before them and the factions after them, and every nation intended for their messenger to seize him, and they disputed by falsehood to invalidate thereby the truth. So I seized them, and how was My penalty.

  • Muhammad Asad

    to the truth gave the lie, before their time, the people of Noah and, after them, all those who were leagued together ; and each of those com­munities schemed against the apostle sent unto them, aiming to lay hands on him; and they contended with fallacious arguments, so as to render void the truth thereby: but then I took them to task - and how awesome was My retribution!

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    The folk of Noah and the factions after them denied (their messengers) before these, and every nation purposed to seize their messenger and argued falsely, (thinking) thereby to refute the Truth. Then I seized them, and how (awful) was My punishment.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Before them the people of Noah also gave the lie (to Messengers), and so did many parties after them. Each nation sallied forth against its Messenger to seize him, and they disputed with false arguments seeking therewith to repudiate the Truth. Then I seized them; and behold, how woeful was My retribution!

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    In order of time there were the people of Nuh (Noah) who declared Our message to be false followed by those who confederated their wits against the truth and each of them lied schemes for their Messenger to reduce him into impotence and they contended with opposing argument to confute the truth; and there I cast them down from a position of prosperity and power and brought them to ruin and how unbearable was the retribution.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    People of Noah (as well as people of the prophets after him) denied their prophets and tried to destroy them physically and through disinformation campaign. I (God) punished them with the most severe punishment.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    The people of Nûh (Noah) and the Confederates after them denied (their Messengers) before these; and every (disbelieving) nation plotted against their Messenger to seize him, and disputed by means of falsehood to refute therewith the truth. So I seized them (with punishment), and how (terrible) was My punishment!

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    But (there were people) before them, who denied (the Signs),- the People of Noah, and the Confederates (of Evil) after them; and every People plotted against their prophet, to seize him, and disputed by means of vanities, therewith to condemn the Truth; but it was I that seized them! and how (terrible) was My Requital!

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    Before them, the people of Noah denied ˹the truth˺, as did ˹other˺ enemy forces afterwards. Every community plotted against its prophet to seize him, and argued in falsehood, ˹hoping˺ to discredit the truth with it. So I seized them. And how ˹horrible˺ was My punishment!

  • Taqi Usmani

    Before these, the people of NūH and the groups after them had rejected (the messengers). Every group intended to seize their messenger, and raised disputes on the basis of falsehood, so that they might refute the truth with it, hence I seized them. So, how was My punishment?

  • Abdul Haleem

    Before them the people of Noah rejected the truth and so did those who formed opposition after them: every community schemed to destroy its messenger and strove to refute truth with falsehood; but it was I who destroyed them. How terrible My punishment was!

  • Arthur John Arberry

    The people of Noah before them also cried lies, and the parties after them; every nation purposed against their Messenger to seize him, and disputed with falsehood that they might rebut thereby the truth. Then I seized them; and how was My retribution!

  • E. Henry Palmer

    The people of Noah before them called the prophets liars; and the confederates after them; and every nation schemed against their Apostle to catch him. And they wrangled with falsehood that they might refute the truth thereby, but I seized them, and how was my punishment!

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    The people of Noah and the parties after them rejected (Prophets) before them, and every nation purposed against their Messengers to destroy him, and they disputed by means of falsehoods that they might thereby render null the truth, therefore I destroyed them; how terrible was then My retribution!

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    The people of Nûh (Noah) before them cried lies and the (allied) parties even after them; and every nation designed against their Messenger to take him (away), and disputed with untruth that they might rebut thereby the Truth. Then I took them (away); so how was (My) punishment!

  • George Sale

    The people of Noah, and the confederated infidels which were after them, accused their respective prophets of imposture before these; and each nation hatched ill designs against their apostle, that they might get him into their power; and they disputed with vain reasoning; that they might thereby invalidate the truth: Wherefore I chastised them; and how severe was my punishment!

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    But (there were people) before them, who rejected (the Signs)— The People of Nuh (Noah), and those who joined together (in evil) after them; And every (one of those) people who plotted against their messenger, to seize him, and disputed by means of pride (and falsehood) just to bring down and therefore to knock down the Truth: But it was I Who seized them! And how (terrible) was My punishment (for them)!

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    The people of Noah cried lies (to Our Messages) before these (disbelievers) and (so did) various other groups after them (- the people of Noah). And every community strove to seize their Messenger (of God) with a mind to destroy his mission. And they had begun arguing (with him) by means of false reasoning that they might thereby refute the truth. At this I seized them (with punishment). Behold! how (terrible) was My retribution (as a sequel to their evil deeds.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    The people of Noah denied before them and the factions after them. Every nation attempted to lay hands on their apostle, and disputed erroneously to refute the truth. Then I seized them; so how was My retribution?!