Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And had thy Lord willed, He would have made mankind one community; but they will cease not to differ,

وَلَوْ شَٓاءَ رَبُّكَ لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ اُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلَا يَزَالُونَ مُخْتَلِف۪ينَۙ
Walaw shaa rabbuka lajaAAala annasaommatan wahidatan wala yazaloonamukhtalifeen
#wordmeaningroot
1walawAnd if
2shāayour Lord (had) willedشيا
3rabbukayour Lord (had) willedربب
4lajaʿalasurely He (could) have madeجعل
5l-nāsathe mankindنوس
6ummatanone communityامم
7wāḥidatanone communityوحد
8walābut not
9yazālūnathey will ceaseزيل
10mukh'talifīnato differخلف
  • Aisha Bewley

    If your Lord had wanted to, He would have made mankind into one community but they persist in their differences,

  • Progressive Muslims

    And had your Lord wished, He could have made all mankind one nation, but they still would continue to disagree.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    Had your Lord so willed, He could have made all mankind one single community, (but He has granted them free will as against other creatures (5:48)). Therefore, they continue to hold divergent views. Eventually however, the Divine Truth given in the Qur'an will be the dominant force in the world bringing most of the mankind together (9:33), (41:53), (48:28), (61:9).

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And had thy Lord willed, He would have made mankind one community; but they will cease not to differ,

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And if your Lord had wished, He could have made all the people one nation, but they still would have continued to disagree.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    Had your Lord wished, He could have made all the people one nation, but they still would continue to disagree;

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    Had your Lord willed, all the people would have been one congregation (of believers). But they will always dispute (the truth).

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    But if your Lord had pleased He could have made all human beings into one community of belief. But they would still have differed from one another,

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

    And if your Lord had willed, He could have made mankind one community; but they will not cease to differ.

  • Muhammad Asad

    And had thy Sustainer so willed, He could surely have made all mankind one single community: but they continue to hold divergent views'

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    And if thy Lord had willed, He verily would have made mankind one nation, yet they cease not differing,

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Had your Lord so willed, He would surely have made mankind one community. But as things stand, now they will not cease to differ among themselves and to follow erroneous ways

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    And had Allah, your Creator, willed, He would have made mankind one single nation conforming to one religion. Nonetheless, their innate incongruity would have induced them to be thus still at variance,

  • Bijan Moeinian

    If God wanted, He would have made mankind one community; but (the wisdom of God necessitates that) people try different alternatives (and eventually arrive to the conclusion that only the Lord’s way is conducive to salvation. )

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And if your Lord had so willed, He could surely have made mankind one Ummah but they will not cease to disagree.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    If thy Lord had so willed, He could have made mankind one people: but they will not cease to dispute.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    Had your Lord so willed, He would have certainly made humanity one single community ˹of believers˺, but they will always ˹choose to˺ differ—

  • Taqi Usmani

    Had your Lord willed, He would have made all the people a single community. But, they will continue in their differences,

  • Abdul Haleem

    If your Lord had pleased, He would have made all people a single community, but they continue to have their differences-

  • Arthur John Arberry

    Had thy Lord willed, He would have made mankind one nation; but they continue in their differences

  • E. Henry Palmer

    Had thy Lord pleased, He would have made men one nation; but they will not cease to differ,

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    In truth your Lord did not destroy the communities unjustly while they were doing right. (Or for a few or minor wrong-doings, or while there were few wrong-doers, or while they had the potentiality to mend).

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And if your Lord had (so) decided, He would indeed have made mankind one nation; and (i. e., but) they do not cease differing (among themselves).

  • George Sale

    And if thy Lord pleased, He would have made all men of one religion: But they shall not cease to differ among themselves,

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    And if your Lord had so willed, He could have made (all) mankind one People, but (even then) they will not stop disagreeing,

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    Had your Lord (enforced) His will He would have certainly made the whole of mankind one community, but (since He did not like to enforce His will upon people) they would not cease to differ.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    Had your Lord wished, He would have made mankind one community; but they continue to differ,