Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

He said: “My Lord: make Thou for me a proof.” Said He: “Thy proof is that thou shalt not speak to men three nights, being sound.”

قَالَ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ ل۪ٓي اٰيَةًۜ قَالَ اٰيَتُكَ اَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلٰثَ لَيَالٍ سَوِياًّ
Qala rabbi ijAAal lee ayatan qalaayatuka alla tukallima annasa thalathalayalin sawiyya
#wordmeaningroot
1qālaHe saidقول
2rabbiMy Lordربب
3ij'ʿalMakeجعل
4for me
5āyatana signايي
6qālaHe saidقول
7āyatukaYour signايي
8allā(is) that not
9tukallimayou will speakكلم
10l-nāsa(to) the peopleنوس
11thalātha(for) threeثلث
12layālinnightsليل
13sawiyyansoundسوي
  • Aisha Bewley

    He said, ‘My Lord, give me a Sign. ‘ He said, ‘Your Sign is not to speak to people for three nights despite the fact that you are perfectly able to.’

  • Progressive Muslims

    He said: "My Lord, make for me a sign. " He said: "Your sign is that you will not speak to the people for three nights consecutively."

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    Zachariah said, "My Lord! Give me a special message. " He said, "The Message is that you shall not speak to people for three nights (and days) consecutively." (He was not to break the news too soon, before he and his wife Elizabeth got over their excitement). (3:40-41), (19:26)).

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    He said: “My Lord: make Thou for me a proof.” Said He: “Thy proof is that thou shalt not speak to men three nights, being sound.”

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    He said: "My Lord, make for me a sign." He said: "Your sign is that you will not speak to the people for three nights consecutively."

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    He said, "My Lord, make for me a sign." He said, "Your sign is that you will not speak to the people for three nights consecutively."

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    He said, "My Lord, give me a sign." He said, "Your sign is that you will not speak to the people for three consecutive nights."

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    He said: "O Lord, give me a token. " "Though sound," He answered, "you will not talk to any one for three nights running."

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

    said, "My Lord, make for me a sign. " He said, "Your sign is that you will not speak to the people for three nights, sound."

  • Muhammad Asad

    prayed: "O my Sustainer! Appoint a sign for me!" Said : "Thy sign shall be that for full three nights thou wilt not speak unto men.

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    He said: My Lord! Appoint for me some token. He said: Thy token is that thou, with no bodily defect, shalt not speak unto mankind three nights.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Zechariah said: "Lord, grant me a Sign." Said He: "Your Sign is that you shall not be able to speak to people for three nights, though you will be otherwise sound."

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    He -Zakariya- said: "O Allah, my Creator, may I be given a token which satisfies my reason!" He was told: "What serves to indicate the fact shall be your inability to talk to people for three nights albeit you are all sound".

  • Bijan Moeinian

    Zechariah said: "My Lord, confirm your will with a sign. " God said: “Your sign is that you will become so overcome with the emotions that you will not be able to speak to the people for three day and nights.”

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    said: "My Lord! Appoint for me a sign." He said: "Your sign is that you shall not speak unto mankind for three nights, though having no bodily defect."

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    (Zakariya) said: "O my Lord! give me a Sign." "Thy Sign," was the answer, "Shall be that thou shalt speak to no man for three nights, although thou art not dumb."

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    Zachariah said, "My Lord! Grant me a sign." He responded, “Your sign is that you will not ˹be able to˺ speak to people for three nights, despite being healthy.”

  • Taqi Usmani

    He said, "My Lord, make for me a sign." He said, “Your sign is that you will not (be able to) speak to the people for three (consecutive) nights, even though you will be sound in health.”

  • Abdul Haleem

    He said, ‘Give me a sign, Lord.’ He said, ‘Your sign is that you will not speak to anyone for three full nights.’

  • Arthur John Arberry

    He said, 'Lord, appoint to me some sign. ' Said He, 'Thy sign is that thou shall not speak to men, though being without fault, three nights.'

  • E. Henry Palmer

    Said he, 'O my Lord! make for me a sign. ' He said, 'Thy sign is that thou shalt not speak to men for three nights (though) sound.'

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    He said, "Thus it will be. Your Lord says, 'It is easy for Me, for I created you at first when yet you were nothing.'"

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    He said, "Lord! Make for me (some) sign. " Said He, "Your sign is that you shall not speak to (any of) mankind, though being in perfect shape, (i.e. being without fault, or defect; literally: in "perfect" mold) three nights."

  • George Sale

    Zacharias answered, O Lord, give me a sign. The angel replied, thy sign shall be, that thou shalt not speak to men for three nights, although thou be in perfect health.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    (Zakariyya) said: "O my Lord! Give me a Sign. " The answer was, "Your Sign shall be that you shall not speak to mankind for three nights, even though you are not dumb."

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    He (- Zachariah) said, `My Lord! appoint for me a commandment. ' (The Lord) said, `The commandment for you is that you shall not speak to people for three successive (days and) nights, being in sound health.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    He said, ‘My Lord! Appoint a sign for me. ’ He said, ‘Your sign is that you will not speak to the people for three complete nights.’