Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

But they said: “Long has our Lord made the distance between our journeys”; and they wronged their souls, and We made them tales told, and scattered them utterly. In that are proofs for everyone patient and grateful.

فَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا بَاعِدْ بَيْنَ اَسْفَارِنَا وَظَلَمُٓوا اَنْفُسَهُمْ فَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ اَحَاد۪يثَ وَمَزَّقْنَاهُمْ كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍۜ اِنَّ ف۪ي ذٰلِكَ لَاٰيَاتٍ لِكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ
Faqaloo rabbana baAAidbayna asfarina wathalamoo anfusahumfajaAAalnahum ahadeetha wamazzaqnahum kullamumazzaqin inna fee thalika laayatin likullisabbarin shakoor
#wordmeaningroot
1faqālūBut they saidقول
2rabbanāOur Lordربب
3bāʿidlengthen (the distance)بعد
4baynabetweenبين
5asfārināour journeysسفر
6waẓalamūAnd they wrongedظلم
7anfusahumthemselvesنفس
8fajaʿalnāhumso We made themجعل
9aḥādīthanarrationsحدث
10wamazzaqnāhumand We dispersed themمزق
11kulla(in) a totalكلل
12mumazzaqindispersionمزق
13innaIndeed
14in
15dhālikathat
16laāyātinsurely (are) Signsايي
17likullifor everyoneكلل
18ṣabbārinpatientصبر
19shakūrin(and) gratefulشكر
  • Aisha Bewley

    They said, ‘Our Lord, put more distance between our staging posts. ’ They wronged themselves so We made legends of them and scattered them without a trace. There are certainly Signs in that for everyone who is steadfast and thankful.

  • Progressive Muslims

    But they said: "Our Lord, make the measure between our journeys longer," and they wronged themselves. So We made them a thing of the past, and We scattered them into small groups. In this are signs for every person who is patient, thankful.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    But now, their ungrateful attitude was saying, "Our Lord! Make our journey-stages longer. " (Make the trade route insecure, unprofitable and deserted). They wronged people and thus harmed themselves. Consequently, We made them history, and We scattered them utterly. Herein, behold, are Signs indeed for individuals and nations who would patiently draw lessons from history and learn to be practically grateful.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    But they said: “Long has our Lord made the distance between our journeys”; and they wronged their souls, and We made them tales told, and scattered them utterly. In that are proofs for everyone patient and grateful.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    But they said: "Our Lord, make the measure between our journeys longer," and they wronged themselves. So We made them narrations and We tore them into pieces. In this are signs for every person who is patient, thankful.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    But they said, "Our Lord, make the measure between our journeys longer," and they wronged themselves. So We made them a thing of the past, and We scattered them into small groups. In this are signs for every person who is patient, thankful.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    But they (turned unappreciative and) challenged: "Our Lord, we do not care if You increase the distance of our journeys (without any stations)." They thus wronged their own souls. Consequently, we made them history, and scattered them into small communities throughout the land. This should provide lessons for those who are steadfast, appreciative.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    But they said: "O Lord, make the distance between the stages of our journeys longer;" but (by doing so) they wronged themselves. So We turned them into bygone tales, and dispersed them, scattered in all directions. Surely there are signs in this for those who endeavour and are grateful.

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

    But they said, "Our Lord, lengthen the distance between our journeys," and wronged themselves, so We made them narrations and dispersed them in total dispersion. Indeed in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful.

  • Muhammad Asad

    But now they would say, "Long has our Sus­tainer made the distance between our journey- stages!" - for they had sinned against themselves. And in the end We caused them to become tales , and scattered them in countless fragments. Herein, behold, there are messages indeed for all who are wholly patient in adversity and deeply grate­ful .

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    But they said: Our Lord! Make the stage between our journeys longer. And they wronged themselves, therefore We made them bywords (in the land) and scattered them abroad, a total scattering. Lo! herein verily are portents for each steadfast, grateful (heart).

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    But they said: "Lord, make the stages of our journeys longer." They wronged their own selves so We reduced them to bygone tales, and utterly tore them to pieces. Verily there are Signs in this for everyone who is steadfast and thankful.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    But lacking patience and endurance, they, to their detriment, prayed: "O Allah, our Creator, would You make our stations distant and far apart and not close together and our commercial travels remote in time" and they wronged themselves. In response to this request We made them the talk of the town existing then and of those towns existing thereafter. We tore them apart, while those who remained lived dispersed among the Bedouins in the desert and among other people else-where. This was an act making the patient who is thankful lift to Allah his inward sight.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    They said: "Make our journey longer and more difficult . " Thus they wronged their own souls. Eventually we scattered them into small communities and they became history. This should be a lesson for those who are patient and grateful by nature.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    But they said: "Our Lord! Make the stages between our journey longer," and they wronged themselves; so We made them as tales (in the land), and We dispersed them all totally. Verily, in this are indeed signs for every steadfast, grateful (person).

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    But they said: "Our Lord! Place longer distances between our journey-stages": but they wronged themselves (therein). At length We made them as a tale (that is told), and We dispersed them all in scattered fragments. Verily in this are Signs for every (soul that is) patiently constant and grateful.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    But they said, "Our Lord! Make ˹the distances of˺ our journeys longer," wronging themselves. So We reduced them to ˹cautionary˺ tales, and scattered them utterly. Surely in this are lessons for whoever is steadfast, grateful.

  • Taqi Usmani

    Then they said, "Our Lord, make (the phases of) our journeys more distant." And they wronged themselves, therefore We turned them into stories, and tore them into pieces. Surely in this there are signs for everyone who is ever-patient, fully grateful.

  • Abdul Haleem

    but they complained, ‘Our Lord has made the distance between our staging posts so long!’They wronged themselves and, in the end, We made their fate a byword, and scattered them in countless fragments. There truly are signs in this for every patient, thankful person.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    But they said, 'Our Lord, prolong the stages of our travel'; and they wronged themselves, so We made them as but tales, and We tore them utterly to pieces. Surely in that are signs for every man enduring, thankful.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    And they said, 'Our Lord! make a greater distance between our journeys;' and they wronged themselves, and we made them legends; and we tore them all to pieces; verily, in that are signs to every patient, grateful person.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    And We set between them and the towns which We had blessed, other towns to be easily seen (in prominent positions), and for the journey between then We appointed proportional stages, (saying) "Travel through them secure by nights and days. "

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    Yet they said, "Our Lord, prolong (the stages) between our journeys. " And they did injustice to themselves, so We made them (as only) discourses, and we tore them utterly to pieces. Surely in that are indeed signs for every (person) most patient, (and) constantly thankful.

  • George Sale

    But they said, O Lord, put a greater distance between our journeys: And they were unjust unto themselves; and We made them the subject of discourse, and dispersed them with a total dispersion. Verily herein are signs, unto every patient, grateful person.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    But they said: "Our Lord! Place longer distances between the stages of our journey. " And (so doing), they wronged themselves; So We made them like a story (that is told in the land), and We spread them out all in small groups. Surely, in this are Signs for every (one who is) always patient and grateful.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    But (due to their ingratitude) they wanted (as if) to say, `Our Lord! make longer the distance between (the stages of) our journeys. ' And they did injustice to themselves. So We reduced them to mere legends and We broke them into complete disintegration (and scattered them far and wide). Behold! there are signs in this for all those who are patiently- persevering and highly grateful persons.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    But they said, ‘Our Lord! Make the stages between our journeys far apart,’ and they wronged themselves. So We turned them into folktales and caused them to disintegrate totally. There are indeed signs in that for every patient and grateful .