Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And intercession avails not with Him save him whom He gives leave. When terror has been lifted from their hearts, they will say: “What said your Lord?” They will say: “The truth”; and He is the Exalted, the Great.

وَلَا تَنْفَعُ الشَّفَاعَةُ عِنْدَهُٓ اِلَّا لِمَنْ اَذِنَ لَهُۜ حَتّٰٓى اِذَا فُزِّعَ عَنْ قُلُوبِهِمْ قَالُوا مَاذَاۙ قَالَ رَبُّكُمْۜ قَالُوا الْحَقَّۚ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْكَب۪يرُ
Wala tanfaAAu ashshafaAAatuAAindahu illa liman athina lahu hattaitha fuzziAAa AAan quloobihim qaloo matha qalarabbukum qaloo alhaqqa wahuwa alAAaliyyu alkabeer
#wordmeaningroot
1walāAnd not
2tanfaʿubenefitsنفع
3l-shafāʿatuthe intercessionشفع
4ʿindahuwith Himعند
5illāexcept
6limanfor (one) whom
7adhinaHe permitsاذن
8lahufor him
9ḥattāUntil
10idhāwhen
11fuzziʿafear is removedفزع
12ʿanon
13qulūbihimtheir heartsقلب
14qālūthey will sayقول
15mādhāWhat is that
16qālayour Lord has saidقول
17rabbukumyour Lord has saidربب
18qālūThey will sayقول
19l-ḥaqaThe truthحقق
20wahuwaAnd He
21l-ʿaliyu(is) the Most Highعلو
22l-kabīruthe Most Greatكبر
  • Aisha Bewley

    Intercession with Him will be of no benefit except from someone who has His permission. So that when the terror has left their hearts they will say, ‘What did your Lord say?’ They will say, ‘The truth. He is the All-High, the Most Great.’

  • Progressive Muslims

    Nor will intercession be of any help with Him, except for whom He has already given leave. Until when the fear has subsided from their hearts, they ask: "What did your Lord say" They will Say: "The truth!" And He is the Most High, the Great.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    No intercession is of any avail with Him except that one stands up as a witness of Law in His Court. When their hearts are calmed down, they will ask, "What did your Lord decide?" The witnesses will say, "The decisive Truth." He is the Most High, Most Great.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And intercession avails not with Him save him whom He gives leave. When terror has been lifted from their hearts, they will say: “What said your Lord?” They will say: “The truth”; and He is the Exalted, the Great.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    "Nor will intercession be of any help with Him, except for whom He has already given leave." Until when the fear has subsided from their hearts, they ask: "What did your Lord say?" They will say: "The truth!" And He is the Most High, the Great.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    Nor will intercession be of any help with Him, except for whom He has already given leave. Until when the terror has subsided from their hearts, they ask: "What did your Lord say?" They will say, "The truth!" He is the Most High, the Great.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    Intercession with Him will be in vain, unless it coincides with His will. When their minds are finally settled down, and they ask, "What did your Lord say," they will say, "The truth." He is the Most High, the Most Great.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    No intercession avails with Him except his He allows, so that when their hearts are freed of fear, they ask (one another): "What did your Lord say?" They will answer: "What is expedient. He is the all-mighty and supreme."

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

    And intercession does not benefit with Him except for one whom He permits. until, when terror is removed from their hearts, they will say , "What has your Lord said?" They will say, "The truth." And He is the Most High, the Grand.

  • Muhammad Asad

    And, before Him, intercession can be of no avail save one in whose case He may have granted leave : so much so that when the terror is lifted from their hearts, they will ask , "What has your Sustainer decreed ?" - the others will answer, “Whatever is true and deserved - for He alone is exalted, great!”

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    No intercession availeth with Him save for him whom He permitteth. Yet, when fear is banished from their hearts, they say: What was it that your Lord said? They say: The Truth. And He is the Sublime, the Great.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    No intercession can avail with Allah except for him whom Allah permits (to intercede).* When their hearts are relieved of fright they will ask the intercessors: "What did your Lord say?" They will reply: “(He said) what is right, and He is the High, the Great.”*

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    Nor shall intercession take effect with Him in Day of Judgement except from those permitted. And when the overwhelming effect of terror is eased off and the hearts calm down, the infidels shall ask: What was it that Allah said! They shall be told: "The Truth." And He is AL-'Aliyo (the Unique whose attributes belong to the highest regions of thought and reality, the Unique Who is eminently entitled to the designation "the Supreme") and AL-Kabir (the Omniscient)

  • Bijan Moeinian

    God will not accept anyone’s intercession, unless it coincides with His Will. When the intercessors are asked by people about the Lord’s decision, they will simply say: "He made the right decision!" God is the Most High, the Most Great.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    Intercession with Him profits not except for him whom He permits. So much so that when fear is banished from their (angels’) hearts, they (angels) say: "What is it that your Lord has said?" They say: "The truth. And He is the Most High, the Most Great."

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    "No intercession can avail in His Presence, except for those for whom He has granted permission. So far (is this the case) that, when terror is removed from their hearts (at the Day of Judgment, then) will they say, 'what is it that your Lord commanded?' they will say, 'That which is true and just; and He is the Most High Most Great'."

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    No intercession will be of any benefit with Him, except by those granted permission by Him. ˹At last,˺ when the dread ˹of Judgment Day˺ is relieved from their hearts ˹because they are permitted to intercede˺, they will ˹excitedly˺ ask ˹the angels˺, "What has your Lord ˹just˺ said?" The angels will reply, “The truth! And He is the Most High, All-Great.”

  • Taqi Usmani

    Intercession before Him is of no benefit, but for the one whom He has permitted. (And those who receive a command from Allah remain fearful) until when fear is removed from their hearts, they say (to each other), "What did your Lord say?" They say, “The Truth.” He is the High, the Great.

  • Abdul Haleem

    Intercession will not work with Him, except by those to whom He gives permission.’ They will be asked, after the terror is lifted from their hearts , ‘What did your Lord speak?’ and they will answer, ‘The Truth. He is the Most High, the Most Great.’

  • Arthur John Arberry

    Intercession will not avail with Him save for him to whom He gives leave; till, when terror is lifted from their hearts, they will say, "What said your Lord?' They will say, 'The truth; and He is the All-high; the All-great. '

  • E. Henry Palmer

    nor is intercession of any avail with Him, except for him whom He permits; so that when fright is removed from their hearts they say, 'What is it that your Lord says?' they say, 'The truth; for He is the high, the great. '

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    Say, "Call upon those whom you assert (or set up) besides Allah; they do not control the weight of an atom in the heavens or in the earth nor have they any partnership in either, nor has He among them any one to help Him.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And intercession will not profit in His Reckoning except for him to whom He gives permission; till, when alarm (is lifted) from their hearts, they will say, "What did your Lord say?" They will say, "The Truth; and He is The Ever-Exalted, The Ever-Great. "

  • George Sale

    No intercession will be of service in his presence, except the intercession of him to whom he shall grant permission to intercede for others: And they shall wait in suspense until, when the terror shall be taken off from their hearts, they shall say to one another, what doth your Lord say? They shall answer, that which is just: And He is the high, the great God.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    "No intercession (or help) can be of use in His Presence except for those to whom He has given permission. So far (is this true) that, when the fear is taken away from their (even the angel’s) hearts, they will say: ‘What is it that your Lord ordered?’ (But then again) they will say: 'That which is true and just; And He is the Highest (Al-Ali’i), the Greatest (Al-Kabir).' "

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    No intercession will avail with Him except (for him about) whom He permits (it). (Those for whom the intercession is permitted will keep waiting) until when their hearts are relieved of awe they would ask (one another), `What is it that your Lord said?' Some of them will reply, `(He said) the truth.' And He is the Highest, the Greatest.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    Intercession is of no avail with Him except for those whom He permits. When fear is lifted from their hearts, they say, ‘What did your Lord say?’ They say, ‘The truth, and He is the All-exalted, the All-great.’