Three Translations of The Koran (Al-Qur'an) side by side Part 65

we shall certainly drive thee out of our city - (thee) and those who believe with thee; or else ye (thou and they) shall have to return to our ways and religion." He said: "What! even though we do detest (them)?"

P: The chieftains of his people, who were scornful, said: Surely we will drive thee out, O Shu'eyb, and those who believe with thee, from our towns.h.i.+p, unless ye return to our religion. He said: Even though we hate it?

S: The chiefs, those who were proud from among his people said: We will most certainly turn you out, O Shu'aib, and (also) those who believe with you, from our town, or you shall come back to our faith. He said: What! though we dislike (it)?

007.089 Y: "We should indeed invent a lie against Allah, if we returned to your ways after Allah hath rescued us therefrom; nor could we by any manner of means return thereto unless it be as in the will and plan of Allah, Our Lord. Our Lord can reach out to the utmost recesses of things by His knowledge. In Allah is our trust. Our Lord! decide Thou between us and our people in truth, for Thou art the best to decide."

P: We should have invented a lie against Allah if we returned to your religion after Allah hath rescued us from it. It is not for us to return to it unless Allah our Lord should (so) will. Our Lord comprehendeth all things in knowledge. In Allah do we put our trust.

Our Lord! Decide with truth between us and our folk, for Thou art the best of those who make decision.

S: Indeed we shall have forged a lie against Allah If we go back to your religion after Allah has delivered us from it, and it befits us not that we should go back to it, except if Allah our Lord please: Our Lord comprehends all things in His knowledge; in Allah do we trust: Our Lord! decide between us and our people with truth; and Thou art the best of deciders.

007.090 Y: The leaders, the unbelievers among his people, said: "If ye follow Shu'aib, be sure then ye are ruined!"

P: But the chieftains of his people, who were disbelieving, said: If ye follow Shu'eyb, then truly ye shall be the losers.

S: And the chiefs of those who disbelieved from among his people said: If you follow Shu'aib, you shall then most surely be losers.

007.091 Y: But the earthquake took them unawares, and they lay prostrate in their homes before the morning!

P: So the earthquake seized them and morning found them prostrate in their dwelling-place.

S: Then the earthquake overtook them, so they became motionless bodies in their abode.

007.092 Y: The men who reject Shu'aib became as if they had never been in the homes where they had flourished: the men who rejected Shu'aib - it was they who were ruined!

P: Those who denied Shu'eyb became as though they had not dwelt there.

Those who denied Shu'eyb, they were the losers.

S: Those who called Shu'aib a liar were as though they had never dwelt therein; those who called Shu'aib a liar, they were the losers.

007.093 Y: So Shu'aib left them, saying: "O my people! I did indeed convey to you the messages for which I was sent by my Lord: I gave you good counsel, but how shall I lament over a people who refuse to believe!"

P: So he turned from them and said: O my people! I delivered my Lord's messages unto you and gave you good advice; then how can I sorrow for a people that rejected (truth)?

S: So he turned away from them and said: O my people! certainly I delivered to you the messages of my Lord and I gave you good advice; how shall I then be sorry for an unbelieving people?

007.094 Y: Whenever We sent a prophet to a town, We took up its people in suffering and adversity, in order that they might learn humility.

P: And We sent no prophet unto any towns.h.i.+p but We did afflict its folk with tribulation and adversity that haply they might grow humble.

S: And We did not send a prophet in a town but We overtook its people with distress and affliction in order that they might humble themselves.

007.095 Y: Then We changed their suffering into prosperity, until they grew and multiplied, and began to say: "Our fathers (too) were touched by suffering and affluence" ... Behold! We called them to account of a sudden, while they realised not (their peril).

P: Then changed We the evil plight for good till they grew affluent and said: Tribulation and distress did touch our fathers. Then We seized them unawares, when they perceived not.

S: Then We gave them good in the place of evil until they became many and said: Distress and happiness did indeed befall our fathers. Then We took them by surprise while they did not perceive.

007.096 Y: If the people of the towns had but believed and feared Allah, We should indeed have opened out to them (All kinds of) blessings from heaven and earth; but they rejected (the truth), and We brought them to book for their misdeeds.

P: And if the people of the towns.h.i.+ps had believed and kept from evil, surely We should have opened for them blessings from the sky and from the earth. But (unto every messenger) they gave the lie, and so We seized them on account of what they used to earn.

S: And if the people of the towns had believed and guarded (against evil) We would certainly have opened up for them blessings from the heaven and the earth, but they rejected, so We overtook them for what they had earned.

007.097 Y: Did the people of the towns feel secure against the coming of Our wrath by night while they were asleep?

P: Are the people of the towns.h.i.+ps then secure from the coming of Our wrath upon them as a night-raid while they sleep?

S: What! do the people of the towns then feel secure from Our punishment coming to them by night while they sleep?

007.098 Y: Or else did they feel secure against its coming in broad daylight while they played about (care-free)?

P: Or are the people of the towns.h.i.+ps then secure from the coming of Our wrath upon them in the daytime while they play?

S: What! do the people of the towns feel secure from Our punishment coming to them in the morning while they play?

007.099 Y: Did they then feel secure against the plan of Allah?- but no one can feel secure from the Plan of Allah, except those (doomed) to ruin!

P: Are they then secure from Allah's scheme? None deemeth himself secure from Allah's scheme save folk that perish.

S: What! do they then feel secure from Allah's plan? But none feels secure from Allah's plan except the people who shall perish.

007.100 Y: To those who inherit the earth in succession to its (previous) possessors, is it not a guiding, (lesson) that, if We so willed, We could punish them (too) for their sins, and seal up their hearts so that they could not hear?

P: Is it not an indication to those who inherit the land after its people (who thus reaped the consequence of evil-doing) that, if We will, We can smite them for their sins and print upon their hearts so that they hear not?

S: Is it not clear to those who inherit the earth after its (former) residents that if We please We would afflict them on account of their faults and set a seal on their hearts so they would not hear.

007.101 Y: Such were the towns whose story We (thus) relate unto thee: There came indeed to them their messengers with clear (signs): But they would not believe what they had rejected before. Thus doth Allah seal up the hearts of those who reject faith.

P: Such were the towns.h.i.+ps. We relate some tidings of them unto thee (Muhammad). Their messengers verily came unto them with clear proofs (of Allah's Sovereignty), but they could not believe because they had before denied. Thus doth Allah print upon the hearts of disbelievers (that they hear not).

S: These towns-- We relate to you some of their stories, and certainly their messengers came to them with clear arguments, but they would not believe in what they rejected at first; thus does Allah set a seal over the hearts of the unbelievers.

007.102 Y: Most of them We found not men (true) to their covenant: but most of them We found rebellious and disobedient.

P: We found no (loyalty to any) covenant in most of them. Nay, most of them We found wrong-doers.

S: And We did not find in most of them any (faithfulness to) covenant, and We found most of them to be certainly transgressors.

007.103 Y: Then after them We sent Moses with Our signs to Pharaoh and his chiefs, but they wrongfully rejected them: So see what was the end of those who made mischief.

P: Then, after them, We sent Moses with our tokens unto Pharaoh and his chiefs, but they repelled them. Now, see the nature of the consequence for the corrupters!

S: Then we raised after them Musa with Our communications to Firon and his chiefs, but they disbelieved in them; consider then what was the end of the mischief makers.

007.104 Y: Moses said: "O Pharaoh! I am a messenger from the Lord of the worlds,-"