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Word Analysis & Comparison
21. Surah • 5. Verse
Word Analysis
بَلْ
bal
Nay
بَلِ
bali
nay
بَلْ
bal
nay
هُوَ
huwa
he
كَمَآ
kamā
like what
Rashad Khalifa
The Final Testament
They even said, "Hallucinations," "He made it up," and, "He is a poet. Let him show us a miracle like those of the previous messengers."
The Monotheist Group
The Quran: A Monotheist Translation
They said: "No, these are just bad dreams; no, he made it up; no, he is a poet. So let him bring us a sign like those who were sent before."
Edip-Layth
Quran: A Reformist Translation
They said, "No, these are just bad dreams; no, he made it up; no, he is a poet. So let him bring us a sign like those who were sent before."
Taqi Usmani
Holy Quran Translation
Further they said, "(The Qur’ān is) a mixture of jumble dreams. Rather, he (the prophet) has fabricated it. Rather, he is a poet. So, let him bring a sign to us, as the earlier ones were sent with."
Abdul Haleem
Holy Quran Translation
Some say, ‘Muddled dreams’; others, ‘He made it up’; yet others, ‘He is just a poet, let him show us a sign as previous messengers did.’
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Holy Quran Translation
"Nay," they say, "(these are) medleys of dream! - Nay, He forged it! - Nay, He is (but) a poet! Let him then bring us a Sign like the ones that were sent to (Prophets) of old!"
Al-Hilali & Khan
Holy Quran Translation
Nay, they say: "These (revelations of the Qur’ân which are revealed to Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) are mixed up false dreams! Nay, he has invented them! - Nay, he is a poet! Let him then bring us an Ayâh (sign as a proof) like the ones (Prophets) the former were sent (with)!"
Marmaduke Pickthall
Holy Quran Translation
Nay, say they, (these are but) muddled dreams; nay, he hath but invented it; nay, he is but a poet. Let him bring us a portent even as those of old (who were Allah's messengers) were sent (with portents).
Abul A'la Maududi
Tafhim commentary
They say: "Nay, these are confused dreams; nay, he has forged it; nay, he is a poet.[1] So let him bring us a sign, even as the Messengers of the past were sent with signs."
1
The background of this verse is this: When the message of the Prophet (peace be upon him) started gaining adherents, the chiefs of Makkah decided among themselves to start a propaganda campaign to counteract it. For this purpose they decided that every visitor to Makkah for pilgrimage should be approached and his mind so poisoned against the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he does not even go near and listen to him. Though this campaign continued throughout the year, in the pilgrimage season specially a large number of men were deputed to go to the tents of the pilgrims to warn them to beware of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Different sorts of things were said against the Prophet (peace be upon him) during these talks. Sometimes it was said that he was a sorcerer or that he had fabricated the Quran by himself but attributed it to Allah. Some would say that his revelations were the words of an insane person and a bundle of incoherent ideas. Others would say that these were ordinary poetic ideas which were being dubbed as the words of Allah. All they wanted to do was to poison the minds of the visitors irrespective of the correctness of their own versions. They had no considered and definite opinion in the matter.
Mustafa Khattab
The Clear Quran
Yet they say, "This ˹Quran˺ is a set of confused dreams! No, he has fabricated it! No, he must be a poet! So let him bring us a ˹tangible˺ sign like those ˹prophets˺ sent before."
George Sale
Holy Quran Translation
But they say, the Koran is a confused heap of dreams: Nay, he hath forged it; nay, he is a poet: Let him come unto us therefore with some miracle, in like manner as the former prophets were sent.
Hamid S. Aziz
Holy Quran Translation
Say, "My Lord knows what is said in the heavens and the earth, He is Hearer and Knower. "
Mahmoud Ghali
Holy Quran Translation
"No indeed, " they said, "Jumbled dreams! No indeed, he has fabricated it; no indeed, he is a poet! Then let him come up to us with a sign, as the earliest ones were sent (as Messengers). "
Ali Quli Qarai
Holy Quran Translation
Rather they said, ‘[They are] confused nightmares!’ ‘Rather he has fabricated it!’ ‘Rather he is a poet!’ ‘Let him bring us a sign, like those sent to the ancients. ’
Amatul Rahman Omar
Holy Quran Translation
Nay, they say, `This (Qur'ân) is (no revelation), but a jumble of confused dreams, rather he (- the Prophet) has forged it himself; he is a poet. (If it is not) so let him then bring us some sign (of destruction) just as the former (Prophets) were sent with.'
Arthur John Arberry
Holy Quran Translation
Nay, but they say: 'A hotchpotch of nightmares! Nay, he has forged it; nay, he is a poet! Now therefore let him bring us a sign, even as the ancient ones were sent as Messengers. '
Bijan Moeinian
Holy Quran Translation
They have called you names saying: "These are his dreams; he has forged it; he is nothing but a poet, etc. " They also say: “Why cannot he come up with a miracle like the previous prophets?”
E. Henry Palmer
Holy Quran Translation
'Nay!' they say, 'a jumble of dreams; nay! he has forged it; nay! he is a poet; but let him bring us a sign as those of yore were sent. '
Aisha Bewley
Holy Quran Translation
Furthermore they say, ‘A muddled jumble of dreams!’ and, ‘He has invented it!’ and, ‘He is a poet!’ and, ‘Let him bring us a Sign like those sent to previous peoples. ’
Mohamed Ahmed - Samira
Holy Quran Translation
Yet they say: "These are only confused dreams, " or rather: "He has invented them;" or: "He is only a poet. Let him therefore bring a miracle to us as the earlier (apostles) were sent with."
Muhammad Asad
Holy Quran Translation
"Nay, " they say, “[Muhammad propounds] the most involved and confusing of dreams!” “Nay, but he has invented [all] this!” - “Nay, but he is [only] a poet!” - [and,] “Let him, then, come unto us with a miracle, just as those [prophets] of old were sent [with miracles]?”
Abdel Khalek Himmat
Al- Muntakhab
They -the infidels- went further and fared worse -in their description of the Quran and of the Prophet They said: "confused dreams, no, but he forged it, no, but he is a poet; he must present us with a miraculous sign like those with which were equipped the prophets of old".
Progressive Muslims
Holy Quran Translation
They said: "No, these are just bad dreams; no, he made it up; no, he is a poet. So let him bring us a sign like those who were sent before."
Shabbir Ahmed
Holy Quran Translation
"Nay, " they say, "Muddled dreams! Nay, he has but invented it! Nay, he is but a poet! Let him then bring us a miracle (as we have heard), like the ones that were given to Prophets of old!"
Syed Vickar Ahamed
Holy Quran Translation
They (the disbelievers) say, "No, (they are) confused (songs) of dreams! No, he wrote it (by himself)! No, he is (only) a poet! Let him then bring us a Sign like those that were sent to (prophets) of old!"
Sahih International
(Umm Muhammad, Mary Kennedy, Amatullah Bantley)
But they say, "[The revelation is but] a mixture of false dreams; rather, he has invented it; rather, he is a poet. So let him bring us a sign just as the previous [messengers] were sent [with miracles]."
Sam Gerrans
The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation
“But,” — they say — “a confused medley of dreams; but he has invented it; but he is a poet. So let him bring us a proof like that sent to the former peoples!”