Back to Surah
Word Analysis & Comparison
21. Surah • 63. Verse
Word Analysis
بَلْ
bal
Nay
هَـٰذَا
hādhā
(is) this
إِن
in
if
Rashad Khalifa
The Final Testament
He said, "It is that big one who did it. Go ask them, if they can speak."
The Monotheist Group
The Quran: A Monotheist Translation
He said: "It was the biggest one of them here who did it, so ask them, if they do speak!"
Edip-Layth
Quran: A Reformist Translation
He said, "It was the biggest one of them here who did it, so ask them, if they do speak!"
Taqi Usmani
Holy Quran Translation
He said, "Rather, this is done by this chief of theirs. So, ask them if they can speak."
Abdul Haleem
Holy Quran Translation
He said, ‘No, it was done by the biggest of them- this one. Ask them, if they can talk.’
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Holy Quran Translation
He said: "Nay, this was done by - this is their biggest one! ask them, if they can speak intelligently!"
Marmaduke Pickthall
Holy Quran Translation
He said: But this, their chief hath done it. So question them, if they can speak.
Abul A'la Maududi
Tafhim commentary
He answered: "Rather it was this supreme one who has done it. So ask them, if they can speak."[1]
1
The very sentence, "So ask them, if they can speak", is a clear proof that it was not a lie when Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) said: “But this has done it, biggest of them, this one”. What he intended by this was to make them realize and confess that their idols were helpless because they could do nothing to protect themselves and could not even speak. It is clear that when a person poses an unreal question for the sake of argument in order to bring home the fact that the position taken by the other party is untenable, it cannot be considered as a lie; firstly, because the speaker himself never intended it to be a lie, and secondly, because the addressees also knew that it was not a lie.
Al-Hilali & Khan
Holy Quran Translation
[Ibrâhîm (Abraham)] said: "Nay, this one, the biggest of them (idols) did it. Ask them, if they can speak!"[1]
Mustafa Khattab
The Clear Quran
He replied ˹sarcastically˺, "No, this one—the biggest of them—did it! So ask them, if they can talk!"
Amatul Rahman Omar
Holy Quran Translation
(Abraham) said, `Well, of course, someone has done it. Here is their chief (idol which witnessed all this). So better ask (him and) them, if they can speak.'
Aisha Bewley
Holy Quran Translation
He said, ‘No, this one, the biggest of them, did it. Ask them if they are able to speak!’
Arthur John Arberry
Holy Quran Translation
He said, 'No; it was this great one of them that did it. Question them; if they are able to speak!'
Mahmoud Ghali
Holy Quran Translation
He said, "No indeed, it was this great one of them that performed it; so, ask them in case they (can) pronounce (a word). "
Ali Quli Qarai
Holy Quran Translation
He said, ‘Rather it was this biggest of them who did it! Ask them, if they can speak. ’
Hamid S. Aziz
Holy Quran Translation
Said they, "Was it you who did this to our gods, O Abraham?"
George Sale
Holy Quran Translation
He answered, nay, that biggest of them hath done it: But ask them, if they can speak.
E. Henry Palmer
Holy Quran Translation
Said he, 'Nay, it was this largest of them; but ask them, if they can speak. '
Bijan Moeinian
Holy Quran Translation
He replied: "It was the chief of your gods who did it; you may ask them yourselves and see whether or not they are even capable of speaking. "
Mohamed Ahmed - Samira
Holy Quran Translation
"No, " he said. "It was done by that chief of theirs. Ask him in case they can speak."
Muhammad Asad
Holy Quran Translation
He answered: "Nay, it was this one, the biggest of them, that did it: but ask them [yourselves] - provided they can speak!"
Abdel Khalek Himmat
Al- Muntakhab
"But it was their chief who did it", Said Ibrahim; ask them if they are able to talk!"
Syed Vickar Ahamed
Holy Quran Translation
He said: "No, this was done by— This is the biggest one of them! Ask them, if they can speak sensibly!"
Progressive Muslims
Holy Quran Translation
He said: "It was the biggest one of them here who did it, so ask them, if they do speak!"
Sahih International
(Umm Muhammad, Mary Kennedy, Amatullah Bantley)
He said, "Rather, this - the largest of them - did it, so ask them, if they should [be able to] speak. "
Shabbir Ahmed
Holy Quran Translation
Abraham grabbed the opportunity of driving home the point, "Whoever did it, did it. This is their chief. Ask them if they speak."
Sam Gerrans
The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation
He said: “But this their great one did it; so ask them, if they speak.”