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Word Analysis & Comparison
21. Surah • 7. Verse
Word Analysis
وَمَآ
wamā
And not
إِلَّا
illā
except
إِلَيْهِمْ ۖ
ilayhim
to them
إِن
in
if
لَا
lā
(do) not
Rashad Khalifa
The Final Testament
We did not send before you except men whom we inspired. Ask those who know the scripture, if you do not know.
The Monotheist Group
The Quran: A Monotheist Translation
And We did not send before you except men whom We inspired to. So ask the people of the Reminder if you do not know.
Edip-Layth
Quran: A Reformist Translation
We did not send before you except people whom We inspired. So ask the people of the remembrance if you do not know.
Abul A'la Maududi
Tafhim commentary
(O Muhammad), even before you We never sent any other than human beings as Messengers, and to them We sent revelation.[1] Ask the People of the Book[2] if you do not know.
2
That is, you may have it testified by the Jews, who are the enemies of Islam like you, and are teaching you the ways to oppose it, that all the Messengers including Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) were human beings.
1
This is the answer to their objection: This man is no more than a human being like yourselves, and therefore, cannot be a Messenger of God. They have been told that the former Prophets, too, whom you also recognize as Prophets, were human beings and were blessed with revelations from Allah.
Al-Hilali & Khan
Holy Quran Translation
And We sent not before you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) but men to whom We revealed. So ask the people of the Reminder [Scriptures - the Taurât (Torah), the Injeel (Gospel)] if you do not know.
Taqi Usmani
Holy Quran Translation
And We did not send before you messengers except men whom We inspired with revelation. So, ask the people (having the knowledge) of the Message, if you do not know.
Abdul Haleem
Holy Quran Translation
And even before your time [Prophet], all the messengers We sent were only men We inspired–– if you [disbelievers] do not know, ask people who know the Scripture––
Marmaduke Pickthall
Holy Quran Translation
And We sent not (as Our messengers) before thee other than men, whom We inspired. Ask the followers of the Reminder if ye know not?
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Holy Quran Translation
Before thee, also, the messengers We sent were but men, to whom We granted inspiration: If ye realise this not, ask of those who possess the Message.
Mustafa Khattab
The Clear Quran
We did not send ˹messengers˺ before you ˹O Prophet˺ except mere men inspired by Us. If you ˹polytheists˺ do not know ˹this already˺, then ask those who have knowledge ˹of the Scriptures˺.
Aisha Bewley
Holy Quran Translation
We have only ever sent before you men who were given Revelation. Ask the People of the Reminder if you do not know.
Mohamed Ahmed - Samira
Holy Quran Translation
Never did We send a message before you but through a man, whom We inspired. If you do not know, then ask the keepers of the oracles of God.
Arthur John Arberry
Holy Quran Translation
And We sent none before thee, but men to whom We made revelation -- question the People of the Remembrance, if you do not know --
Ali Quli Qarai
Holy Quran Translation
We did not send [any apostles] before you except as men, to whom We revealed. Ask the People of the Reminder if you do not know.
Amatul Rahman Omar
Holy Quran Translation
(Prophet!) We sent none (as Messengers) before you but (they were) men to whom We made Our revelations. Therefore (O disbelievers!) ask the followers of the Reminder if you do not know (this).
Bijan Moeinian
Holy Quran Translation
Before you, I sent many human beings to them as My Messengers to whom I revealed My Revelations. If you do not know about them, ask those who have inherited the Scripture.
George Sale
Holy Quran Translation
We sent none as our apostles before thee, other than men, unto whom We revealed our will. Ask those who are acquainted with the scripture, if ye know not this.
Hamid S. Aziz
Holy Quran Translation
Of those before them not one of the communities which We destroyed believed, how will these believe?
E. Henry Palmer
Holy Quran Translation
Nor did we send before them any but men whom we inspired? Ask ye the people of the Scriptures if ye do not know.
Mahmoud Ghali
Holy Quran Translation
And in no way did We send before you except men to whom We revealed (the Message). So ask (This is addressed to the disbelievers) the Population of the Remembrance, in case you do not know.
Abdel Khalek Himmat
Al- Muntakhab
We never sent and inspired before you O Muhammad but men chosen from among the town dwellers whose deeds were natural to man, therefore, you -infidels- may ask those who are well versed in the antecedent Scriptures -Jews and Christians- if indeed you do not know!
Muhammad Asad
Holy Quran Translation
For [even] before thy time, [O Muhammad,] We never sent [as Our apostles] any but [mortal] men, whom We inspired - hence, [tell the deniers of the truth,] "If you do not know this, ask the followers of earlier revelation"
Progressive Muslims
Holy Quran Translation
And We did not send before you except men whom We inspired to. So ask the people of the remembrance if you do not know.
Shabbir Ahmed
Holy Quran Translation
(O Prophet) Before you We sent none but men to whom We granted Revelation. (Tell the deniers), "If you do not know this, ask the followers of previous Revelations." (16:43).
Syed Vickar Ahamed
Holy Quran Translation
Also before you, the messengers we sent were only men, to whom We granted the Revelation: If you do not know this, ask those, the people of the Remainder [of the Scripture, the Torah and the Gospel)].
Sahih International
(Umm Muhammad, Mary Kennedy, Amatullah Bantley)
And We sent not before you, [O Muúammad], except men to whom We revealed [the message], so ask the people of the message if you do not know.
Sam Gerrans
The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation
And We sent before thee only men to whom We revealed — and ask the people of the remembrance, if you know not —