Al-Qur'an Surah Hud Verse 38

Mufti Taqi Usmani

He started making the Ark. Whenever the leaders of his people passed by him, they mocked at him. He said, “If you mock at us, we mock at you like you mock at us:

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

So he began to build the Ark, and whenever some of the chiefs of his people passed by, they mocked him. He said, “If you laugh at us, we will ˹soon˺ laugh at you similarly.

Ruwwad Translation Center

So he started constructing the Ark, and every time some chiefs of his people passed by him, they ridiculed him. He said, “If you ridicule us now, we will soon ridicule you as you are ridiculing us.

A. J. Arberry

So he was making the Ark; and whenever a council of his people passed by him they scoffed at him, He said, 'If you scoff at us, we shall surely scoff at you, as you scoff

Abdul Haleem

So he began to build the Ark, and whenever leaders of his people passed by, they laughed at him. He said, ‘You may scorn us now, but we will come to scorn you:

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And he was making the ark; and whenever the chiefs of his people passed by him, they scoffed at him. He said: if ye scoff at us, verily we also scoff at you even as ye scoff at us.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Forthwith he (starts) constructing the Ark; Every time that the chiefs of his people passed by him, they threw ridicule on him. He said; "If ye ridicule us now, we (in our turn) can look down on you with ridicule likewise!

Abul Ala Maududi

As Noah was building the Ark, whenever the leading men of his nation passed by him, they would scoff at him. He said: 'If you scoff at us, we too scoff at you in like manner.

Ahmed Ali

So he built the ark; and when groups of his people passed by him, they scoffed at him. He said to them: "Though you laugh at us (now), we shall laugh at you, as you are laughing at us.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And Nooh builds the ship; and whenever the chiefs of his people passed by him, they used to laugh at him; he said, “If you laugh at us, then a time will come when we will laugh at you just as you laugh.”

Ali Quli Qarai

As he was building the ark, whenever the elders of his people passed by him, they would ridicule him. He said, ‘If you ridicule us [today], we shall ridicule you [tomorrow] just as you ridicule us [now].

Ali Ünal

And so Noah set to building the Ark. And every time the leading ones among his people passed by him, they mocked at him. He said: "Now you are mocking us, but (a day will come when) we mock you just as you mock us.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And he set himself to making the Ark and every time the chiefs of his people passed by him they looked down upon him, (thereupon) he said, `Surely, we (in our turn) will look down on you just as you look down (on us now).

English Literal

And he makes/produces the ship/ships, and whenever a group/assembly/nobles from his nation passed on (by) him, they humiliated/mocked from him, he said: "If you humiliate/mock from us, so (that) we are humiliating/mocking from you as you humiliate/mock ."

Faridul Haque

And Nooh builds the ship; and whenever the chiefs of his people passed by him, they used to laugh at him; he said, "If you laugh at us, then a time will come when we will laugh at you just as you laugh."

Hamid S. Aziz

And make the Ark under Our eyes (supervision, purposes), and at Our inspiration (instructions); and plead not with Me for those who have done wrong. Verily, they shall be drowned."

Hilali & Khan

And as he was constructing the ship, whenever the chiefs of his people passed by him, they made a mockery of him. He said: "If you mock at us, so do we mock at you likewise for your mocking.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And make the ark under Our eyes and Our revelation, and speak not to Me on behalf of those who are unjust. Surely they will be drowned.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And he began to make the ark; and whenever the chiefs from among his people passed by him they laughed at him. He said: If you laugh at us, surely we too laugh at you as you laugh (at us).

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And he was building the ship, and every time that chieftains of his people passed him, they made mock of him. He said: Though ye make mock of Us, yet We mock at you even as ye mock;

Muhammad Sarwar

(Noah) started to build the Ark but whenever some of his people passed by, they would mock him. He in return would reply, "Mock us, but just as you mock us, we, too, will mock you.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Whenever an assembly of his nation passed by him as he was building the Ark, they mocked him. Whereupon he said: 'If you mock us, we shall indeedmock you, just as you mock.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And as he was constructing the ship, whenever the chiefs of his people passed by him, they mocked at him. He said: "If you mock at us, so do we mock at you likewise for your mocking."

Wahiduddin Khan

So he began to build the Ark, and whenever leaders of his people passed by, they scoffed at him. He said, "If you are scoffing at us, we shall scoff at you [and your ignorance], just as you scoff at us:

Talal Itani

As he was building the ark, whenever some of his people passed by him, they ridiculed him. He said, “If you ridicule us, we will ridicule you, just as you ridicule.”

Tafsir jalalayn

And he was building the Ark (yasna` is narrating a past state [in the present tense]) and whenever a council, a group, of his people passed him, they scoffed at him, mocked him. He said, `Though you scoff at us, yet we scoff at you, even as you scoff, when we are saved, while you drown;

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَيَصْنَعُ الْفُلْكَ وَكُلَّمَا مَرَّ عَلَيْهِ مَلٌ مِّن قَوْمِهِ سَخِرُواْ مِنْهُ

And as he was constructing the ship, whenever the chiefs of his people passed by him, they mocked at him.

This means that they teased him and rejected his threat that they would drown (in the forthcoming flood).

قَالَ إِن تَسْخَرُواْ مِنَّا فَإِنَّا نَسْخَرُ مِنكُمْ

He said;"If you mock at us, so do we mock at you likewise...

This is a severe threat and a serious warning.

كَمَا تَسْخَرُونَ