Al-Qur'an Surah Hud Verse 72

Mufti Taqi Usmani

She said, “Woe to me! Shall I give birth to a child while I am an old woman and this is my husband, an old man? This is something amazing indeed.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

She wondered, “Oh, my! How can I have a child in this old age, and my husband here is an old man? This is truly an astonishing thing!”

Ruwwad Translation Center

She said, “Alas for me! How can I bear a child while I am an old woman, and this is my husband, an old man? This is a strange thing indeed!”

A. J. Arberry

She said, 'Woe is me! Shall I bear, being an old woman, and this my husband is an old man? This assuredly is a strange thing.'

Abdul Haleem

She said, ‘Alas for me! How am I to bear a child when I am an old woman, and my husband here is an old man? That would be a strange thing!’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

She said: Oh for me shall bring forth when I am old, and this my husband is advanced in years! Verily a marvellous thing is this!

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

She said; "Alas for me! shall I bear a child, seeing I am an old woman, and my husband here is an old man? That would indeed be a wonderful thing!"

Abul Ala Maududi

She said: 'Woe is me! Shall I bear a child now that I am an old woman and my husband is well advanced in years. This is indeed strange!'

Ahmed Ali

She said: "Woe betide me! Will I give birth when I am old and this my husband be aged? This is indeed surprising!"

Ahmed Raza Khan

She said, “Oh woe to me – will I bear a child whereas I am an old woman, and this my husband, is an old man? This is something really extraordinary.”

Ali Quli Qarai

She said, ‘Oh, my! Shall I, an old woman, bear [children], and [while] this husband of mine is an old man?! That is indeed an odd thing!’

Ali Ünal

She said: "Oh, woe is me! Shall I bear a child, now that I am an old woman, and this my husband is an old man? That would be a strange thing indeed!"

Amatul Rahman Omar

She said, `O wonder for me! Shall I bear a child while I am a very old woman and this husband of mine (also) a very old man? This is a wonderful thing indeed!´

English Literal

She said: "Oh my calamity/scandal/misfortune , do I give birth and I am old/weak and that (is) my husband old aged , that, that (is) an unusual/strange thing (E)."

Faridul Haque

She said, "Oh woe to me - will I bear a child whereas I am an old woman, and this my husband, is an old man? This is something really extraordinary."

Hamid S. Aziz

And his wife was standing by, laughing; and We gave her the glad tidings of Isaac, and of Jacob after Isaac.

Hilali & Khan

She said (in astonishment): "Woe unto me! Shall I bear a child while I am an old woman, and here is my husband, an old man? Verily! This is a strange thing!"

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And his wife was standing (by), so she wondered. Then We gave her the good news of Isaac, and beyond Isaac, of Jacob.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

She said: O wonder! shall I bear a son when I am an extremely old woman and this my husband an extremely old man? Most surely this is a wonderful thing.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

She said: Oh woe is me! Shall I bear a child when I am an old woman, and this my husband is an old man? Lo! this is a strange thing!

Muhammad Sarwar

She said, "Woe is me! How can I have a baby when I am barren and my husband is very old? This is certainly strange".

Qaribullah & Darwish

She replied: 'Alas for me! Shall I bear (a child) when I am old woman and my husband is advanced in years? This is indeed a strange thing'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

She said (in astonishment): "Woe unto me! Shall I bear a child while I am an old woman, and here is my husband an old man Verily, this is a strange thing!"

Wahiduddin Khan

She said, "Alas! Shall I bear a child in this old age, while my husband here is also old? This is indeed a strange thing!"

Talal Itani

She said, “Alas for me. Shall I give birth, when I am an old woman, and this, my husband, is an old man? This is truly a strange thing.”

Tafsir jalalayn

She said, `Woe to me! (y waylat is an expression used in [reaction to] a serious matter; the alif [suffixed in waylat] substitutes for the y' of the genitive annexation [waylat, `my woe']). Shall I bear a child when I am an old woman, 99 years old, and this my husband is an old man?, 100 or 120 years old (shaykhan is in the accusative because it is a circumstantial qualifier, operated by the demonstrative import of dh, `this'). Truly this is a strange thing', that a child should be born to such an aged couple.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

قَالَتْ يَا وَيْلَتَى أَأَلِدُ وَأَنَاْ عَجُوزٌ وَهَـذَا بَعْلِي شَيْخًا

She said (in astonishment);"Woe unto me! Shall I bear a child while I am an old woman, and here is my husband an old man!"

Allah speaks of her statement in this verse, just as He spoke of her action in another verse.

فَأَقْبَلَتِ امْرَأَتُهُ فِى صَرَّةٍ فَصَكَّتْ وَجْهَهَا وَقَالَتْ عَجُوزٌ عَقِيمٌ

Then his wife came forward with a loud voice;she smote her face, and said;"A barren old woman!" (51;29)

This was the custom of the women in their speech and actions when they were expressing amazement.

إِنَّ هَـذَا لَشَيْءٌ عَجِيبٌ



Verily, this is a strange thing!"

The angels said;