Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nahl Verse 33

Mufti Taqi Usmani

They (the unbelievers) are waiting for nothing but that the angels should come to them, or comes the command of your Lord. Similar was the reaction of those who were before them. Allah did not wrong them; rather they were doing wrong to themselves.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Are they only awaiting the coming of the angels or the command of your Lord ˹O Prophet˺? So were those before them. And Allah never wronged them, but it was they who wronged themselves.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Are they [the disbelievers] waiting for the angels to come to them or for the command of your Lord to come? Those who came before them did the same. It was not Allah Who wronged them, but it was they who wronged themselves.

A. J. Arberry

Do they look for aught but that the angels shall come to them, or thy Lord's command shall come? So did those before them, and God wronged them not, but themselves they wronged.

Abdul Haleem

Are the disbelievers waiting for the angels to come to them, or your Lord’s Judgement? Those who went before them did the same. God did not wrong them; they wronged themselves.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Await they aught but that the angels should come unto them or the command of thy Lord should come Likewise did those before them. Allah wronged them not, but they were wont to wrong themselves.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Do the (ungodly) wait until the angels come to them, or there comes the Command of thy Lord (for their doom)? So did those who went before them. But Allah wronged them not; nay, they wronged their own souls.

Abul Ala Maududi

(O Muhammad), are they waiting for anything else than that the angels should appear before them, or that your Lord's judgement should come? Many before them acted with similar temerity. And then what happened with them was not Allah's wrong-doing; they rather wronged themselves.

Ahmed Ali

What! Do the (unbelievers) expect that the angels should descend, or the sentence of your Lord come to pass? So had the people done before them; yet God did not wrong them, they wronged themselves.

Ahmed Raza Khan

So what are they waiting for, except that the angels come upon them or that your Lord’s punishment comes? Those before them did exactly this; and Allah did not oppress them at all, but it is they who used to wrong themselves.

Ali Quli Qarai

Do they not consider that the angels may come to them, or your Lord’s edict may come? Those who were before them had acted likewise; Allah did not wrong them, but they used to wrong themselves.

Ali Ünal

Are they (the unbelievers and/or those who associate partners with God) but waiting for the angels to come to them (to take their souls or bring them a disaster), or for your Lord’s command (to judge them and open Hell for them)? Even so did those before them. God did not wrong them but they did wrong themselves.

Amatul Rahman Omar

These (disbelievers) only wait for the angels to descend upon them (with the punishment), or that the decisive decree of your Lord should come to pass. Their predecessors acted in a (wrong) way as they do. Allâh did not deal with them unjustly but they have been doing injustice to themselves.

English Literal

Do they wait/watch except that the angels or your Lord`s order/command comes ? As/like that those from before them made/did, and God did not cause injustice/oppression to them, and but they were themselves causing injustice/oppression.

Faridul Haque

So what are they waiting for, except that the angels come upon them or that your Lord’s punishment comes? Those before them did exactly this; and Allah did not oppress them at all, but it is they who used to wrong themselves.

Hamid S. Aziz

Do they expect other than that the angels should come to take them away, or that your Lord´s command should come to pass? Even so did those before them; Allah did not wrong them; but it was themselves they wronged.

Hilali & Khan

Do they (the disbelievers and polytheists) await but that the angels should come to them [to take away their souls (at death)], or there should come the command (i.e. the torment or the Day of Resurrection) of your Lord? Thus did those before them. And Allah wronged them not, but they used to wrong themselves.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Whom the angels cause to die in purity, saying: Peace be to you! enter the Garden for what you did.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

They do not wait aught but that the angels should come to them or that the commandment of your Lord should come to pass. Thus did those before them; and Allah was not unjust to them, but they were unjust to themselves.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Await they aught say that the angels should come unto them or thy Lord's command should come to pass? Even so did those before them. Allah wronged them not, but they did wrong themselves,

Muhammad Sarwar

Are they (the disbelievers) waiting for the angels and the decree of your Lord to be fulfilled before they believe? The people who lived before them had also done the same thing. God did not do injustice to them, but they wronged themselves.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Are they looking for the angels to come down or the order of your Lord to come? As such did those who have gone before them. Allah did not wrong them, but they wronged themselves,

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Are they but waiting for the angels to come to them, or there comes the command of your Lord Thus did those before them. And Allah did not wrong them, but they were wronging themselves.

Wahiduddin Khan

Are they waiting for the angels to come to them, or the fulfillment of your Lord's will? Those who went before them did the same. God did not wrong them; rather they wronged themselves.

Talal Itani

Are they but waiting for the angels to come to them, or for the command of your Lord to arrive? Those before them did likewise. God did not wrong them, but they used to wrong their own souls.

Tafsir jalalayn

Do they, the disbelievers, await anything but that the angels should come to them (read [feminine person] ta'thim or [masculine] ya'thim) to seize their spirits, or that there should come your Lord's command?, chastisement, or the resurrection that entails it. So, just as these have done, did those before them, from among the [former] communities; they denied their messengers and were therefore destroyed. And God did not wrong them, destroying them for no sin, but they used to wrong themselves, through disbelief.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Disbelievers' Refrain from Faith means that They were simply awaiting Punishment

Allah says;

هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلاَّ أَن تَأْتِيَهُمُ الْمَليِكَةُ أَوْ يَأْتِيَ أَمْرُ رَبِّكَ

Are they but waiting for the angels to come to them, or there comes the command of your Lord!

Threatening the idolators for their persistence in falsehood and their conceited delusions about this world, Allah says;Are these people waiting only for the angels to come and take their souls!

Qatadah said;
أَوْ يَأْتِيَ أَمْرُ رَبِّكَ
(Or there comes the command of your Lord),

"means the Day of Resurrection and the terror that they will go through."

كَذَلِكَ فَعَلَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ

Thus did those before them.

means, thus did their predecessors and those who were like them among the idolators persist in their Shirk, until they tasted the wrath of Allah and experienced the punishment and torment that they suffered.

وَمَا ظَلَمَهُمُ اللّهُ

And Allah did not wrong them.

because by sending His Messengers and revealing His Books He gave them enough warning and clearly demonstrated His proofs to them.

وَلـكِن كَانُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ



but they were wronging themselves.

meaning, by opposing the Messengers and denying what they brought