Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Isra Verse 48

Mufti Taqi Usmani

See how they have made (silly) statements about you; so they have gone astray and cannot find a way.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

See how they call you names ˹O Prophet˺![[ They rejected you as a magician, a poet, a fabricator, and madman.]] So they have gone so ˹far˺ astray that they cannot find the ˹Right˺ Way.

Ruwwad Translation Center

See how they call you names! Thus they have gone astray and cannot find a way.

A. J. Arberry

Behold, how they strike similitudes for thee, and go astray, and cannot find a way!

Abdul Haleem

See what they think you are like! But they are lost and cannot find the right way.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Behold! how they propound similitudes for thee! They have strayed and cannot find a way.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

See what similes they strike for thee; but they have gone astray, and never can they find a way.

Abul Ala Maududi

Just see how strange are the things they invent about you. They have altogether strayed, and are unable to find the right way.

Ahmed Ali

See, what comparisons they coin for you, and go astray, and thus cannot find the way.

Ahmed Raza Khan

See the kind of examples they invent for you! They therefore strayed, so cannot find a path.

Ali Quli Qarai

Look, how they coin epithets for you; so they go astray, and cannot find a way.

Ali Ünal

See what strange comparisons they invent about you. They have altogether strayed and are now unable to find a way (to the truth).

Amatul Rahman Omar

Behold! how they coin similitudes to depict you, as a result of which they have gone astray; so they will not be able to find a way (of their salvation).

English Literal

Look/see/wonder about how they gave to you the examples/proverbs, so they became misguided, so they are not able (of) a way/path .

Faridul Haque

See the kind of examples they invent for you! They therefore strayed, so cannot find a path.

Hamid S. Aziz

Behold, what similitudes they strike out for you, but they err (or have gone astray), and cannot find the way.

Hilali & Khan

See what examples they have put forward for you. So they have gone astray, and never can they find a way.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

We know best what they listen to when they listen to thee, and when they take counsel secretly, when the wrongdoers say: You follow only a man deprived of reason.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

See what they liken you to! So they have gone astray and cannot find the way.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

See what similitudes they coin for thee, and thus are all astray, and cannot find a road!

Muhammad Sarwar

Consider what they have called you. They have certainly gone astray and cannot find the right path.

Qaribullah & Darwish

See what they compared you to. They have surely gone astray and cannot find a Path.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

See what examples they have put forward for you. So they have gone astray, and never can they find a way.

Wahiduddin Khan

See to what they liken you! But they are lost and cannot find the right path.

Talal Itani

Note what they compared you to. They are lost, and unable to find a way.

Tafsir jalalayn

God, exalted be He, says; Look how they strike similitudes for you, such as [your being] bewitched, a soothsayer or a poet, and they go astray, thereby from [the path of] guidance, and cannot find a way, a path to it!

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

See what examples they have put forward for you. So they have gone astray, and never can they find a way.

meaning, they will never be guided to the truth and will never find a way to reach it.

Muhammad bin Ishaq said in As-Sirah;"Muhammad bin Muslim bin Shihab Az-Zuhri told me that;

it happened that Abu Sufyan bin Harb, Abu Jahl bin Hisham and Al-Akhnas bin Shurayq bin Amr bin Wahb Ath-Thaqafi, the ally of Bani Zahrah, went out one night to listen to the Messenger of Allah when he was praying at night in his house.

Each one of them took up a position for listening, and none of them knew that the others were also there. They stayed listening to him all night until dawn came. When they left, they met up on the road, each of them blaming the others, saying to one another; `Do not come back again, lest you give the wrong impression (i.e., that you like what you hear).'

Then they went away until the second night came, when each of them came back to his place and spent the night listening. When dawn came they left, then when they met up on the road, each of them blamed the others, saying the same as they had said the previous night.

Then they went away until the third night came, when each of them came back to his place and spent the night listening. When dawn came they left, then when they met up on the road, they said to one another, `Let us not leave until we promise not to come back,' so they made a promise to that effect, and went their separate ways.

In the morning, Al-Akhnas bin Shurayq took his stick and went to the house of Abu Sufyan bin Harb, where he said, `Tell me, O Abu Hanzalah (i.e., Abu Sufyan), what do you think of what you have heard from Muhammad!'

Abu Sufyan said, `O Abu Tha`labah (i.e., Al-Akhnas), by Allah, I have heard something I understand and I know what is meant by it, and I have heard things I do not understand and do not know what is meant by it.'

Al-Akhnas said;`Me too, by the One by Whom you swore.'

Then he left and went to Abu Jahl, and entered his house. He said, `O Abu Al-Hakam (i.e., Abu Jahl), what do you think of what you have heard from Muhammad!'

He said, `What did you hear?'

He said, `We and Banu `Abd Manaf competed for honor and position;they fed people so we fed people, they engaged in battle so we engaged in battle, they gave so we gave, until we were neck and neck, like race horses. Then they said, we have a Prophet among us who receives revelation from heaven. How could we compete with that By Allah we will never believe in him.'

Then Al-Akhnas got up and left him.