Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 134

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Those are a people who have passed away. For them is what they earned, and for you is what you earned. Nor shall you be questioned as to what they have been doing.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

That was a community that had already gone before. For them is what they earned and for you is what you have earned. And you will not be accountable for what they have done.

Ruwwad Translation Center

That was a nation which has passed; they will have what they earned and you will have what you earned, and you will not be questioned concerning what they used to do.

A. J. Arberry

That is a nation that has passed away; there awaits them that they have earned, and there awaits you that you have earned; you shall not be questioned concerning the things they did.

Abdul Haleem

That community passed away. What they earned belongs to them, and what you earn belongs to you: you will not be answerable for their deeds.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

That are a community who have passed away, unto them shall be that which they earned and unto you that which ye earn, and ye shall be questioned not of that which they were wont to Work.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

That was a people that hath passed away. They shall reap the fruit of what they did, and ye of what ye do! Of their merits there is no question in your case!

Abul Ala Maududi

They were a people who passed away; they shall receive the reward of what they earned and you shall have the reward of what you will earn; and you will not be questioned as to what they did.

Ahmed Ali

Those were the people, and they have passed away. Theirs the reward for what they did, as yours will be for what you do. You will not be questioned about their deeds.

Ahmed Raza Khan

This was a nation that has passed away; for them is what they earned, and yours is what you earn; and you will not be questioned about their deeds.

Ali Quli Qarai

That was a nation that has passed: for it there will be what it has earned, and for you there will be what you have earned, and you will not be questioned about what they used to do.

Ali Ünal

Those were a people that passed away. Theirs is what they earned, and yours is what you earn. You will not be called to account for what they used to do.

Amatul Rahman Omar

This was a community preaching righteousness which has passed away; for them is (the fruit of) what (good deeds) they performed, while for you is (the reward of) what (noble deeds) you perform. You will not be called upon to account for their deeds.

English Literal

That is a nation had past for it what it earned/acquired and for you what you earned/acquired and you are not to (be) asked/questioned about what they were doing/making .

Faridul Haque

These were a nation who have passed away; for them is what they earned, and yours is what you earn; and you will not be questioned about their deeds.

Hamid S. Aziz

That is a nation that has passed away, theirs is what they gained; and your s shall be what you have gained; you shall not be questioned as to that which they have done.

Hilali & Khan

That was a nation who has passed away. They shall receive the reward of what they earned and you of what you earn. And you will not be asked of what they used to do.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Those are a people that have passed away; for them is what they earned and for you what you earn; and you will not be asked of what they did.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

This is a people that have passed away; they shall have what they earned and you shall have what you earn, and you shall not be called upon to answer for what they did.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Those are a people who have passed away. Theirs is that which they earned, and yours is that which ye earn. And ye will not be asked of what they used to do.

Muhammad Sarwar

That nation (children of Abraham) is gone. They have reaped what they sowed, and the same applies to you. You are not responsible for their deeds.

Qaribullah & Darwish

That was a nation that has passed away. Theirs is what they earned, and yours what you have earned. You shall not be questioned about what they did.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

That was a nation who has passed away. They shall receive the reward of what they earned and you of what you earn. And you will not be asked of what they used to do.

Wahiduddin Khan

Those were a people that have passed away; what they did is theirs and what you have done is yours. You will not be answerable for their deeds.

Talal Itani

That was a community that has passed; for them is what they have earned, and for you is what you have earned; and you will not be questioned about what they used to do.

Tafsir jalalayn

That (tilka, is the subject of this sentence and denotes Abraham, Jacob and his sons, and is feminine because it agrees with the gender of its predicate) is a community that has passed away, has gone before; theirs is what they have earned, the reward for their deeds (lah m kasabat, theirs is what they have earned', constitutes the commencement of a new sentence) and yours (the Jews are being addressed here) is what you have earned; you shall not be asked about what they did, in the same way that they will not be asked about what you did, this latter statement being an affirmation of the former.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ

That was a nation who has passed away,

meaning, existed before your time.

لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُمْ

They shall receive the reward of what they earned and you of what you earn.

This Ayah proclaims, Your relationship to the Prophets or righteous people among your ancestors will not benefit you, unless you perform good deeds that bring about you religious benefit. They have their deeds and you have yours.

وَلَا تُسْأَلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ



And you will not be asked of what they used to do.

This is why a Hadith proclaims,

مَنْ بَطَّأَ بِهِ عَمَلُهُ لَمْ يُسْرِعْ بِهِ نَسَبُه

Whoever was slowed on account of his deeds will not get any faster on account of his family lineage