Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 257

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Allah is the Protector of those who believe. He brings them out of the depths of darkness into the light. As for those who disbelieve, their friends are the Rebels. They bring them out from the light into the depths of darkness. Those are people of the Fire. There they will remain forever.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Allah is the Guardian of the believers—He brings them out of darkness and into light. As for the disbelievers, their guardians are false gods who lead them out of light and into darkness. It is they who will be the residents of the Fire. They will be there forever.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Allah is the Protector of those who believe; He brings them out of the depths of darkness into the light. As for those who disbelieve, their protectors are false gods; they bring them out from the light into the depths of darkness. They are the people of the Fire; they will abide therein forever.

A. J. Arberry

God is the Protector of the believers; He brings them forth from the shadows into the light. And the unbelievers -- their protectors are idols, that bring them forth from the light into the shadows; those are the inhabitants of the Fire, therein dwelling forever.

Abdul Haleem

God is the ally of those who believe: He brings them out of the depths of darkness and into the light. As for the disbelievers, their allies are false gods who take them from the light into the depths of darkness, they are the inhabitants of the Fire, and there they will remain.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Allah is the Patron of those who believe; He bringeth them forth from darknesses into the light; And, for those who disbelieve, the devils are their patrons; they bring them forth from the light into darknesses. These are the fellows of Fire, therein shall be abiders.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Allah is the Protector of those who have faith; from the depths of darkness He will lead them forth into light. Of those who reject faith the patrons are the evil ones; from light they will lead them forth into the depths of darkness. They will be companions of the fire, to dwell therein (For ever).

Abul Ala Maududi

And Allah (Whose support he takes) hears everything and knows everything. Allah is the Helper and Protector of those who believe in Him: He brings them out of the depths of darkness into the light. As for the disbelievers, they have taghut as their patron, who drives them out of light into the depths of darkness. These are the people who are doomed to the Fire, wherein they shall live for ever.

Ahmed Ali

God is the friend of those who believe, and leads them out of darkness into light; but the patrons of infidels are idols and devils who lead them from light into darkness. They are the residents of Hell, and will there for ever abide.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Allah is the Guardian of the Muslims – He removes them from realms of darkness towards light; and the supporters of disbelievers are the devils – they remove them from light towards the realms of darkness; it is they who are the people of fire; they will remain in it forever.

Ali Quli Qarai

Allah is the wali of the faithful: He brings them out of darkness into light. As for the faithless, their awliya are the fake deities, who drive them out of light into darkness. They shall be the inmates of the Fire, and they will remain in it [forever].

Ali Ünal

God is the confidant and guardian of those who believe (to Whom they can entrust their affairs and on Whom they can rely), bringing them out from all kinds of (intellectual, spiritual, social, economic and political) darkness into the light, and keeping them firm therein. And those who disbelieve, their confidants and guardians are the taghut (authorities who rule and devise false religions and systems in defiance of God); bringing them out from the light into all kinds of darkness. Those are companions of the Fire; and they will abide therein.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Allâh is the Patron of those who believe, He brings them out of different kinds of darkness (leading them) into light. As for those who disbelieve, their patrons are the transgressors, they bring them out of light (and lead them) into every kind of darkness. It is these who are the fellows of the Fire, therein shall they live for long.

English Literal

God (is) guardian/patron (of) those who believed, He brings them out from the darknesses to the light, and those who disbelieved, their guardian/patron (is) the devil/every thing worshipped other than God they bring them out from the light to the darknesses, those are the fire`s owners/company , they are in it immortally/eternally .

Faridul Haque

Allah is the Guardian of the Muslims - He removes them from realms of darkness towards light; and the supporters of disbelievers are the devils - they remove them from light towards the realms of darkness; it is they who are the people of fire; they will remain in it forever.

Hamid S. Aziz

Allah is the patron of those who believe, He brings them forth from darkness into light. But those who disbelieve, their patrons are false deities; these bring them forth from light to darkness. Such are fellows of the Fire, they will dwell therein.

Hilali & Khan

Allah is the Wali (Protector or Guardian) of those who believe. He brings them out from darkness into light. But as for those who disbelieve, their Auliya (supporters and helpers) are Taghut [false deities and false leaders, etc.], they bring them out from light into darkness. Those are the dwellers of the Fire, and they will abide therein forever.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Allah is the Friend of those who believe -- He brings them out of darkness into light. And those who disbelieve, their friends are the devils who take them out of light into darkness. They are the companions of the Fire; therein they abide.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Allah is the guardian of those who believe. He brings them out of the darkness into the light; and (as to) those who disbelieve, their guardians are Shaitans who take them out of the light into the darkness; they are the inmates of the fire, in it they shall abide.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Allah is the Protecting Guardian of those who believe. He bringeth them out of darkness into light. As for those who disbelieve, their patrons are false deities. They bring them out of light into darkness. Such are rightful owners of the Fire. They will abide therein.

Muhammad Sarwar

God is the Guardian of the believers and it is He who takes them out of darkness into light. The Devil is the guardian of those who deny the Truth and he leads them from light to darkness. These are the dwellers of hell wherein they will live forever.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Allah is the Guardian of those who believe. He brings them out from darkness into the light. As for those who disbelieve, their guides are idols, they bring them out from the light into darkness. They are the companions of the Fire and shall live in it for ever.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Allah is the Wali (Protector or Guardian) of those who believe. He brings them out from darknesses into light. But as for those who disbelieve, their Awliya' (supporters and helpers) are Taghut (false deities and false leaders), they bring them out from light into darknesses. Those are the dwellers of the Fire, and they will abide therein forever.

Wahiduddin Khan

God is the patron of the faithful. He leads them from darkness to the light. As for those who deny the truth, their supporter is Satan, who brings them out of light into darkness. They are the heirs of the Fire, and there they will remain forever.

Talal Itani

God is the Lord of those who believe; He brings them out of darkness and into light. As for those who disbelieve, their lords are the evil ones; they bring them out of light and into darkness—these are the inmates of the Fire, in which they will abide forever.

Tafsir jalalayn

God is the Protector, helper, of the believers; He brings them forth from the shadows, of unbelief, into the light, of faith. And the disbelievers -- their protectors are false deities, that bring them forth from the light into the shadows; the repetition of `bringing forth from' here is either to be taken as a reflection of His [previous] words, "He brings them forth from the shadows", or as a reference to all those Jews who believed in the Prophet before he was sent, but then rejected him, those are the inhabitants of the Fire, therein they shall abide.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Allah says;

اللّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ امَنُواْ يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّوُرِ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ أَوْلِيَأوُهُمُ الطَّاغُوتُ يُخْرِجُونَهُم مِّنَ النُّورِ إِلَى الظُّلُمَاتِ

Allah is the Wali (Protector or Guardian) of those who believe. He brings them out from darknesses into light. But as for those who disbelieve, their Awliya' (supporters and helpers) are Taghut (false deities and false leaders), they bring them out from light into darknesses.

Allah stated that whoever follows what pleases Him, He will guide him to the paths of peace, that is Islam, or Paradise. Verily, Allah delivers His believing servants from the darkness of disbelief, doubt and hesitation, to the light of the plain, clear, explained, easy and unequivocal truth.

He also stated that Shaytan is the supporter of the disbelievers who beautifies the paths of ignorance and misguidance that they follow, thus causing them to deviate from the true path into disbelief and wickedness.

أُوْلَـيِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ



Those are the dwellers of the Fire, and they will abide therein forever.

This is why Allah mentioned the light in the singular while mentioned the darkness in the plural, because truth is one, while disbelief comes as several types, all of which are false.

Similarly, Allah said,

وَأَنَّ هَـذَا صِرَطِي مُسْتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمْ عَن سَبِيلِهِ ذَلِكُمْ وَصَّـكُمْ بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ


And verily, this is my straight path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His path. This He has ordained for you that you may have Taqwa. (6;153)

وَجَعَلَ الظُّلُمَـتِ وَالنُّورَ

And originated the darknesses and the light. (6;1)

and,

ظِلَـلُهُ عَنِ الْيَمِينِ

to the right and to the lefts. (16;48)

There are many other Ayat on the subject that mention the truth in the singular and falsehood in the plural, because of falsehood's many divisions and branches