Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Anbya Verse 39

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Only if the disbelievers were to know the time when they will not (be able to) keep off the fire from their faces or from their backs, nor will they be helped.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

If only the disbelievers knew that a time will come when they will not be able to keep the Fire off their faces or backs, nor will they be helped.

Ruwwad Translation Center

If only the disbelievers knew the moment when they will be unable to ward the Fire off their faces or their backs, nor will they be helped.

A. J. Arberry

If the unbelievers but knew when that they shall not ward off the Fire from their faces nor from their backs, neither shall they be helped!

Abdul Haleem

If the disbelievers only knew, the time will arrive when they will not be able to ward off the Fire from their faces or their backs, and they will get no help.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

If only those who disbelieve have known of the time when they shall not be able to ward off from their faces the Fire nor from their backs, nor shall they be succoured!

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

If only the Unbelievers knew (the time) when they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces, nor yet from their backs, and (when) no help can reach them!

Abul Ala Maududi

If only the unbelievers knew of the Hour when they shall not be able to keep off the Fire from their faces, nor from their backs; nor shall they be helped.

Ahmed Ali

If only the unbelievers could apprehend the moment when they would neither be able to ward off the fire from their faces and their backs, nor help reach them!

Ahmed Raza Khan

If only the disbelievers realised the time when they will not be able to stop the fire from their faces and from their backs – and nor are they to be helped.

Ali Quli Qarai

If only the faithless knew about the time when they will not be able to keep the Fire off their faces and their backs, nor will they be helped!

Ali Ünal

If only those who persistently disbelieve knew the time when they will be unable to ward off the Fire from their faces, and from their backs, and they will never be helped against it!

Amatul Rahman Omar

How good it would be if those who disbelieve could know the time when they will not be able to ward off (the flames of) the fire from their faces nor from their backs and they shall not be helped!

English Literal

If those who disbelieved know when they do not prevent/stop the fire from their faces/fronts, and nor from their backs, and nor they, they be given victory/aid.

Faridul Haque

If only the disbelievers realised the time when they will not be able to stop the fire from their faces and from their backs - and nor are they to be helped.

Hamid S. Aziz

And they say, "When will this threat (come to pass), if you tell the truth?"

Hilali & Khan

If only those who disbelieved knew (the time) when they will not be able to ward off the Fire from their faces, nor from their backs; and they will not be helped.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And they say: When will this threat come to pass, if you are truthful?

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Had those who disbelieve but known (of the time) when they shall not be able to ward off the fire from their faces nor from their backs, nor shall they be helped.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

If those who disbelieved but knew the time when they will not be able to drive off the fire from their faces and from their backs, and they will not be helped!

Muhammad Sarwar

Would that the unbelievers knew that no one would protect their faces and backs against the fire, nor they would be helped.

Qaribullah & Darwish

If the unbelievers only knew when they will be unable to shield either their faces or their backs from the Fire; when they will not be helped!

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

If only those who disbelieved knew (the time) when they will not be able to ward off the Fire from their faces, nor from their backs, and they will not be helped.

Wahiduddin Khan

If only those who deny the truth knew the time when they would not be able to ward off the fire neither from their faces nor from their backs. They will not be helped!

Talal Itani

If those who disbelieve only knew, when they cannot keep the fire off their faces and off their backs, and they will not be helped.

Tafsir jalalayn

[God] exalted be He, says; If those who disbelieved only knew of the time when they shall not [be able to] ward off, repel, the Fire from their faces, nor from their backs, nor shall they be helped, [nor] shall they be protected from it at the Resurrection (the response to the [conditional particle] law, `if only', is [something along the lines of] `they would not have said that').

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

لَوْ يَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا حِينَ لَا يَكُفُّونَ عَن وُجُوهِهِمُ النَّارَ وَلَا عَن ظُهُورِهِمْ

If only those who disbelieved knew (the time) when they will not be able to ward off the Fire from their faces, nor from their backs,

meaning, if only they knew for certain that it will inevitably come to pass, they would not seek to hasten it. If only they knew how the torment will overwhelm them from above them and from beneath their feet.

لَهُمْ مِّن فَوْقِهِمْ ظُلَلٌ مِّنَ النَّارِ وَمِن تَحْتِهِمْ ظُلَلٌ

They shall have coverings of Fire, above them and coverings (of Fire) beneath them. (39;16)

لَهُم مِّن جَهَنَّمَ مِهَادٌ وَمِن فَوْقِهِمْ غَوَاشٍ

Theirs will be a bed of Hell (Fire), and over them coverings (of Hellfire). (7;41)

And in this Ayah Allah says;

حِينَ لَا يَكُفُّونَ عَن وُجُوهِهِمُ النَّارَ وَلَا عَن ظُهُورِهِمْ


when they will not be able to ward off the Fire from their faces, nor from their backs,

And Allah says;

سَرَابِيلُهُم مِّن قَطِرَانٍ وَتَغْشَى وُجُوهَهُمْ النَّارُ

Their garments will be of tar, and fire will cover their faces. (14;50)

The torment will surround them on all sides,

وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ



and they will not be helped.

means, and they will have no helper.

This is like the Ayah;

وَمَا لَهُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ مِن وَاقٍ

And they have no guardian against Allah. (13;34)