Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Anbya Verse 43

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Or do they have gods who protect them besides Us? They are not able to help even themselves, nor will they have anyone to side with them against Us.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Or do they have gods—other than Us—that can protect them? They cannot ˹even˺ protect themselves, nor will they be aided against Us.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Do they have gods who can defend them against Us? They cannot even help themselves, nor will they be protected from Us.

A. J. Arberry

Or have they gods that shall defend them apart from Us? Why, they are not able to help themselves, nor shall they be guarded in safety from Us.

Abdul Haleem

Do they have gods who can defend them against Us? Their gods have no power to help themselves, nor can they be protected from Us.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Have they gods who defend them beside Us? They are not able to succour themselves, and against Us they cannot be kept company with.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Or have they gods that can guard them from Us? They have no power to aid themselves, nor can they be defended from Us.

Abul Ala Maududi

Do they have any gods who would protect them against Us? They have no power even to help themselves; nor do they enjoy Our support.

Ahmed Ali

Or do they have lords of their own besides Us who can defend them? But they are not able to help themselves, nor can they find protection against Us.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Do they have some Gods who protect them from Us? Neither can they save themselves nor save their friends from Us.

Ali Quli Qarai

Do they have gods besides Us to defend them? Neither can they help themselves, nor can they shield [the idolaters] from Us.

Ali Ünal

Or do they really have deities apart from Us to defend them? They (those alleged deities) are not even able to help themselves, nor can they get any help and friendship from Us.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Or do they have gods that can defend them against Us? They are not able to help (even) themselves, nor shall they receive any help from Us.

English Literal

Or (are) for them gods preventing/protecting them from other than/besides Us, (or are there Gods that protect them from Us), they are not able (of) victory/aid (to) themselves, and nor they are from Us being accompanied/befriended.

Faridul Haque

Do they have some Gods who protect them from Us? Neither can they save themselves nor save their friends from Us.

Hamid S. Aziz

Say, "Who guards you by night and by day from the Beneficent?" Nay, but they turn away from the mention of their Lord.

Hilali & Khan

Or have they aliha (gods) who can guard them from Us? They have no power to help themselves, nor can they be protected from Us (i.e. from Our Torment).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Say: Who guards you by night and by day from the Beneficent? Nay, they turn away at the mention of their Lord.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Or, have they gods who can defend them against Us? They shall not be able to assist themselves, nor shall they be defended from Us.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Or have they gods who can shield them from Us? They cannot help themselves nor can they be defended from Us.

Muhammad Sarwar

Can their gods protect them against Us? Their gods have no power even to help themselves, nor are they safe from Our retribution.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Or have they gods to defend them, other than Us? Indeed, they are unable to help themselves, neither shall they be guarded in safety from Us.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Or have they gods who can guard them from Us They have no power to help themselves, nor can they be protected from Us.

Wahiduddin Khan

Do they have other deities who can defend them against Us? They cannot even help themselves, neither can they be aided against Us.

Talal Itani

Or do they have gods who can defend them against Us? They cannot help themselves, nor will they be protected from Us.

Tafsir jalalayn

Or is it that they have (am, `or', functions with the sense of a hamza used to indicate denial, that is, [read it as] a-lahum, `do they have') gods to defend them, against that which might cause them harm, besides Us? In other words, do they have anyone other than Us to defend them against such [things]? No! They, namely, the gods, cannot help themselves, and so they will not [be able to] help them; nor shall they, the disbelievers, be protected from Us, from Our chastisement (one may say sahibaka'Llhu, to mean `May God preserve and protect you').

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

أَمْ لَهُمْ الِهَةٌ تَمْنَعُهُم مِّن دُونِنَا

Or have they gods who can guard them from Us!

This is a rhetorical question aimed at denouncing and rebuking.

The meaning is, do they have any gods who can protect them and take care of them other than Us. It is not as they imagine or as they claim.

Allah says;

لَاا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ نَصْرَ أَنفُسِهِمْ

They have no power to help themselves,

these gods on whom they rely instead of Allah cannot even help themselves.

وَلَا هُم مِّنَّا يُصْحَبُونَ



nor can they be protected from Us.

Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn Abbas,

"Nor can they be guarded from Us.