Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Furqan Verse 18

Mufti Taqi Usmani

They will say, “Pure are You. It was not for us to adopt other guardians than You. Instead, You gave them and their fathers (worldly) benefits till they forgot the advice, and became a ruined people.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

They will say, “Glory be to You! It was not right for ˹others like˺ us to take any lords besides You,[[ Another possible translation: “They will say, ‘Glory be to You! We would not dare to take other lords besides You ˹so how can we claim to be lords?˺’”]] but You allowed enjoyment for them and their forefathers ˹for so long˺ that they forgot ˹Your˺ remembrance and became a doomed people.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

They will say, “Glory be to You! It was not for us to take besides You any guardians. But You provided for them and their forefathers pleasures, until they forgot the message, for they were a ruined people.”

A. J. Arberry

They shall 'Glory be to Thee! It did not behove us to take unto say, ourselves protectors apart from Thee; but Thou gavest them and their fathers enjoyment of days, until they forgot

Abdul Haleem

They will say, ‘May You be exalted! We ourselves would never take masters other than You! But You granted them and their forefathers pleasures in this life, until they forgot Your Reminder and were ruined.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

They will say; hallowed be Thou! it behoved us not that we should take beside Thee any patron, but Thou allovvedest them and their fathers enjoyment Until they forgat the admonition, and they were a people doomed.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

They will say; "Glory to Thee! not meet was it for us that we should take for protectors others besides Thee; But Thou didst bestow, on them and their fathers, good things (in life), until they forgot the Message; for they were a people (worthless and) lost."

Abul Ala Maududi

They will answer, "Glory be to Thee! We dared not take anyguardian besides Thee: (they were misled because) Thou didst give them and their forefathers all the good things of life till they forgot the Admonition, and incurred the punishment. "

Ahmed Ali

They will answer: "Glory to You. It was not worthy of us to seek any protector other than You. But You allowed them and their fathers a life of ease until they turned oblivious of the Reminder. They were a people impenitent.

Ahmed Raza Khan

They will submit, “Purity is to You – it was not rightful for us to appoint any Master besides You; but You gave them and their forefathers usage to the extent that they forgot Your Remembrance; and they were indeed the people who destroy themselves.”

Ali Quli Qarai

They will say, ‘Immaculate are You! It does not behoove us to take any wali in Your stead! But You provided for them and their fathers until they forgot the Reminder, and they were a ruined lot.’

Ali Ünal

They will say: "All-Glorified You are! It was not for us to take for friends other than You (so they had no right to take us as such and make us objects of their worship). But (the truth is that, out of Your grace) You lavished on them and their forefathers ease in life, but they (being ungrateful) forgot all remembrance of You (and paid no heed to the warning Message Your Messengers brought to them). They were people (corrupt and) doomed to perdition."

Amatul Rahman Omar

They will say, `Holy is Your name! It did not behove us to take patrons apart from You. But You bestowed on them and their fathers the good things of life to such an extent that they gave up remembrance of You and became a ruined people.´

English Literal

They said: "Your praise/glory (it) was, ought not (be) to us that we take from other than You from guardians/allies . And but you made them enjoy and their fathers, until they forgot the reminder, and they were a destroyed/failed nation."

Faridul Haque

They will submit, “Purity is to You - it was not rightful for us to appoint any Master besides You; but You gave them and their forefathers usage to the extent that they forgot Your Remembrance; and they were indeed the people who destroy themselves.”

Hamid S. Aziz

And on the day when He will gather them and that which they served beside Allah, He will say, "Was it you who misled these my servants or did they themselves wander from the way?"

Hilali & Khan

They will say: "Glorified be You! It was not for us to take any Auliya' (Protectors, Helpers, etc.) besides You, but You gave them and their fathers comfort till they forgot the warning, and became a lost people (doomed to total loss).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And on the day when He will gather them, and that which they serve besides Allah, He will say: Was it you who led astray these My servants, or did they themselves stray from the path?

Mohammad Habib Shakir

They shall say: Glory be to Thee; it was not beseeming for us that we should take any guardians besides Thee, but Thou didst make them and their fathers to enjoy until they forsook the reminder, and they were a people in perdition,

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

They will say: Be Thou Glorified! it was not for us to choose any protecting friends beside thee; but Thou didst give them and their fathers ease till they forgot the warning and became lost folk.

Muhammad Sarwar

They will reply, "Lord, You alone deserve all glory! We were not supposed to choose any guardian other than you. Since you have been benevolent to these people and their fathers, they forgot Your guidance and, thus, became subject to perdition."

Qaribullah & Darwish

They will answer: 'Exaltations to You. We should not have taken others for a guardian, but You gave them and their fathers enjoyment until they forgot Your Remembrance and they were a destroyed nation'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

They will say: "Glorified be You! It was not for us to take any Awliya' besides You, but You gave them and their fathers comfort till they forgot the warning, and became a lost people."

Wahiduddin Khan

They will answer, "Hallowed be You! It was not proper for us to choose any guardian other than You. But You gave them and their fathers the comforts of this life, so that they forgot Your reminder and thus brought destruction upon themselves."

Talal Itani

They will say, “Glory be to You. It was not for us to take any lords besides You. But you gave them enjoyments, and their ancestors, until they forgot the Message, and became ruined people.”

Tafsir jalalayn

They will say, `Glory be to You -- exalted be You above what does not befit You! It was not, it would [not] have been right, for us to take any guardians besides You, that is, other than You (min awliy'a, the first direct object, the min being extra, [added] to emphasise the negation; the preceding [min dnika, `besides You'] is the second [direct object]). So how can we command that we be worshipped? But You gave them and their fathers, before them, ease [of living], by granting [them] long life and abundant provision, until they forgot the Remembrance, [until] they became remiss about admonitions and belief in the Qur'n, and became a lost folk', [a folk] destroyed. God, exalted be He, says;

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

قَالُوا سُبْحَانَكَ مَا كَانَ يَنبَغِي لَنَا أَن نَّتَّخِذَ مِن دُونِكَ مِنْ أَوْلِيَاء

They will say;"Glorified be You! It was not for us to take (Nattakhidh) any Awliya' besides You..."

Most of the scholars recite a Fathah on the Nun of the word Nattakhidh in His saying;

نَّتَّخِذَ مِن دُونِكَ مِنْ أَوْلِيَاء

"...for us to take (Nattakhidh) any Awliya' besides You,"

meaning, `it is not right for any created being, neither us nor them, to worship anyone except You; we did not call them to do that, but they did it of their own accord, without us telling them to do it or accepting what they did. We are innocent of them and their worship.'

This is like the Ayah,

وَيَوْمَ يَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعاً ثُمَّ يَقُولُ لِلْمَلَـيِكَةِ أَهَـوُلَاءِ إِيَّاكُمْ كَانُواْ يَعْبُدُونَ قَالُواْ سُبْحَـنَكَ

And (remember) the Day when He will gather them all together, then He will say to the angels;"Was it you that these people used to worship" They (the angels) will say;"Glorified be You!" (34;40-41)

Other scholars understand this phrase to mean;

`it is not proper for us to take anyone except You as protectors or helpers (Awliya'),'

meaning, `it is not proper for anyone to worship us, for we are Your servants and in need of You.'

This meaning is close to the first.

وَلَكِن مَّتَّعْتَهُمْ وَابَاءهُمْ

but You gave them and their fathers comfort,

means, `You made such a long period of time pass that they forgot the Reminder,

i.e., they forgot what had been sent down to them through the Messengers, calling them to worship You alone with no partner or associate.'

حَتَّى نَسُوا الذِّكْرَ

till they forgot the warning,

وَكَانُوا قَوْمًا بُورًا



and became a lost people.

Ibn Abbas said,

"This means, they were destroyed."

Al-Hasan Al-Basri and Malik narrated from Az-Zuhri;

"There was no good in them."

And Allah says