Al-Qur'an Surah Ash-Shu'ara Verse 128

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Do you erect on every height a monument, having no sound purpose,

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

˹Why˺ do you build a landmark on every high place in vanity,

Ruwwad Translation Center

Do you build a landmark on every high place for no purpose?

A. J. Arberry

What, do you build on every prominence a sign, sporting,

Abdul Haleem

How can you be so vain that you set up monuments on every high place?

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Build ye on every eminence a landmark in vanity?

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"Do ye build a landmark on every high place to amuse yourselves?

Abul Ala Maududi

What, you build a monument on every hill merely for fun

Ahmed Ali

You construct monuments on every hill in vain,

Ahmed Raza Khan

“What! You build a structure on every height, to laugh at the passers-by?”

Ali Quli Qarai

Do you build futile a sign on every prominence?

Ali Ünal

"Will you continue to build on every high spot monumental buildings for fun and show;

Amatul Rahman Omar

`What is (wrong with you)? You build a monument on every prominent place, in vain you do it.

English Literal

Do you build/construct at every/each high hill an evidence , something useless in vanity ?"

Faridul Haque

“What! You build a structure on every height, to laugh at the passers-by?”

Hamid S. Aziz

"I ask of you no fee for it; my wage is only the concern of the Lord of the Worlds.

Hilali & Khan

"Do you build high palaces on every high place, while you do not live in them?

Maulana Mohammad Ali

So keep your duty to Allah and obey me.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Do you build on every height a monument? Vain is it that you do:

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Build ye on every high place a monument for vain delight?

Muhammad Sarwar

"Do you build useless monuments on every mountain

Qaribullah & Darwish

Do you build over each high place a sign to amuse yourselves!

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

"Do you build on every Ri` an Ayah for your amusement"

Wahiduddin Khan

Do you build monuments on every high place in vanity,

Talal Itani

Do you build a monument on every height for vanity's sake?

Tafsir jalalayn

Do you build on every prominence, every high place, a monument, an edifice as a signpost for passers-by, so that you may hurl abuse?, at those who pass by you and deride them (ta`bathna, is a circumstantial qualifier referring to the subject of [the verb] tabnna, `you build').

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

`Ad denied the Messengers. When their brother Hud said to them;

"Will you not have Taqwa! Verily, I am a trustworthy Messenger to you. So, have Taqwa of Allah, and obey me. No reward do I ask of you for it; my reward is only from the Lord of all that exists."

Here Allah tells us about His servant and Messenger Hud, when he called his people `Ad. His people used to live in the Ahqaf, curved sand-hills near Hadramawt, on the borders of Yemen. They lived after the time of Nuh, as Allah says in Surah Al-A`raf;

وَاذكُرُواْ إِذْ جَعَلَكُمْ خُلَفَأءَ مِن بَعْدِ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَزَادَكُمْ فِى الْخَلْقِ بَسْطَةً

And remember that He made you successors after the people of Nuh and increased you amply in stature. (7;69)

This refers to the fact that they were physically strong and well-built, and very violent, and very tall; they had also been given a great deal of provisions, wealth, gardens, rivers, sons, crops and fruits. Yet despite all of that, they worshipped others besides Allah. So Allah sent Hud, one of their own, as a Messenger bringing them good news and delivering warnings. He called them to worship Allah alone, and he warned them of Allah's wrath and punishment if they were to go against him and treating him harshly.

He said to them, as Nuh had said to his people;

أَتَبْنُونَ بِكُلِّ رِيعٍ ايَةً تَعْبَثُونَ