Al-Qur'an Surah Ash-Shu'ara Verse 129

Mufti Taqi Usmani

and take the objects of architecture as if you are going to live forever,

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

and construct castles, as if you are going to live forever,

Ruwwad Translation Center

And do you construct for yourselves palaces, hoping that you will live forever?

A. J. Arberry

and do you take to you castles, haply to dwell forever?

Abdul Haleem

Do you build fortresses because you hope to be immortal?

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And take ye for yourselves castles that haply ye may abide.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"And do ye get for yourselves fine buildings in the hope of living therein (for ever)?

Abul Ala Maududi

and erect huge palaces as though you will live for ever,

Ahmed Ali

Erect palaces (thinking) that you will live for ever,

Ahmed Raza Khan

“And prefer strong palaces, that perhaps you may live for ever?”

Ali Quli Qarai

You set up structures as if you will be immortal,

Ali Ünal

"And make for yourselves great castles (as if) hoping that you might live for ever;

Amatul Rahman Omar

`And you raise fortresses in the hope that you will abide till long.

English Literal

And you take factories , maybe/perhaps you be immortal/eternal ?

Faridul Haque

“And prefer strong palaces, that perhaps you may live for ever?”

Hamid S. Aziz

"Do you build on every height a monument of vain delight?

Hilali & Khan

"And do you get for yourselves palaces (fine buildings) as if you will live therein for ever.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And I ask of you no reward for it; surely my reward is only with the Lord of the worlds.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And you make strong fortresses that perhaps you may

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And seek ye out strongholds, that haply ye may last for ever?

Muhammad Sarwar

and raise strong mansions as if you were to live forever?

Qaribullah & Darwish

And do you take to yourselves underground reservoirs, in order to live for ever!

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

"And do you get for yourselves Masani` as if you will live therein forever"

Wahiduddin Khan

and erect castles hoping that you will live forever.

Talal Itani

And you set up fortresses, hoping to live forever?

Tafsir jalalayn

And you set up structures, for [extracting] water underground, that perhaps you might, as though you will, last forever, therein and not die.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

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

The scholars of Tafsir differed over the meaning of the word Ri`. In brief, they said that it refers to an elevated location at a well-known crossroads, where they would build a huge, dazzling, sturdy structure, this is why he said;

أَتَبْنُونَ بِكُلِّ رِيعٍ ايَةً
(Do you build on every Ri` an Ayah) i.e., a well-known landmark,

تَعْبَثُونَ
(for your amusement), meaning, `you are only doing that for the purpose of frivolity, not because you need it, but for fun and to show off your strength.'

So their Prophet, peace be upon him, denounced them for doing that, because it was a waste of time and exhausted people's bodies for no purpose, and kept them busy with something that was of no benefit in this world or the next.

He said;

وَتَتَّخِذُونَ مَصَانِعَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَخْلُدُونَ