Al-Qur'an Surah An-Naml Verse 68

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Indeed, it was promised to us and to our fathers even before this. This is nothing but the tales of the ancients.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

We have already been promised this, as well as our forefathers earlier. This is nothing but ancient fables!”

Ruwwad Translation Center

We and our forefathers have been promised this before; this is nothing but ancient fables!”

A. J. Arberry

We have been promised this, and our fathers before; this is naught but the fairy-tales of the ancients.'

Abdul Haleem

We have heard such promises before, and so did our forefathers. These are just ancient fables.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Assuredly we have been promised this aforetime, we and our fathers. Naught is this but fables of the ancients.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"It is true we were promised this,- we and our fathers before (us); these are nothing but tales of the ancients."

Abul Ala Maududi

We were told about this and so were our forefathers before us. But these are no more than fairy tales that have been recounted from ancient times."

Ahmed Ali

Indeed we and our fathers had been promised this before. It is nothing but the earlier people's lore."

Ahmed Raza Khan

“Indeed this promise was given to us, and before us to our forefathers – this is nothing but stories of former people.”

Ali Quli Qarai

We and our fathers were promised this before. [But] these are just myths of the ancients.’

Ali Ünal

"We have certainly been threatened with this before, we and our forefathers. This is nothing but fables of the ancients!"

Amatul Rahman Omar

`We have been surely given this promise once before (this) and also our forefathers. But such a thing is nothing but tales of the ancients.´

English Literal

We had been (E) promised this, we and our fathers from before, that this (is) except the first`s/beginners/ myths/baseless stories .270

Faridul Haque

“Indeed this promise was given to us, and before us to our forefathers - this is nothing but stories of former people.”

Hamid S. Aziz

And those who disbelieved say, "What! When we have become dust and (or like) our fathers, shall we indeed be brought forth?

Hilali & Khan

"Indeed we were promised this, we and our forefathers before, Verily, these are nothing but tales of ancients."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Nay, their knowledge reaches not the Hereafter. Nay, they are in doubt about it. Nay, they are blind to it.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

We have certainly been promised this, we and our fathers before; these are naught but stories of the ancients

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

We were promised this, forsooth, we and our fathers. (All) this is naught but fables of the men of old.

Muhammad Sarwar

It was promised to us and to our fathers before us. It is only ancient legends."

Qaribullah & Darwish

We were promised this before, and so were our fathers. It is but the fictitious story of the ancients'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

"Indeed we were promised this -- we and our forefathers before, verily, these are nothing but tales of ancients."

Wahiduddin Khan

We and our fathers were promised this before; these are but old stories."

Talal Itani

We were promised that before, we and our ancestors—these are nothing but legends of the ancients.”

Tafsir jalalayn

Already we and our fathers have been promised this before. [But] these are just the [legendary] fables of the ancients' (astr is the plural of ustra, meaning `what has been written down [m sutira] of lies').

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

لَقَدْ وُعِدْنَا هَذَا نَحْنُ وَابَاوُنَا مِن قَبْلُ

Indeed we were promised this -- we and our forefathers before,

meaning, `we and our forefathers have been hearing this for a long time, but in reality, we have never seen it happen.'

إِنْ هَذَا إِلاَّ أَسَاطِيرُ الاَْوَّلِينَ



verily, these are nothing but tales of ancients.

the promises that bodies will be restored are
إِلاَّ أَسَاطِيرُ الاَْوَّلِينَ
(nothing but tales of ancients),

meaning that they were taken by the people who came before us from books which were handed down from one to the other, but they have no basis in reality.

Responding to their thoughts of disbelief and their belief that there would be no Resurrection, Allah said