Al-Qur'an Surah An-Naml Verse 80

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Surely, you cannot make the dead to hear, nor can you make the deaf to hear your call when they turn their backs in retreat,

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

You certainly cannot make the dead hear ˹the truth˺. Nor can you make the deaf hear the call when they turn their backs and walk away.

Ruwwad Translation Center

You cannot make the dead hear, nor can you make the deaf hear the call when they turn their backs retreating.

A. J. Arberry

Thou shalt not make the dead to hear, neither shalt thou make the deaf to hear the call when they turn about, retreating.

Abdul Haleem

You cannot make the dead hear, you cannot make the deaf listen to your call when they turn their backs and leave,

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Verily thou canst not make the dead hear, nor canst thou make the deaf hear the call when they flee turning their backs.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Truly thou canst not cause the dead to listen, nor canst thou cause the deaf to hear the call, (especially) when they turn back in retreat.

Abul Ala Maududi

Surely you cannot make the dead hear you, nor can you make the deaf hear your call if they turn back in flight,

Ahmed Ali

You cannot make the dead to listen, or the deaf to hear the call, when they have turned their backs,

Ahmed Raza Khan

Indeed the dead* do not listen to your call nor do the deaf* listen to your call, when they flee turning back. (The dead and deaf implies the disbelievers.)

Ali Quli Qarai

You cannot make the dead hear, nor can you make the deaf listen to your call when they turn their backs,

Ali Ünal

Indeed you cannot make the dead hear nor can you make the deaf hear the call once they have turned their backs, going away.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Of course you cannot make the dead hear nor can you make the deaf hear (your) call when they retreat turning their backs (on you).

English Literal

That you do not make the deads hear/listen, and you do not make the deaf hear/listen (to) the call/prayer if they turned away giving their backs.

Faridul Haque

Indeed the dead * do not listen to your call nor do the deaf * listen to your call, when they flee turning back. (The dead and deaf implies the disbelievers.)

Hamid S. Aziz

Rely you then upon Allah, for you stand on obvious Truth.

Hilali & Khan

Verily, you cannot make the dead to hear (i.e. benefit them and similarly the disbelievers), nor can you make the deaf to hear the call, when they flee, turning their backs.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Truly thy Lord will judge between them by His judgment, and He is the Mighty, the Knowing.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Surely you do not make the dead to hear, and you do not make the deaf to hear the call when they go back retreating.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Lo! thou canst not make the dead to hear, nor canst thou make the deaf to hear the call when they have turned to flee;

Muhammad Sarwar

You cannot make the dead listen and the deaf are unable to hear calls. Thus, they turn back on their heels.

Qaribullah & Darwish

You do not make the dead hear, nor do you make the deaf hear you call when they turn about, retreating.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Verily, you cannot make the dead to hear nor can you make the deaf to hear the call, when they flee, turning their backs.

Wahiduddin Khan

You cannot make the dead hear, nor can you make the deaf hear your call, when they turn their backs on it,

Talal Itani

You cannot make the dead hear, nor can you make the deaf hear the call if they turn their backs and flee.

Tafsir jalalayn

Indeed you cannot make the dead hear, nor can you make the deaf hear the call when (al-du`'a idh, read by pronouncing both hamzas, or by not pronouncing the second one, eliding it with the y') they have turned their backs [upon you];

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

إِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَى

Verily, you cannot make the dead to hear,

meaning, you cannot cause them to hear anything that will benefit them. The same applies to those over whose hearts is a veil and in whose ears is deafness of disbelief.

Allah says;

وَلَا تُسْمِعُ الصُّمَّ الدُّعَاء إِذَا وَلَّوْا مُدْبِرِينَ



وَمَا أَنتَ بِهَادِي الْعُمْيِ عَن ضَلَلَتِهِمْ إِن تُسْمِعُ إِلاَّ مَن يُوْمِنُ بِأيَاتِنَا فَهُم مُّسْلِمُونَ