Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Qasas Verse 47

Mufti Taqi Usmani

And (We have sent you as a messenger) lest, in case they suffered a calamity because of what their hands sent ahead, they should say, “Our Lord, why did You not send a messenger to us, so that we might have followed your verses and been among the believers?”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Also so they would not say, if struck by an affliction for what their hands have done: “Our Lord! If only You had sent us a messenger, we would have followed Your revelations and become believers.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

So they would not say – if struck by a calamity because of what their hands have sent forth, “Our Lord, if only You had sent us a messenger, so we could follow Your verses and be among the believers?”

A. J. Arberry

Else, did an affliction visit them for that their own hands have forwarded then they might say, 'Our Lord, why didst Thou not send a Messenger to us that we might follow Thy signs and so be among the believers?'

Abdul Haleem

and may not say, if a disaster should befall them as a result of what they have done with their own hands, ‘Lord, if only You had sent us a messenger, we might have followed Your message and become believers.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And lest, if an affliction had afflicted them for that which their hands had sent before, they should have said: our Lord! wherefore sent not Thou an apostle unto us that we might have followed Thy revelations and been of the believers!

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

If (We had) not (sent thee to the Quraish),- in case a calamity should seize them for (the deeds) that their hands have sent forth, they might say; "Our Lord! why didst Thou not sent us a messenger? We should then have followed Thy Signs and been amongst those who believe!"

Abul Ala Maududi

(We did so) lest a calamity might seize them because of the misdeeds they committed whereafter they would say: "Our Lord, why did you not send a Messenger to us that we follow Your revelation and become among those who believe?"

Ahmed Ali

And in case disaster comes upon them for what they have done themselves, they should say: "O Lord, why did You not send an apostle to us that we should have followed Your commands, and been with those who are believers;"

Ahmed Raza Khan

Otherwise, if some disaster befell them because of what their own hands have sent forward they would say, “Our Lord! Why did you not send a Noble Messenger towards us, so we may have followed Your signs and accepted faith?”

Ali Quli Qarai

And lest—if an affliction were to befall them because of what their hands have sent ahead —they should say, ‘Our Lord! Why did You not send us an apostle so that we might have followed Your signs and been among the faithful?’

Ali Ünal

(We have sent you as Messenger) lest they say when a disaster befalls them (either in the world or in the Hereafter) because of what they themselves with their own hands have forwarded, "Our Lord! If only you had sent a Messenger to us, we would have followed Your Revelations and been among the believers."

Amatul Rahman Omar

And (We have sent you to them) lest when some evil befalls them because of that their hands have sent forward, they should say, `Our Lord, why did You not send a Messenger to us? (If You had sent one) we would have followed Your commandments and would have been of the believers.´

English Literal

Had it not been for that a disaster strikes them because (of) what their hands presented/undertook , so they said: "Our Lord, if only you sent on (to) us a messenger, so we follow your verses/evidences/signs, and we be from the believers."

Faridul Haque

Otherwise, if some disaster befell them because of what their own hands have sent forward they would say, “Our Lord! Why did you not send a Noble Messenger towards us, so we may have followed Your signs and accepted faith?”

Hamid S. Aziz

Nor were you by the side of the mountain when We called; yet are you sent as a mercy from your Lord, that you may warn a people to whom no Warner has come before you that per chance (or possibly) they may be give heed.

Hilali & Khan

And if (We had) not (sent you to the people of Makkah) in case a calamity should seize them for (the deeds) that their hands have sent forth, they should have said: "Our Lord! Why did You not send us a Messenger? We should then have followed Your Ayat (Verses of the Quran) and should have been among the believers."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

But We raised up generations, then life became prolonged to them. And thou was not dwelling among the people of Midian, reciting to them Our messages, but We are the Sender (of messengers).

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And were it not that there should befall them a disaster for what their hands have sent before, then they should say: Our Lord! why didst Thou not send to us an apostle so that we should have followed Thy communications and been of the believers!

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Otherwise, if disaster should afflict them because of that which their own hands have sent before (them), they might say: Our Lord! Why sentest Thou no messenger unto us, that we might have followed Thy revelations and been of the believers?

Muhammad Sarwar

to whom no warner had been sent that perhaps they might take heed, and that, on experiencing afflictions because of their own deeds, they may not say, "Lord, would that You had sent to us a Messenger so that we could follow Your revelations and become believers".

Qaribullah & Darwish

and not say, when evil befalls them on account of that which their hands forwarded: 'Our Lord, why did You not send a Messenger to us so that we might follow Your verses and so that we might be among the believers'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And if (We had) not (sent you to the people of Makkah) in case a calamity should seize them for what their hands have sent forth, they would have said: "Our Lord! Why did You not send us a Messenger We would then have followed Your Ayat and would have been among the believers."

Wahiduddin Khan

and may not say, if an affliction should befall them on account of their misdeeds: "Lord, if only You had sent us a messenger, we might have followed Your message and become believers."

Talal Itani

Otherwise, if a calamity befell them as a result of what their hands have perpetrated, they would say, “Our Lord, if only You had sent us a messenger, we would have followed Your revelations, and been among the believers.”

Tafsir jalalayn

Otherwise, if an affliction, a punishment, should befall them because of what their own hands have sent before them, in the way of disbelief and otherwise, they might say, `Our Lord, why did You not send a messenger to us, that we might have followed Your signs, the ones sent with the messengers, and been of the believers?' (the response to [the conditional particle] lawl, `if', has been omitted, and what follows it is a [new] subject; the meaning is; `were it not for the affliction that is the cause of their saying', or, `were it not for their saying that is the cause of their affliction, We would have hastened on for them their punishment and We would not have sent you as a messenger to them').

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَلَوْلَا أَن تُصِيبَهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ فَيَقُولُوا رَبَّنَا لَوْلَا أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولاً

And if (We had) not (sent you to the people of Makkah) -- in case a calamity should seize them for (the deeds) that their hands have sent forth, they would have said;"Our Lord! Why did You not send us a Messenger!

meaning;`and We have sent you to them to establish proof against them, and to give them no excuse when the punishment of Allah comes to them because of their disbelief, lest they offer the excuse that no Messenger or warner came to them.'

This is like what Allah says about the situation after He revealed His blessed Book the Qur'an;

أَن تَقُولُواْ إِنَّمَا أُنزِلَ الْكِتَابُ عَلَى طَأيِفَتَيْنِ مِن قَبْلِنَا وَإِن كُنَّا عَن دِرَاسَتِهِمْ لَغَافِلِينَ


أَوْ تَقُولُواْ لَوْ أَنَّا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا الْكِتَابُ لَكُنَّا أَهْدَى مِنْهُمْ

فَقَدْ جَاءكُم بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ


Lest you should say;"The Book was sent down only to two sects before us, and for our part, we were in fact unaware of what they studied."

Or lest you should say;"If only the Book had been sent down to us, we would surely have been better guided than they."

So, now has come unto you a clear proof from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy... (6;156-157)

رُّسُلً مُّبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ لِيَلَّ يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى اللَّهِ حُجَّةٌ بَعْدَ الرُّسُلِ

Messengers as bearers of good news as well as warning in order that mankind should have no plea against Allah after the Messengers. (4;165)

يَـأَهْلَ الْكِتَـبِ قَدْ جَأءَكُمْ رَسُولُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ عَلَى فَتْرَةٍ مَّنَ الرُّسُلِ أَن تَقُولُواْ مَا جَأءَنَا مِن بَشِيرٍ وَلَا نَذِيرٍ فَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ بَشِيرٌ وَنَذِيرٌ

O People of the Scripture!

Now has come to you Our Messenger making (things) clear unto you, after a break in (the series of) Messengers, lest you say;"There came unto us no bringer of glad tidings and no warner." But now has come unto you a bringer of glad tidings and a warner. (5;19)

And there are many similar Ayat.

فَنَتَّبِعَ ايَاتِكَ وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُوْمِنِينَ



We would then have followed Your Ayat and would have been among the believers.