Al-Qur'an Surah Al-'Ankabut Verse 29

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Is it (not) a fact that you go for men (to satisfy your lust) and rob the wayfarers and commit evil in your gathering?” So the answer of his people was none but that they said, “Bring us Allah’s punishment, if you are one of the truthful.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Do you really lust after ˹other˺ men, abuse the travellers, and practice immorality ˹openly˺ in your gatherings?” His people’s only response was to say ˹mockingly˺: “Bring Allah’s punishment upon us, if what you say is true.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

Do you approach men with lust, engage in highway robbery, and practice immoral acts in your gatherings?” But the only response his people gave was to say, “Bring us Allah’s punishment, if you are truthful.”

A. J. Arberry

What, do you approach men, and cut the way, and commit in your assembly dishonour?' But the only answer of his people was that they said, 'Then bring us the chastisement of God, if thou speakest truly.'

Abdul Haleem

How can you lust after men, waylay travellers, and commit evil in your gatherings?’ the only answer his people gave was, ‘Bring God’s punishment down on us, if what you say is true.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Ye go in indeed unto males, and ye rob on the highway, and ye commit that which is disreputable in your assembly? Then the answer of his people was naught but that they said: bring thou God's torment on us if thou art of the truth-tellers.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"Do ye indeed approach men, and cut off the highway?- and practise wickedness (even) in your councils?" But his people gave no answer but this; they said; "Bring us the Wrath of Allah if thou tellest the truth."

Abul Ala Maududi

What! Do you go to men (to satisfy your lust), engage in highway robbery, and commit evil deeds in your gatherings?” Then they had no answer to offer other than to say: “Bring Allah's chastisement upon us if you are truthful.”

Ahmed Ali

You commit unnatural acts with men and cut off the way (of procreation), and commit obscenities in your gatherings." The only answer his people made was: "Bring the punishment of God, if you are truthful."

Ahmed Raza Khan

“What! You commit the immoral with males, and cut off the roads; and you speak evilly in your gatherings?” So his people had no answer except to say, “Bring the punishment of Allah upon us if you are truthful!”

Ali Quli Qarai

What! Do you come to men, and cut off the way, and commit outrages in your gatherings?’ But the only answer of his people was that they said, ‘Bring down us Allah’s punishment, if you are truthful.’

Ali Ünal

(After such severe warnings of God) will you continue to go come to men with lust, waylay (travelers) on the road (especially male travelers), and commit shameful deeds in your assemblies? The response of his people was only that they said (mocking and challenging him): "Bring down upon us the punishment of God with which you threaten us, if you are truthful!"

Amatul Rahman Omar

`Is it not true you approach men (lustfully) and commit highway robbery? (Is it not true also) you commit indecent action in your gatherings?´ But his people had no response to make, (yet) they said, `Bring upon us the punishment of Allâh if you are of those who speak the truth.´

English Literal

That you are coming/doing/committing (E) (to) the men (sexually), and you cut off/sever the way/path , and you come/commit in your gathering/assembly/club (with) the defiance of God and His orders/obscenity . So his nation`s answer/reply was not except that they said: "Come/bring to us with God`s torture, if you were from the truthful."

Faridul Haque

“What! You commit the immoral with males, and cut off the roads; and you speak evilly in your gatherings?” So his people had no answer except to say, “Bring the punishment of Allah upon us if you are truthful!”

Hamid S. Aziz

And Lot! (Remember) When he said to his people, "Verily, you commit an abomination such as no creature did before you.

Hilali & Khan

"Verily, you do sodomy with men, and rob the wayfarer (travellers, etc.)! And practise Al-Munkar (disbelief and polytheism and every kind of evil wicked deed) in your meetings." But his people gave no answer except, that they said: "Bring Allah's Torment upon us if you are one of the truthful."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And We granted him Isaac and Jacob, and ordained prophethood and the Book among his seed. And We gave him his reward in this world, and in the Hereafter he will surely be among the righteous.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

What! do you come to the males and commit robbery on the highway, and you commit evil deeds in your assemblies? But nothing was the answer of his people except that they said: Bring on us Allah's punishment, if you are one of the truthful.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

For come ye not in unto males, and cut ye not the road (for travellers), and commit ye not abomination in your meetings? But the answer of his folk was only that they said: Bring Allah's doom upon us if thou art a truthteller!

Muhammad Sarwar

Do you engage in carnal relations with men, rob the travellers, and commit evil in your gatherings? His people had no answer but to say, "Bring upon us the torment of God if you are truthful".

Qaribullah & Darwish

What, do you approach men and cause a detour on the road, and commit dishonor (sodomy) in your assembly' But the only reply of his nation was: 'Then bring down the punishment of Allah, if what you say is true'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

"Verily, you practice sodomy with men, and rob the wayfarer! And practice Al-Munkar in your meetings." But his people gave no answer except that they said: "Bring Allah's torment upon us if you are one of the truthful."

Wahiduddin Khan

You approach men and waylay them on the road and commit depravities within your gatherings." But his people's only reply was, "Bring down God's punishment upon us, if what you say be true."

Talal Itani

You approach men, and cut off the way, and commit lewdness in your gatherings.” But the only response from his people was to say, “Bring upon us God’s punishment, if you are truthful.”

Tafsir jalalayn

What! Do you come unto men, and cut off the way, the [travel] roads of passers-by, committing lewd acts with whoever passes your way, such that people ceased to pass by [where] you [live], and you discuss in your gatherings, in your conversations, indecency?', [you discuss] committing lewd acts with one another. But the only answer of his people was that they said, `Bring us the chastisement of God, if you are truthful', in your deeming such [acts] vile and that chastisement will befall those who do such things.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

أَيِنَّكُمْ لَتَأْتُونَ الرِّجَالَ وَتَقْطَعُونَ السَّبِيلَ

And (remember) Lut, when he said to his people;

"You commit immoral sins which none has preceded you in (committing) it in all creatures. Verily, you practice sodomy with men, and rob the wayfarer!"

Allah tells us that His Prophet Lut, peace be upon him, denounced his people for their evil deed and their immoral actions in having intercourse with males, a deed which none of the sons of Adam had ever committed before them. As well as doing this, they also disbelieved in Allah and rejected and opposed His Messenger, they robbed wayfarers, they would lie in wait on the road, kill people and loot their possessions.

وَتَأْتُونَ فِي نَادِيكُمُ الْمُنكَرَ

And practice Al-Munkar in your meetings.

This means, `in your gatherings you do and say things that are not befitting, and you do not denounce one another for doing such things.'

Some said that they used to have intercourse with one another in public; this was the view of Mujahid.

Some said that they used to compete in passing gas and laughing. This was the view of A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, and Al-Qasim.

Some of them said that they used to make rams fight one another, or organize cockfights. They used to do all of these things, and they were even eviler than that.

فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ إِلاَّ أَن قَالُوا ايْتِنَا بِعَذَابِ اللَّهِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ



But his people gave no answer except that they said;"Bring Allah's torment upon us if you are one of the truthful."

This is indicative of their disbelief, scornful attitude and stubbornness.