Al-Qur'an Surah Saba Verse 11

Mufti Taqi Usmani

(saying to him,) “Make coats of armour, and maintain balance in combining rings, and do, all of you, righteous deeds. Surely I am watchful of what you do.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

instructing: “Make full-length armour, ˹perfectly˺ balancing the links. And work righteousness ˹O family of David!˺. Indeed, I am All-Seeing of what you do.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

“Make coats of mail, and maintain balance in the linking rings, and do [all of you] righteous deeds, for I am All-Seeing of what you do.”

A. J. Arberry

'Fashion wide coats of mail, and measure well the links. ' -- And do ye righteousness, for surely I see the things you do.

Abdul Haleem

saying, ‘Make coats of chain mail and measure the links well.’ ‘Do good, all of you, for I see everything you do.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Saying: make thou complete coats of mail, and rightly dispose the links, and work ye, righteously; verily I am of that which Ye work a Beholder.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

(Commanding), "Make thou coast of mail, balancing well the rings of chain armour, and work ye righteousness; for be sure I see (clearly) all that ye do."

Abul Ala Maududi

“Fashion coats of mail and measure their links with care and act righteously. I am watching over whatever you do.”

Ahmed Ali

"Make long coats of mail," (We said), "and fix their links, and do the right. I surely see whatsoever you do."

Ahmed Raza Khan

“Make large coats of armour and keep proper measure while making; and all of you perform good deeds; I am indeed seeing your deeds.”

Ali Quli Qarai

saying, ‘Make easy coats of mail, and keep the measure in arranging [the links], and act righteously. Indeed I watch what you do.’

Ali Ünal

(So that he was enabled to obey the command): "Make long coats-of-mail (to cover more of the body) and order with care the sequence (of actions in the process)". And (O family and followers of David,) do good, righteous deeds. Surely I see very well all that you do."

Amatul Rahman Omar

(We said to him,) `Make full length coats of mail (to cover the whole body) forging links of proper measure (for their smooth working).´ (And We also said to him and his followers,) `Do righteous deeds. I am a keen Observer of what you do.´

English Literal

That (E) make/do/work complete/long signs or hooks the attack helmets (shields) and predestine/evaluate/measure in the plentiful/(armour) and make/do correct/righteous deeds, that I am with what you make/do seeing/knowing .

Faridul Haque

"Make large coats of armour and keep proper measure while making; and all of you perform good deeds; I am indeed seeing your deeds.”

Hamid S. Aziz

And certainly We gave David grace from Us, saying, "O mountains! Echo his psalms of praise with him, and you birds also; and We made the iron pliant unto him,

Hilali & Khan

Saying: "Make you perfect coats of mail, balancing well the rings of chain armour, and work you (men) righteousness. Truly, I am AllSeer of what you do."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And certainly We gave David abundance from Us: O mountains, repeat praises with him, and the birds, and We made the iron pliant to him,

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Saying: Make ample (coats of mail), and assign a time to the making of coats of mail and do good; surely I am Seeing what you do.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Saying: Make thou long coats of mail and measure the links (thereof). And do ye right. Lo! I am Seer of what ye do.

Muhammad Sarwar

so that he could make coats of mail and properly measure their rings. We told him and his people to act righteously. We are Well-Aware of what you do.

Qaribullah & Darwish

(saying): 'Make large coats of mail and measure their links well. Do good deeds, for surely I see the things you do'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Saying: "Make you perfect coats of mail, and balance well the rings of chain armor [Sard], and work you (men) righteousness. Truly, I am All-Seer of what you do."

Wahiduddin Khan

"Make full-length coats of mail, measuring the links well. And do righteous deeds. Surely, I see all that you do."

Talal Itani

“Make coats of armor, and measure the links well; and work righteousness. I am Observant of everything you do.”

Tafsir jalalayn

And We said; `Fashion, from it, long coats of mail -- complete suits of armour which the person wearing it drags behind him along the ground -- and measure [well] the links', that is, in the weaving of the coats (the maker of these is called sarrd). In other words, make them so that the rings thereof are arranged properly. And act, O family of David, together with him, righteously. Indeed I am Seer of what you do, and will requite you for it accordingly.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

أَنِ اعْمَلْ سَابِغَاتٍ

Saying;Make you perfect coats of mail...,

which means chain mail.

Qatadah said,

He was the first person ever to make chain mail; before that, they used to wear plated armor.

وَقَدِّرْ فِي السَّرْدِ

and balance well the rings of chain armor (Sard),

This is how Allah taught His Prophet Dawud, peace be upon him, to make coats of mail.

Mujahid said concerning the Ayah;
وَقَدِّرْ فِي السَّرْد
(and balance well the rings of chain armor (Sard)),

"Do not make the rivets too loose that the rings (of chain mail) will shake, or make them too tight that they will not be able to move at all, but make it just right."

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas said,

"Sard refers to a ring of iron."

Some of them said,

"Chain mail is called Masrud; if it is held together with rivets."

وَاعْمَلُوا صَالِحًا

and work you (men) righteousness.

means, with regard to what Allah has given you of blessings.

إِنِّي بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ



Truly, I am All-Seer of what you do.

means, watching you and seeing all that you do and say؛ nothing of that is hidden at all