Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nisa Verse 42

Mufti Taqi Usmani

On that Day, those who have disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger shall wish that the earth were leveled with them. They shall not (be able to) conceal anything from Allah.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

On that Day, those who denied ˹Allah˺ and disobeyed the Messenger will wish they were reduced to dust. And they will never be able to hide anything from Allah.[[ Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ) asked one of his companions, ’Abdullah ibn Mas’ûd, to recite some verses of the Quran for him because he loved to hear it from someone other than himself. ’Abdullah recited from the beginning of this sûrah until he reached verse 42. When he was told he may stop, ’Abdullah said he looked at the face of Prophet (ﷺ) and saw tears rolling down his cheeks.]] 

Ruwwad Translation Center

On that Day, those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger will wish that the earth were leveled upon them. And they will not be able to hide anything from Allah.

A. J. Arberry

Upon that day the unbelievers, those who have disobeyed the Messenger, will wish that the earth might be levelled with them; and they will not conceal from God one tiding.

Abdul Haleem

On that day, those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Prophet will wish that the earth could swallow them up: they will not be able to hide anything from God.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

That Day those who had disbelieved and disobeyed the apostle would fain that the earth would be levelled over them, and from Allah they will not be able to hide any discourse.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

On that day those who reject Faith and disobey the messenger will wish that the earth Were made one with them; But never will they hide a single fact from Allah!

Abul Ala Maududi

Those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger will wish on that Day that the earth were levelled with them. They will not be able to conceal anything from Allah.

Ahmed Ali

On that day those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Prophet, shall wish they were levelled with the dust, and shall not be able to conceal a thing from God.

Ahmed Raza Khan

On that day, those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Noble Messenger will wish that they be buried and the ground levelled above them; and they will not be able to hide anything from Allah.

Ali Quli Qarai

On that day those who were faithless and [who] disobeyed the Apostle will wish the earth were levelled with them, and they will not conceal any matter from Allah.

Ali Ünal

On that Day those who disbelieved (in this life and died in unbelief) and disobeyed the Messenger wish that the earth might be leveled with them (so as to leave no trace or record of them); but they will not be able to conceal from God any telling (of what they said or did).

Amatul Rahman Omar

On that day those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger would wish that the earth were made level with them. They shall not be able to conceal anything from Allâh.

English Literal

That day those who disbelieved and disobeyed the messenger if the earth/Planet Earth be straightened with them, and they do not hide/conceal (from) God an information/speech.

Faridul Haque

On that day, those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Noble Messenger will wish that they be buried and the ground levelled above them; and they will not be able to hide anything from Allah.

Hamid S. Aziz

Do you not see those who have been given a portion of the Book? They buy error, and they wish that you may stray from the way!

Hilali & Khan

On that day those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) will wish that they were buried in the earth, but they will never be able to hide a single fact from Allah.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

But how will it be when We bring from every people a witness and bring thee as a witness against these?

Mohammad Habib Shakir

On that day will those who disbelieve and disobey the Apostle desire that the earth were levelled with them, and they shall not hide any word from Allah.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

On that day those who disbelieved and disobeyed the messenger will wish that they were level with the ground, and they can hide no fact from Allah.

Muhammad Sarwar

At that time the disbelievers who disobeyed the Messenger will wish that they could be turned into dust and they will be able to hide nothing from God.

Qaribullah & Darwish

On that Day those who disbelieved, and have disobeyed the Messenger (Muhammad) will wish that the earth might be leveled with them, and they will not conceal a statement from Allah.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

On that day those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger will wish that they were buried in the earth, but they will never be able to hide a single fact from Allah.

Wahiduddin Khan

On that Day, those who were bent on denying the truth and disobeyed the Messenger will wish that the earth were made level above them. They will not be able to hide anything from God.

Talal Itani

On that Day, those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger will wish that the earth were leveled over them. They will conceal nothing from God.

Tafsir jalalayn

Upon that day, the day of bringing forward; the disbelievers, those who have disobeyed the Messenger, will wish that (law, `if', means an, `that') the earth might be levelled with them (read passive tusaww, or active tasaww, or tassaww), so that like it they might also become dust, [and this is] because of the terror of that day, as is stated in another verse; The disbeliever shall say, `O would that I were dust!' [Q. 78;40]. And they will not hide from God any talk, of what they did, although at another stage they do actually hide it and say, `By God, our Lord, we never associated anything with You' [Q. 6;23].

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

يَوْمَيِذٍ يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَعَصَوُاْ الرَّسُولَ لَوْ تُسَوَّى بِهِمُ الَارْضُ

On that day those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger will wish that they were buried in the earth,

means, they will wish that the earth would open up and swallow them because of the horror of the gathering place and the disgrace, dishonor and humiliation they will suffer on that Day.

This is similar to Allah's statement,

يَوْمَ يَنظُرُ الْمَرْءُ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ

The Day when man will see that (the deeds) which his hands have sent forth. (78;40)

Allah then said,

وَلَا يَكْتُمُونَ اللّهَ حَدِيثًا



but they will never be able to hide a single fact from Allah.

indicating that they will admit to everything they did and will not hide any of it.

Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Sa`id bin Jubayr said,

"A man came to Ibn Abbas and said to him, `There are things that confuse me in the Qur'an.'

Ibn Abbas said, `What things do you have doubts about in the Qur'an?'

He said, `Not doubts, but rather confusing things.'

Ibn Abbas said, `Tell me what caused you confusion.'

He said, `I hear Allah's statement,

ثُمَّ لَمْ تَكُن فِتْنَتُهُمْ

إِلاَّ أَن قَالُواْ وَاللّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشْرِكِينَ


There will then be no test for them but to say;"By Allah, our Lord, we were not those who joined others in worship with Allah." (6;23)

but He also says,

وَلَا يَكْتُمُونَ اللّهَ حَدِيثًا


but they will never be able to hide a single fact from Allah.

They have indeed hid something.

Ibn Abbas said,

`As for Allah's statement,
ثُمَّ لَمْ تَكُن فِتْنَتُهُمْ

إِلاَّ أَن قَالُواْ وَاللّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشْرِكِينَ
(There will then be no test for them but to say;"By Allah, our Lord, we were not those who joined others in worship with Allah)", when they see that on the Day of Resurrection that Allah does not forgive, except for the people of Islam, and that He forgives the sins, no matter how big they are, except Shirk, then the Mushriks will lie. They will say,
وَاللّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشْرِكِينَ
`("By Allah, our Lord, we were not those who joined others in worship with Allah."), hoping that Allah will forgive them. However, Allah will then seal their mouths, and their hands and feet will disclose what they used to do. Then,
يَوْمَيِذٍ يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَعَصَوُاْ الرَّسُولَ لَوْ تُسَوَّى بِهِمُ الَارْضُ وَلَا يَكْتُمُونَ اللّهَ حَدِيثًا
(those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger will wish that they were buried in the earth, but they will never be able to hide a single fact from Allah)."