Al-Qur'an Surah Muhammad Verse 27

Mufti Taqi Usmani

So, how (miserable) will they be when the angels will exact their souls, smiting their faces and their backs?

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Then how ˹horrible˺ will it be when the angels take their souls, beating their faces and backs!

Ruwwad Translation Center

How will they feel when the angels take their souls, striking their faces and their backs?

A. J. Arberry

How shall it be, when the angels take them, beating their faces and their backs?

Abdul Haleem

How will they feel when the angels take them in death and beat their faces and their backs

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

How then shall it be when the angels shall take them away at death smiting their faces and their backs!

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

But how (will it be) when the angels take their souls at death, and smite their faces and their backs?

Abul Ala Maududi

But how will they fare when angels will take their souls at death and will carry them, striking their faces and backs?

Ahmed Ali

How will it be when the angels draw out their souls striking their faces and their backs?

Ahmed Raza Khan

So how (dreadful) will it be when the angels remove their souls, striking at their faces and their backs!

Ali Quli Qarai

But how will it be [with them] when the angels take them away, striking their faces and their backs?!

Ali Ünal

So, how (will it be) when the angels take their souls at death, striking their faces and their backs?

Amatul Rahman Omar

But how (will they fare), when the angels cause them to die, smiting them on their faces and their backs?

English Literal

So how (is it) if the angels made them die, they strike/hit their faces and their backs/ends?

Faridul Haque

So how (dreadful) will it be when the angels remove their souls, striking at their faces and their backs!

Hamid S. Aziz

But how will it be when the angels take their souls in death and smite their faces and their backs.

Hilali & Khan

Then how (will it be) when the angels will take their souls at death, smiting their faces and their backs?

Maulana Mohammad Ali

That is because they say to those who hate what Allah has revealed: We will obey you in some matters. And Allah knows their secrets.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

But how will it be when the angels cause them to die smiting their backs.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Then how (will it be with them) when the angels gather them, smiting their faces and their backs!

Muhammad Sarwar

How terrible it will be for them when the angels take away their souls by striking their faces and their backs.

Qaribullah & Darwish

How shall it be when the angels (of death) take them and beat them on their face and back?

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Then how (will it be) when the angels will take their souls at death, striking their faces and their backs

Wahiduddin Khan

Then how will it be when the angels take their souls, beating them on their faces and their backs,

Talal Itani

How about when the angels take them at death, beating their faces and their backs?

Tafsir jalalayn

Then how will it be, their predicament, when the angels take them away, beating (yadribna is a circumstantial qualifier referring to the angels) their faces and their backs?, with hooked iron rods.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

How (will it be) when the angels will take their souls at death, striking their faces and their backs?

That is, how their situation will be when the angels come to take their lives, and their souls cling to their bodies, causing the angels to extract them by force, harshness, and beating.

This is similar to Allah's saying,

وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ يَتَوَفَّى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ الْمَلَـيِكَةُ يَضْرِبُونَ وُجُوهَهُمْ وَأَدْبَـرَهُمْ

If you could but see when the angels take away the lives of the disbelievers, striking their faces and their backs. (8;50)

And His saying,

وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذِ الظَّـلِمُونَ فِى غَمَرَاتِ الْمَوْتِ وَالْمَلَـيِكَةُ بَاسِطُواْ أَيْدِيهِمْ

If you could but see when the wrongdoers are in the agonies of death, while the angels extend their hands? (6;93)

meaning, to beat them.

أَخْرِجُواْ أَنفُسَكُمُ الْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ عَذَابَ الْهُونِ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ وَكُنتُمْ عَنْ ءَايَـتِهِ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ

(saying);"Deliver your souls! This day you will be recompensed with the torment of degradation because of what you used to utter against Allah other than the truth, and because you used to arrogantly reject His signs." (6;93)

Because of the above, Allah says,

ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمُ اتَّبَعُوا مَا أَسْخَطَ اللَّهَ وَكَرِهُوا رِضْوَانَهُ فَأَحْبَطَ أَعْمَالَهُمْ