Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Ma'idah Verse 118

Mufti Taqi Usmani

If You punish them, they are Your slaves after all, but if You forgive them, You are the Mighty, the Wise.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

If You punish them, they belong to You after all.[[ i.e., as your creation, they cannot escape the punishment. ]] But if You forgive them, You are surely the Almighty, All-Wise.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

If You punish them, they are Your slaves; if You forgive them, You are indeed the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.”

A. J. Arberry

If Thou chastisest them, they are Thy servants; if Thou forgivest them, Thou art the All-mighty, the All-wise.'

Abdul Haleem

and if You punish them, they are Your servants; if You forgive them, You are the Almighty, the Wise.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Shouldst Thou torment them, then verily they are Thine creatures; and shouldst Thou forgive them, then verily Thou! Thow art the Mighty, the Wise.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"If Thou dost punish them, they are Thy servant; If Thou dost forgive them, Thou art the Exalted in power, the Wise."

Abul Ala Maududi

If You chastise them, they are Your servants; and if You forgive them, You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise."'

Ahmed Ali

If You punish them, indeed they are Your creatures; if You pardon them, indeed You are mighty and wise."

Ahmed Raza Khan

“If you punish them, then indeed they are Your slaves; and if you forgive them, then indeed You only are the Almighty, the Wise.”

Ali Quli Qarai

If You punish them, they are indeed Your creatures; but if You forgive them, You are indeed the All-mighty, the All-wise.’

Ali Ünal

"If You punish them, they are Your servants; and if You forgive them, You are the All-Glorious with irresistible might, the All-Wise."

Amatul Rahman Omar

`If You punish them, then surely they are Your servants and if You pardon them, You surely are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.´

English Literal

`If You torture them, so that they are Your worshippers/slaves, and if You forgive for them, so that You are the glorious/mighty , the wise/judicious .`

Faridul Haque

“If you punish them, then indeed they are Your slaves; and if you forgive them, then indeed You only are the Almighty, the Wise.”

Hamid S. Aziz

Allah said, "This is the day when their truthfulness shall profit the truthful, for them are Gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they dwell in security for ever. Allah is well pleased with them, and they well pleased with Him; that is the great triumph (happiness, fulfilment, achievement, success)."

Hilali & Khan

"If You punish them, they are Your slaves, and if You forgive them, verily You, only You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

I said to them naught save as Thou didst command me: Serve Allah, my Lord and your Lord; and I was a witness of them so long as I was among them, but when Thou didst cause me to die Thou wast the Watcher over them. And Thou art Witness of all things.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

If Thou shouldst chastise them, then surely they are Thy servants; and if Thou shouldst forgive them, then surely Thou art the Mighty, the Wise.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

If Thou punish them, lo! they are Thy slaves, and if Thou forgive them (lo! they are Thy slaves). Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Mighty, the Wise.

Muhammad Sarwar

You may punish Your servants or forgive them for You are Majestic and Wise."

Qaribullah & Darwish

If You punish them (for their disbelief), they surely are Your subjects; and if You forgive them, surely You are the Almighty, the Wise'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

"If You punish them, they are Your servants, and if You forgive them, verily You, only You are the Almighty, the All-Wise."

Wahiduddin Khan

and if You punish them, they are surely Your servants; and if You forgive them, You are surely the Mighty and Wise."

Talal Itani

If You punish them, they are Your servants; but if You forgive them, You are the Mighty and Wise.”

Tafsir jalalayn

If you chastise them, that is, those among them who are fixed upon disbelief, verily they are Your servants, and You are their Master, disposing of them as You will; there can be no objection to [what] You [do]; and if You forgive them, that is, those of them who are believers, You, only You, are the Mighty, in His affair, the Wise', in His actions.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

If You punish them, they are Your servants, and if You forgive them, verily You, only You are the Almighty, the All-Wise.

All matters refer back to Allah, for He does what He Wills and none can question Him about what He does, while He will question them.

This Ayah also shows the crime of the Christians who invented a lie against Allah and His Messenger, thus making a rival, wife and son for Allah. Allah is glorified in that He is far above what they attribute to Him. So this Ayah has tremendous value and delivers unique news