Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Ma'idah Verse 21

Mufti Taqi Usmani

O my people, enter the Holy Land which Allah has destined for you, and do not turn back, lest you should turn losers.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

O  my people! Enter the Holy Land which Allah has destined for you ˹to enter˺. And do not turn back or else you will become losers.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

O my people, enter the Holy Land which Allah has ordained for you, and do not turn back or else you will return as losers.”

A. J. Arberry

O my people, enter the Holy Land which God has prescribed for you, and turn not back in your traces, to turn about losers.'

Abdul Haleem

My people, go into the holy land which God has ordained for you––do not turn back or you will be the losers.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

O my people! enter the holy land which Allah hath prescribed for you and turn not back to your rearward for then ye become losers.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"O my people! Enter the holy land which Allah hath assigned unto you, and turn not back ignominiously, for then will ye be overthrown, to your own ruin."

Abul Ala Maududi

My people! Enter the holy land which Allah has ordained for you; and do not turn back for then you will turn about losers.

Ahmed Ali

Enter then, my people, the Holy Land that God has ordained for you, and do not turn back, or you will suffer."

Ahmed Raza Khan

“O my people! Enter the holy land which Allah has decreed for you and do not turn back, for you will turn back as losers.”

Ali Quli Qarai

O my people, enter the Holy Land which Allah has ordained for you, and do not turn your backs, or you will become losers.’

Ali Ünal

"O my people! Enter the holy land which God has prescribed for you and commanded you to enter; and do not turn back (from faith to your previous state), for then you will turn about as losers (in both this world and the Hereafter)."

Amatul Rahman Omar

`O my people, enter the Holy Land which Allâh has ordained for you, and turn not on your backs, for then you turn losers.´

English Literal

You my nation, enter the earth the Holy that God wrote/dictated for you, and do not return on your backs, so you turn around losers ."

Faridul Haque

“O my people! Enter the holy land which Allah has decreed for you and do not turn back, for you will turn back as losers.”

Hamid S. Aziz

They said, "O Moses! Verily, therein are giants; and we will surely not enter therein until they go out from thence; when they depart, then will we enter."

Hilali & Khan

"O my people! Enter the holy land (Palestine) which Allah has assigned to you, and turn not back (in flight) for then you will be returned as losers."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And when Moses said to his people: O my people, remember the favour of Allah to you when he raised prophets among you and made you kings and gave you what he gave not to any other of the nations.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

O my people! enter the holy land which Allah has prescribed for you and turn not on your backs for then you will turn back losers.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

O my people! Go into the holy land which Allah hath ordained for you. Turn not in flight, for surely ye turn back as losers:

Muhammad Sarwar

Enter the sacred promised land which God has designated for you. Do not return to disbelief lest you become lost".

Qaribullah & Darwish

Enter, my people, the Holy Land which Allah has written for you. Do not turn back in your footsteps, lest you shall turn to be losers'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

"O my people! Enter the Holy Land which Allah has assigned to you and turn not back; for then you will be returned as losers."

Wahiduddin Khan

O my people! Enter the holy land which God has assigned for you. Do not turn back, or you will be the losers."

Talal Itani

“O my people, enter the Holy Land which God has assigned for you, and do not turn back, lest you return as losers.”

Tafsir jalalayn

O my people, enter the Holy, the purified, Land which God has ordained for you, [which] He commanded you to enter, and this is Syria (al-shm), and do not turn back in flight, [do not] retreat in fear of the enemy, or you will end up as losers', in your efforts.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

يَا قَوْمِ ادْخُلُوا الَارْضَ المُقَدَّسَةَ

"O my people! Enter the Holy Land,

Allah states that Musa encouraged the Children of Israel to perform Jihad and enter Jerusalem, which was under their control during the time of their father Yaqub. Yaqub and his children later moved with his children and household to Egypt during the time of Prophet Yusuf. His offspring remained in Egypt until their exodus with Musa. They found a mighty, strong people in Jerusalem who had previously taken it over. Musa, Allah's Messenger, ordered the Children of Israel to enter Jerusalem and fight their enemy, and he promised them victory and triumph over the mighty people if they did so. They declined, rebelled and defied his order and were punished for forty years by being lost, wandering in the land uncertain of where they should go. This was their punishment for defying Allah's command.

Allah said that Musa ordered them to enter the Holy Land,

الَّتِي كَتَبَ اللّهُ لَكُمْ

which Allah has assigned to you

meaning, which Allah has promised to you by the words of your father Israil, that it is the inheritance of those among you who believe.

وَلَا تَرْتَدُّوا عَلَى أَدْبَارِكُمْ

and turn not back

in flight from Jihad.

فَتَنقَلِبُوا خَاسِرِينَ



قَالُوا يَا مُوسَى إِنَّ فِيهَا قَوْمًا جَبَّارِينَ وَإِنَّا لَن نَّدْخُلَهَا حَتَّىَ يَخْرُجُواْ مِنْهَا فَإِن يَخْرُجُواْ مِنْهَا فَإِنَّا دَاخِلُونَ