Al-Qur'an Surah Al-An'am Verse 116

Mufti Taqi Usmani

If you obey the majority of those on earth, they will make you lose the way of Allah. They follow nothing but whims, and they do nothing but make conjectures.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

˹O Prophet!˺ If you were to obey most of those on earth, they would lead you away from Allah’s Way. They follow nothing but assumptions and do nothing but lie.

Ruwwad Translation Center

If you obey most of those on earth, they will lead you away from the way of Allah. They follow nothing but assumptions and they do nothing but lie.

A. J. Arberry

If thou obeyest the most part of those on earth they will lead thee astray from the path of God; they follow only surmise, merely conjecturing.

Abdul Haleem

If you obeyed most of those on earth, they would lead you away from the path of God. They follow nothing but speculation; they are merely guessing.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And if thou obeyedest most of those on the earth, they would lead thee astray from the way of Allah; they follow not but their fancy, and they only conjecture.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Wert thou to follow the common run of those on earth, they will lead thee away from the way of Allah. They follow nothing but conjecture; they do nothing but lie.

Abul Ala Maududi

(O Muhammad!) If you obey the majority of those who live on earth, they will lead you away from Allah's path. They only follow idle fancies, indulging in conjecture.

Ahmed Ali

If you follow the majority of people on the earth, they will lead you astray from the path of God, for they follow only conjecture and surmise.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And O listener, (followers of the Prophet) most of the people on earth are such that were you to obey them, they would mislead you from Allah’s way; they follow only assumptions and they only make guesses.

Ali Quli Qarai

If you obey most of those on the earth, they will lead you astray from the way of Allah. They follow nothing but conjectures and they do nothing but surmise.

Ali Ünal

And if you pay heed to the majority of those on the earth, they will lead you astray from God’s way. They follow only conjecture (not knowledge), and they themselves do nothing but make guesses (they pronounce and act according to their fancies, selfish interests, and personal value judgments).

Amatul Rahman Omar

Should you obey the majority of those on earth, they would lead you astray from Allâh´s way. They follow nothing but mere surmise and they do nothing but make conjectures.

English Literal

And if you obey (follow) most of who (is) in the earth, they misguide you from God`s way/path , that they follow except the assumption/suspicion , and that they (are) except lying/speculating.

Faridul Haque

And O listener, (followers of the Prophet) most of the people on earth are such that were you to obey them, they would mislead you from Allah’s way; they follow only assumptions and they only make guesses.

Hamid S. Aziz

But if you follow most of those who are in the land, they will lead you astray from the Way of Allah. They follow naught but opinion (conjecture or suspicion) and they only guess.

Hilali & Khan

And if you obey most of those on earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah's Path. They follow nothing but conjectures, and they do nothing but lie.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And the word of thy Lord has been accomplished truly and justly. There is none who can change His words; and He is the Hearer, the Knower.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And if you obey most of those in the earth, they will lead you astray from Allah's way; they follow but conjecture and they only lie.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

If thou obeyedst most of those on earth they would mislead thee far from Allah's way. They follow naught but an opinion, and they do but guess.

Muhammad Sarwar

Most of the people in the land will lead you away from God's guidance if you follow them; they only follow their own conjecture and preach falsehood.

Qaribullah & Darwish

If you obeyed most of those on earth, they would lead you astray from the Path of Allah. They follow only supposition and they are but conjecturing.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And if you obey most of those on the earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah's path. They follow nothing but conjecture, and they do nothing but lie.

Wahiduddin Khan

If you obey the majority of those on earth, they will lead you astray from God's way. They follow nothing but conjecture. They are only guessing.

Talal Itani

If you were to obey most of those on earth, they would divert you from God’s path. They follow nothing but assumptions, and they only conjecture.

Tafsir jalalayn

If you obey most of those on earth, that is, the disbelievers, they will lead you astray from the way of God, [from] His religion; they follow only supposition, when they dispute with you concerning [the status of] carrion, saying; `What God has killed is more worthy of your consumption than what you kill yourselves!'; they are merely guessing, speaking falsehood in this [matter].

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Most People are Misguided

Allah says;

وَإِن تُطِعْ أَكْثَرَ مَن فِي الَارْضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللّهِ

And if you obey most of those on the earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah's path.

Allah states that most of the people of the earth, are misguided.

Allah said in other Ayat,

وَلَقَدْ ضَلَّ قَبْلَهُمْ أَكْثَرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ

And indeed most of the men of old went astray before them. (37;71)

and,

وَمَأ أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُوْمِنِينَ

And most of mankind will not believe even if you eagerly desire it. (12;103)

They are misguided, yet they have doubts about their way, and they rely on wishful thinking and delusions.

إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلاَّ الظَّنَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلاَّ يَخْرُصُونَ



They follow nothing but conjecture, and they do nothing but lie.

Thus, they fulfill Allah's decree and decision concerning them