Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Mulk Verse 21

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Or, who is there to give you sustenance, if He withholds His sustenance? Still, they persist in rebellion and aversion.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Or who is it that will provide for you if He withholds His provision? In fact, they persist in arrogance and aversion ˹to the truth˺.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Who is there to give you provision if He withholds His provision? Yet they persist in arrogance and aversion.

A. J. Arberry

Or who is this that shall provide for you if He withholds His provision? No, but they persist in disdain and aversion.

Abdul Haleem

Who can provide for you if He withholds His provision? Yet they persist in their insolence and their avoidance of the Truth.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Who is he that can provide for you, should He withhold His provision? Aye! they persists in perverseness and aversion.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Or who is there that can provide you with Sustenance if He were to withhold His provision? Nay, they obstinately persist in insolent impiety and flight (from the Truth).

Abul Ala Maududi

Who shall provide for you if He withholds His sustenance? Nay; but they persist in rebellion and aversion.

Ahmed Ali

Who is there to give you food in case He withholds His bounty? Yet they persist in rebellion and aversion.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Or who is such that will give you sustenance if Allah stops His sustenance? In fact they persist in rebellion and hatred.

Ali Quli Qarai

Who is it that may provide for you if He withholds His provision? Indeed, they persist in defiance and aversion.

Ali Ünal

Who is there that can provide for you if He should withhold His provision? No, but they persist in disdain and aversion (in obstinate flight from truth and reality).

Amatul Rahman Omar

Or who is it that will provide sustenance for you if He withholds His gifts? The fact is that they persist in transgression and are running away (from the truth).

English Literal

Or who (is) that who provides for you if He held (back)/seized His provision? But they persisted, excessed and insisted in arrogance/disobedience and hastening with aversion .

Faridul Haque

Or who is such that will give you sustenance if Allah stops His sustenance? In fact they persist in rebellion and hatred.

Hamid S. Aziz

Or who is it that will provide you if He should withhold His sustenance? Nay! They persist in disdain and aversion (from truth).

Hilali & Khan

Who is he that can provide for you if He should withhold His provision? Nay, but they continue to be in pride, and (they) flee (from the truth).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Say: He it is Who brought you into being and made for you ears and eyes and hearts. Little thanks it is you give!

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Or who is it that will give you sustenance if He should withhold His sustenance? Nay! they persist in disdain and aversion.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Or who is he that will provide for you if He should withhold His providence? Nay, but they are set in pride and frowardness.

Muhammad Sarwar

Is there anyone who will provide you with sustenance if God were to deny you sustenance? In fact, they obstinately persist in their transgression and hatred.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Or, who is it that shall provide for you if He withholds His provision? Yet they persist in arrogance and aversion.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Who is it that can provide for you if He should withhold His provision Nay, but they continue to be in pride, and flee.

Wahiduddin Khan

Who can provide for you, if He withholds His provision? Yet they obstinately persist in rebellion and avoidance of the truth.

Talal Itani

Or who is this that will provide for you, if He withholds His provision? Yet they persist in defiance and aversion.

Tafsir jalalayn

Or who is it that will provide for you if He, the Compassionate One, withholds His provision?, that is to say, [if He withholds] the rain from you (the response to the conditional has been omitted, but is indicated by what preceded it, namely [the statement to the effect] `who will provide for you?', and so [the response would be]; you have no provider other than Him. Nay, but they persist in disdain and aversion, moving away [further] from the truth.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

أَمَّنْ هَذَا الَّذِي يَرْزُقُكُمْ إِنْ أَمْسَكَ رِزْقَهُ

Who is it that can provide for you if He should withhold His provision?

meaning, who is it that can provide for you if Allah cuts off your sustenance There is no one who gives, withholds, creates, provides and helps other than Allah alone, Who has no partner. This proves that they know this, yet they still worship others besides Him.

Thus, Allah says,

بَل لَّجُّوا

Nay, but they continue,

meaning, they persist in their transgression, lying and misguidance.

فِي عُتُوٍّ وَنُفُورٍ




to be in pride, and flee.

meaning, they continue in obstinance, arrogance and fleeing away from the truth. They do not listen to it nor do they follow it.
The Parable of the Disbeliever and the Believer

Then Allah says,

أَفَمَن يَمْشِي مُكِبًّا عَلَى وَجْهِهِ أَهْدَى أَمَّن يَمْشِي سَوِيًّا عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ