Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Mulk Verse 22

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Then, is the one who walks falling down (frequently) on his face more right or the one who walks properly on a straight path?

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Who is ˹rightly˺ guided: the one who crawls facedown or the one who walks upright on the Straight Path?

Ruwwad Translation Center

Who is better guided: the one who walks stumbling and falling on his face or the one who walks upright on a straight path?

A. J. Arberry

What, is he who walks prone upon his face better guided than he who walks upright on a straight path?

Abdul Haleem

Who is better guided: someone who falls on his face, or someone who walks steadily on a straight path?

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Is he, then, who goeth about grovelling upon his face better directed, or he who walketh evenly on a straight path?

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Is then one who walks headlong, with his face grovelling, better guided,- or one who walks evenly on a Straight Way?

Abul Ala Maududi

Who is better guided: he who walks grovelling on his face, or he who walks upright on a Straight Path?

Ahmed Ali

Will he find the way who grovels flat on his face, or he who walks straight on the right path?

Ahmed Raza Khan

So is one who walks inverted upon his face more rightly guided, or one who walks upright on the Straight Path?

Ali Quli Qarai

Is he who walks prone on his face better guided, or he who walks upright on a straight path?

Ali Ünal

(Now consider:) Is one who goes prone upon his face (with no breadth or depth to his line of sight, barely seeing what is touching his face) better guided, or one who goes upright (with a clear line of sight to what is ahead of him) on a straight path?

Amatul Rahman Omar

Is he, who goes groveling on his face, better guided or he who walks upright on a straight and right path?

English Literal

Is who walks up-side-down/facing down on his face/front more guided? Or who walks straight/upright on a straight/direct road/way?

Faridul Haque

So is one who walks inverted upon his face more rightly guided, or one who walks upright on the Straight Path?

Hamid S. Aziz

What! Is he who goes prone upon his face better guided or he who walks upright upon a Straight Way?

Hilali & Khan

Is he who walks without seeing on his face, more rightly guided, or he who (sees and) walks on a Straight Way (i.e. Islamic Monotheism).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Say: He it is Who multiplies you in the earth and to Him you will be gathered.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

What! is he who goes prone upon his face better guided or he who walks upright upon a straight path?

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Is he who goeth groping on his face more rightly guided, or he who walketh upright on a straight road?

Muhammad Sarwar

Can one who walks with his head hanging down be better guided that one who walks with his head upright?

Qaribullah & Darwish

What, is he who walks, falling upon his face, more guided than he who walks upright on a Straight Path!

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Is he who walks prone on his face, more rightly guided, or he who walks upright on a straight path

Wahiduddin Khan

Is he who walks grovelling upon his face better guided, or he who walks upright upon a straight path?

Talal Itani

Is he who walks bent on his own design better guided, or he who walks upright on a straight path?

Tafsir jalalayn

Is he who walks cast down, fallen, on his face more rightly guided, or he who walks upright on a straight path? (the predicate of the second man, `who', has been omitted, but is indicated by the predicate of the first, namely, ahd, `more rightly guided'; the similitude refers to the believer and the disbeliever and to which of the two is more rightly guided).

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Is he who walks prone on his face, more rightly guided, or he who walks upright on a straight path?

This is a parable which Allah made of the believer and the disbeliever. So the condition of the disbeliever is like one who walks prone on his face. This is like a person walking bent over on his face (with his head down) instead of walking upright. This person does not know where he is going or how. Rather, he is lost, astray and confused. Is this person more guided, or he who walks upright (
أَمَّن يَمْشِي سَوِيًّا
), meaning, he who stands erect on a straight path (
عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
) meaning, this person who walks upright is on a clear path, and he is straight within himself while his path is straight as well.

This is their likeness in this world, and their likeness will be the same in the Hereafter. So the believer will be gathered (on the Day of Judgement) walking upright upon the straight path and the vast and spacious Paradise will be opened up for him. However, the disbeliever will be gathered walking down on his face to the Hellfire.

احْشُرُواْ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ وَأَزْوَجَهُمْ وَمَا كَانُواْ يَعْبُدُونَ

مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ فَاهْدُوهُمْ إِلَى صِرَطِ الْجَحِيمِ

Assemble those who did wrong, together with their companions and what they used to worship instead of Allah, and lead them on to the way of flaming Fire. (37;22,23)

"Companions" here means those like them.

Imam Ahmad recorded from Anas bin Malik that it was said, "O Messenger of Allah! How will the people be gathered on their faces" So the Prophet replied,

أَلَيْسَ الَّذِي أَمْشَاهُمْ عَلَى أَرْجُلِهِمْ قَادِرًا عَلَى أَنْ يُمْشِيَهُمْ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِم

Is not He who made them to walk on their legs able to make them walk on their faces"

This Hadith is also recorded in the Two Sahihs.
Allah's Power to create and It being an Evidence of the Final Abode

Allah says