Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Anfal Verse 23

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Had Allah seen in them some good, He would have made them listen (as due). But if He makes them listen (now), they will turn away paying no heed.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Had Allah known any goodness in them, He would have certainly made them hear. ˹But˺ even if He had made them hear, they would have surely turned away heedlessly.

Ruwwad Translation Center

If Allah had known any good in them, He would have made them hear, but even if He had made them hear, they would have turned away in aversion.

A. J. Arberry

If God had known of any good in them He would have made them hear; and if He had made them hear, they would have turned away, swerving aside.

Abdul Haleem

If God had known there was any good in them, He would have made them hear, but even if He had, they would still have turned away and taken no notice.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And had Allah known in them any good He would surely have made them hearken; and even if He made them hear, they would surely turn away as backsliders.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

If Allah had found in them any good. He would indeed have made them listen; (As it is), if He had made them listen, they would but have turned back and declined (Faith).

Abul Ala Maududi

And had Allah known in them any good He would surely, have made them hear; but (being as they, are) even if He made them hear, they would have surely turned away in aversion.

Ahmed Ali

If God had seen any good in them He would surely have made them hear. Now even if He makes them hear they will turn away (in obduracy).

Ahmed Raza Khan

And had Allah found any goodness in them, He would have made them hear; and had He made them hear they would, in the end, have turned away and gone back.

Ali Quli Qarai

Had Allah known any good in them, He would have surely made them hear, and were He to make them hear, surely they would turn away, being disregardful.

Ali Ünal

And had God seen any good in them, He would certainly have made them hear, but (being as they are) even if He made them hear, they would surely turn away in aversion.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Had Allâh found any good in them, He would have certainly made them listen (to the Qur´ân). And if (in the present situation) He makes them listen, they will turn away and they are averse.

English Literal

And if God knew (that) in them (there is) goodness He would have made them hear/listen, and if He made them hear/listen, they would have turned away, and (while) they are objecting/opposing .

Faridul Haque

And had Allah found any goodness in them, He would have made them hear; and had He made them hear they would, in the end, have turned away and gone back.

Hamid S. Aziz

Had Allah known any good in them, He would have made them hear; but had He made them hear, they would have turned away, averse.

Hilali & Khan

Had Allah known of any good in them, He would indeed have made them listen, and even if He had made them listen, they would but have turned away, averse (to the truth).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Surely the vilest of beasts, in Allah’s sight, are the deaf, the dumb, who understand not.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And if Allah had known any good in them He would have made them hear, and if He makes them hear they would turn back while they withdraw.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Had Allah known of any good in them He would have made them hear, but had He made them hear they would have turned away, averse.

Muhammad Sarwar

Had they possessed any virtue, God would certainly have made them hear. Even if God were to make them hear, they would still turn away from (the words of God).

Qaribullah & Darwish

Indeed, had Allah known any good in them, He would have let them hear. But even if He had made them hear, they would have turned away, swerving aside.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Had Allah known of any good in them, He would indeed have made them listen; and even if He had made them listen, they would but have turned away with aversion.

Wahiduddin Khan

If God had found any good in them, He would certainly have made them hear; but being as they are, even if He makes them hear, they will turn away in aversion.

Talal Itani

Had God recognized any good in them, He would have made them hear; and had He made them hear, they would have turned away defiantly.

Tafsir jalalayn

For had God known of any good in them, any righteousness, were they to listen to the truth, He would have made them hear, in such a way as to understand; and had He made them hear -- hypothetically speaking -- already knowing that there is no good in them, they would have turned away, from it, averse, to accepting it, out of obstinacy and in denial.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَلَوْ عَلِمَ اللّهُ فِيهِمْ خَيْرًا لاَّسْمَعَهُمْ

Had Allah known of any good in them, He would indeed have made them listen.

He would have helped them understand. However, this did not happen because there is no goodness in such people, for Allah knows that,

وَلَوْ أَسْمَعَهُمْ

even if He had made them listen...

and allowed them to understand,

لَتَوَلَّواْ

they would but have turned...,

intentionally and out of stubbornness, even after they comprehend,

وَّهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ



with aversion, (to the truth)