Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Mutaffifin Verse 13

Mufti Taqi Usmani

When Our verses are recited to him, he says, “(These are) tales of the ancients.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Whenever Our revelations are recited to them, they say, “Ancient fables!”

Ruwwad Translation Center

When Our verses are recited to him, he says, “Ancient fables!”

A. J. Arberry

When our signs are recited to him, he says, 'Fairy-tales of the ancients!'

Abdul Haleem

when Our revelations are recited to him, he says, ‘Ancient fables!’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And when Our revelations are rehearsed Unto him, she saith:'fables of the ancients!

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

When Our Signs are rehearsed to him, he says, "Tales of the ancients!"

Abul Ala Maududi

who, when Our verses are recited to him, says: “Mere tales of olden times!”

Ahmed Ali

When Our revelations are recited before him, he says: "These are fables of long ago."

Ahmed Raza Khan

When you recite Our verses to him, he says, “Stories of earlier men!”

Ali Quli Qarai

When Our signs are recited to him, he says, ‘Myths of the ancients!’

Ali Ünal

Who, when Our Revelations are conveyed to him, says: "Fables of the ancients!"

Amatul Rahman Omar

(Who) when Our Messages are recited to him says, `(These are) mere fables of the ancients.´

English Literal

When/if Our verses/evidences are read/recited on him he said: "The first`s/beginner`s myths/baseless stories ."

Faridul Haque

When you recite Our verses to him, he says, “Stories of earlier men!”

Hamid S. Aziz

When Our revelations are recited to him, he says, "Stories of those of yore."

Hilali & Khan

When Our Verses (of the Quran) are recited to him he says: "Tales of the ancients!"

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Nay, rather, what they earned is rust upon their hearts.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

When Our communications are recited to him, he says: Stories of those of yore.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Who, when thou readest unto him Our revelations, saith: (Mere) fables of the men of old.

Muhammad Sarwar

who, when listening to Our revelations, say, "These are only ancient legends".

Qaribullah & Darwish

When Our verses are recited to him, he says: 'Fictitious tales of the ancients'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

When Our Ayat are recited to him, he says: "Tales of the ancients!"

Wahiduddin Khan

When Our revelations are conveyed to him, he says, "Fables of the ancients!"

Talal Itani

When Our revelations are recited to him, he says, “Legends of the ancients.”

Tafsir jalalayn

When Our signs, [of] the Qur'n, are recited to him, he says, `[Mere] fables (astr) of the ancients!', [mere] tales that were written down (sutirat) in ancient times (astr is the plural of ustra or istra).

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

When Our Ayat are recited to him, he says;

"Tales of the ancients!"

meaning, whenever he hears the Words of Allah from the Messenger , he denies it and has ill thoughts about it. Thus, he believes that it is a collection gathered from the books of the ancients.

This is as Allah says,

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ مَّاذَا أَنزَلَ رَبُّكُمْ قَالُواْ أَسَـطِيرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ

And when it is said to them;"What is it that your Lord has sent down"

They say;"Tales of the men of old!" (16;24)

Similarly Allah says,

وَقَالُواْ أَسَـطِيرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ اكْتَتَبَهَا فَهِىَ تُمْلَى عَلَيْهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلً

And they say;

"Tales of the ancients, which he has written down;and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon." (25;5)

Then Allah continues saying,

كَلَّ بَلْ رَانَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِم مَّا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ