Quran 11:8 — Hud, verse 8
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
If We defer their punishment for a determined time, they are sure to say, ‘What is holding it back?’ But on the Day it comes upon them, nothing will divert it from them; what they mocked will be all around them.
وَلَئِنْ أَخَّرْنَا عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابَ إِلَىٰ أُمَّةٍ مَعْدُودَةٍ لَيَقُولُنَّ مَا يَحْبِسُهُ ۗ أَلَا يَوْمَ يَأْتِيهِمْ لَيْسَ مَصْرُوفًا عَنْهُمْ وَحَاقَ بِهِمْ مَا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ
wala-in akharnā ʿanhumu l-ʿadhāba ilā ummatin maʿdūdatin layaqūlunna mā yaḥbisuhu alā yawma yatīhim laysa maṣrūfan ʿanhum waḥāqa bihim mā kānū bihi yastahziūna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- And if We postpone the chastisement from them till a reckoned moment they will say 'What is detaining it?' Surely, the day it shall come to them, it shall not be turned aside from them, and they shall be encompassed by that they mocked at.
- Muhammad Asad
- And thus it is: if We defer their suffering until a time-limit set [by Us], they are sure to say, "What is preventing it [from coming now]?" Oh, verily, on the Day when it befalls them there will be nothing to avert it from them; and they shall be overwhelmed by the very thing which they were wont to deride.
- Sahih International
- And if We hold back from them the punishment for a limited time, they will surely say, "What detains it?" Unquestionably, on the Day it comes to them, it will not be averted from them, and they will be enveloped by what they used to ridicule.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَلَئِنْwala-in | And if | — |
| 2 | أَخَّرْنَاakharnā | We delay | أخر |
| 3 | عَنْهُمُʿanhumu | from them | — |
| 4 | ٱلْعَذَابَl-ʿadhāba | the punishment | عذب |
| 5 | إِلَىٰٓilā | for | — |
| 6 | أُمَّةٍۢummatin | a time | أمم |
| 7 | مَّعْدُودَةٍۢmaʿdūdatin | determined | عدد |
| 8 | لَّيَقُولُنَّlayaqūlunna | they will surely say | قول |
| 9 | مَاmā | What | — |
| 10 | يَحْبِسُهُۥٓ ۗyaḥbisuhu | detains it | حبس |
| 11 | أَلَاalā | No doubt | — |
| 12 | يَوْمَyawma | (On) the Day | يوم |
| 13 | يَأْتِيهِمْyatīhim | it comes to them | أتي |
| 14 | لَيْسَlaysa | not | ليس |
| 15 | مَصْرُوفًاmaṣrūfan | (will be) averted | صرف |
| 16 | عَنْهُمْʿanhum | from them | — |
| 17 | وَحَاقَwaḥāqa | and will surround | حيق |
| 18 | بِهِمbihim | them | — |
| 19 | مَّاmā | what | — |
| 20 | كَانُوا۟kānū | they used (to) | كون |
| 21 | بِهِۦbihi | mock at [it] | — |
| 22 | يَسْتَهْزِءُونَyastahziūna | mock at [it] | هزأ |