Quran 16:35 — An-Nahl, verse 35
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
Those who worshipped others alongside God say, ‘If God had willed, we would not have worshipped anything but Him, nor would our fathers. We would not have declared anything forbidden without His sanction.’ Those before them said the same. Are the messengers obliged to do anything other than deliver [their message] clearly?
وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا لَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا عَبَدْنَا مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ نَحْنُ وَلَا آبَاؤُنَا وَلَا حَرَّمْنَا مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ فَعَلَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ فَهَلْ عَلَى الرُّسُلِ إِلَّا الْبَلَاغُ الْمُبِينُ
waqāla alladhīna ashrakū law shāa l-lahu mā ʿabadnā min dūnihi min shayin naḥnu walā ābāunā walā ḥarramnā min dūnihi min shayin kadhālika faʿala alladhīna min qablihim fahal ʿalā l-rusuli illā l-balāghu l-mubīnu
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- The idolators say, 'If God had willed we would not have served; apart from Him, anything, neither we nor our fathers, nor would we have forbidden, apart from Him, anything.' So did those before them; yet is aught for the Messengers, but to deliver the manifest Message?
- Muhammad Asad
- Now they who ascribe divinity to aught beside God say, "Had God so willed, we would not have worshipped aught but Him - neither we nor our forefathers; nor would we have declared aught as forbidden without a commandment from Him." Even thus did speak those [sinners] who lived before their time; but, then, are the apostles bound to do more than clearly deliver the message [entrusted to them]?
- Sahih International
- And those who associate others with Allāh say, "If Allāh had willed, we would not have worshipped anything other than Him, neither we nor our fathers, nor would we have forbidden anything through other than Him." Thus did those do before them. So is there upon the messengers except [the duty of] clear notification?
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَقَالَwaqāla | And said | قول |
| 2 | ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna | those who | — |
| 3 | أَشْرَكُوا۟ashrakū | associate partners (with Allah) | شرك |
| 4 | لَوْlaw | If | — |
| 5 | شَآءَshāa | Allah (had) willed | شيأ |
| 6 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | Allah (had) willed | أله |
| 7 | مَاmā | not | — |
| 8 | عَبَدْنَاʿabadnā | we (would) have worshipped | عبد |
| 9 | مِنmin | other than Him | — |
| 10 | دُونِهِۦdūnihi | other than Him | دون |
| 11 | مِنmin | any | — |
| 12 | شَىْءٍۢshayin | thing | شيأ |
| 13 | نَّحْنُnaḥnu | we | — |
| 14 | وَلَآwalā | and not | — |
| 15 | ءَابَآؤُنَاābāunā | our forefathers | أبو |
| 16 | وَلَاwalā | and not | — |
| 17 | حَرَّمْنَاḥarramnā | we (would) have forbidden | حرم |
| 18 | مِنmin | other than Him | — |
| 19 | دُونِهِۦdūnihi | other than Him | دون |
| 20 | مِنmin | anything | — |
| 21 | شَىْءٍۢ ۚshayin | anything | شيأ |
| 22 | كَذَٰلِكَkadhālika | Thus | — |
| 23 | فَعَلَfaʿala | did | فعل |
| 24 | ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna | those who | — |
| 25 | مِنmin | (were) before them | — |
| 26 | قَبْلِهِمْ ۚqablihim | (were) before them | قبل |
| 27 | فَهَلْfahal | Then is (there) | — |
| 28 | عَلَىʿalā | on | — |
| 29 | ٱلرُّسُلِl-rusuli | the messengers | رسل |
| 30 | إِلَّاillā | except | — |
| 31 | ٱلْبَلَـٰغُl-balāghu | the conveyance | بلغ |
| 32 | ٱلْمُبِينُl-mubīnu | clear | بين |