Quran 21:39 — Al-Anbiyaa, verse 39
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
If the disbelievers only knew, the time will arrive when they will not be able to ward off the Fire from their faces or their backs, and they will get no help.
لَوْ يَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا حِينَ لَا يَكُفُّونَ عَنْ وُجُوهِهِمُ النَّارَ وَلَا عَنْ ظُهُورِهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يُنْصَرُونَ
law yaʿlamu alladhīna kafarū ḥīna lā yakuffūna ʿan wujūhihimu l-nāra walā ʿan ẓuhūrihim walā hum yunṣarūna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- If the unbelievers but knew when that they shall not ward off the Fire from their faces nor from their backs, neither shall they be helped!
- Muhammad Asad
- If they but knew - they who are bent on denying the truth - [that there will come] a time when they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces, nor from their backs, and will not find any succour!
- Sahih International
- If those who disbelieved but knew the time when they will not avert the Fire from their faces or from their backs and they will not be aided...
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | لَوْlaw | If | — |
| 2 | يَعْلَمُyaʿlamu | knew | علم |
| 3 | ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna | those who | — |
| 4 | كَفَرُوا۟kafarū | disbelieved | كفر |
| 5 | حِينَḥīna | (the) time | حين |
| 6 | لَاlā | (when) not | — |
| 7 | يَكُفُّونَyakuffūna | they will avert | كفف |
| 8 | عَنʿan | from | — |
| 9 | وُجُوهِهِمُwujūhihimu | their faces | وجه |
| 10 | ٱلنَّارَl-nāra | the Fire | نور |
| 11 | وَلَاwalā | and not | — |
| 12 | عَنʿan | from | — |
| 13 | ظُهُورِهِمْẓuhūrihim | their backs | ظهر |
| 14 | وَلَاwalā | and not | — |
| 15 | هُمْhum | they | — |
| 16 | يُنصَرُونَyunṣarūna | will be helped | نصر |