Quran 23:24 — Al-Muminoon, verse 24
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
But the leading disbelievers among his people said, ‘He is merely a mortal like you, trying to gain some superiority over you. God would have sent down angels if He had wished; besides, we never heard of anything like this from our forefathers.
فَقَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ قَوْمِهِ مَا هَـٰذَا إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَتَفَضَّلَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَأَنْزَلَ مَلَائِكَةً مَا سَمِعْنَا بِهَـٰذَا فِي آبَائِنَا الْأَوَّلِينَ
faqāla l-mala-u alladhīna kafarū min qawmihi mā hādhā illā basharun mith'lukum yurīdu an yatafaḍḍala ʿalaykum walaw shāa l-lahu la-anzala malāikatan mā samiʿ'nā bihādhā fī ābāinā l-awalīna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- Said the Council of the unbelievers of his people, 'This is naught but a mortal like yourselves, who desires to gain superiority over you. And if God willed, He would have sent down angels. We never heard of this among, our fathers, the ancients.
- Muhammad Asad
- But the great ones among his people, who refused to acknowledge the truth, replied: “This [man] is nothing but a mortal like yourselves who wants to make himself superior to you! For, if God had willed [to convey a message unto us], He would surely have sent down angels; [moreover,] we have never heard [anything like] this from our forebears of old!
- Sahih International
- But the eminent among those who disbelieved from his people said, "This is not but a man like yourselves who wishes to take precedence over you; and if Allāh had willed [to send a messenger], He would have sent down angels. We have not heard of this among our forefathers.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | فَقَالَfaqāla | But said | قول |
| 2 | ٱلْمَلَؤُا۟l-mala-u | the chiefs | ملأ |
| 3 | ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna | (of) those who | — |
| 4 | كَفَرُوا۟kafarū | disbelieved | كفر |
| 5 | مِنmin | among | — |
| 6 | قَوْمِهِۦqawmihi | his people | قوم |
| 7 | مَاmā | This is not | — |
| 8 | هَـٰذَآhādhā | This is not | — |
| 9 | إِلَّاillā | but | — |
| 10 | بَشَرٌۭbasharun | a man | بشر |
| 11 | مِّثْلُكُمْmith'lukum | like you | مثل |
| 12 | يُرِيدُyurīdu | he wishes | رود |
| 13 | أَنan | to | — |
| 14 | يَتَفَضَّلَyatafaḍḍala | assert (his) superiority | فضل |
| 15 | عَلَيْكُمْʿalaykum | over you | — |
| 16 | وَلَوْwalaw | and if | — |
| 17 | شَآءَshāa | Allah had willed | شيأ |
| 18 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | Allah had willed | أله |
| 19 | لَأَنزَلَla-anzala | surely He (would have) sent down | نزل |
| 20 | مَلَـٰٓئِكَةًۭmalāikatan | Angels | ملك |
| 21 | مَّاmā | Not | — |
| 22 | سَمِعْنَاsamiʿ'nā | we heard | سمع |
| 23 | بِهَـٰذَاbihādhā | of this | — |
| 24 | فِىٓfī | from | — |
| 25 | ءَابَآئِنَاābāinā | our forefathers | أبو |
| 26 | ٱلْأَوَّلِينَl-awalīna | our forefathers | أول |