Quran 4:78 — An-Nisaa, verse 78
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
Death will overtake you no matter where you may be, even inside high towers.’ When good fortune comes their way, they say, ‘This is from God,’ but when harm befalls them, they say, ‘This is from you [Prophet].’ Say to them, ‘Both come from God.’ What is the matter with these people that they can barely understand what they are told?
أَيْنَمَا تَكُونُوا يُدْرِكْكُمُ الْمَوْتُ وَلَوْ كُنْتُمْ فِي بُرُوجٍ مُشَيَّدَةٍ ۗ وَإِنْ تُصِبْهُمْ حَسَنَةٌ يَقُولُوا هَـٰذِهِ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ ۖ وَإِنْ تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَقُولُوا هَـٰذِهِ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ ۚ قُلْ كُلٌّ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ ۖ فَمَالِ هَـٰؤُلَاءِ الْقَوْمِ لَا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ حَدِيثًا
aynamā takūnū yud'rikkumu l-mawtu walaw kuntum fī burūjin mushayyadatin wa-in tuṣib'hum ḥasanatun yaqūlū hādhihi min ʿindi l-lahi wa-in tuṣib'hum sayyi-atun yaqūlū hādhihi min ʿindika qul kullun min ʿindi l-lahi famāli hāulāi l-qawmi lā yakādūna yafqahūna ḥadīthan
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- Wherever you may be, death will overtake you, though you should be in raised-up towers. And if a good thing visits them, they say, 'This is from God'; but if an evil thing visits them, they say, 'This is from thee.' Say: 'Everything is from God.' How is it with this people? They scarcely understand any tiding.
- Muhammad Asad
- Wherever you may be, death will overtake you - even though you be in towers raised high. "Yet, when a good thing happens to them, some [people] say, "This is from God," whereas when evil befalls them, they say, "This is from thee [O fellowman]!” Say: "All is from God." What, then, is amiss with these people that they are in no wise near to grasping the truth of what they are told?
- Sahih International
- Wherever you may be, death will overtake you, even if you should be within towers of lofty construction. But if good comes to them, they say, "This is from Allāh"; and if evil befalls them, they say, "This is from you." Say, "All [things] are from Allāh." So what is [the matter] with those people that they can hardly understand any statement?
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | أَيْنَمَاaynamā | Wherever | — |
| 2 | تَكُونُوا۟takūnū | you be | كون |
| 3 | يُدْرِككُّمُyud'rikkumu | will overtake you | درك |
| 4 | ٱلْمَوْتُl-mawtu | [the] death | موت |
| 5 | وَلَوْwalaw | even if | — |
| 6 | كُنتُمْkuntum | you are | كون |
| 7 | فِىfī | in | — |
| 8 | بُرُوجٍۢburūjin | towers | برج |
| 9 | مُّشَيَّدَةٍۢ ۗmushayyadatin | lofty | شيد |
| 10 | وَإِنwa-in | And if | — |
| 11 | تُصِبْهُمْtuṣib'hum | befalls them | صوب |
| 12 | حَسَنَةٌۭḥasanatun | any good | حسن |
| 13 | يَقُولُوا۟yaqūlū | they say | قول |
| 14 | هَـٰذِهِۦhādhihi | This | — |
| 15 | مِنْmin | (is) | — |
| 16 | عِندِʿindi | from | عند |
| 17 | ٱللَّهِ ۖl-lahi | Allah | أله |
| 18 | وَإِنwa-in | And if | — |
| 19 | تُصِبْهُمْtuṣib'hum | befalls them | صوب |
| 20 | سَيِّئَةٌۭsayyi-atun | any evil | سوأ |
| 21 | يَقُولُوا۟yaqūlū | they say | قول |
| 22 | هَـٰذِهِۦhādhihi | This | — |
| 23 | مِنْmin | (is) | — |
| 24 | عِندِكَ ۚʿindika | (from) you | عند |
| 25 | قُلْqul | Say | قول |
| 26 | كُلٌّۭkullun | All | كلل |
| 27 | مِّنْmin | (is) | — |
| 28 | عِندِʿindi | from | عند |
| 29 | ٱللَّهِ ۖl-lahi | Allah | أله |
| 30 | فَمَالِfamāli | So what (is wrong) | — |
| 31 | هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِhāulāi | (with) these | — |
| 32 | ٱلْقَوْمِl-qawmi | [the] people | قوم |
| 33 | لَاlā | not | — |
| 34 | يَكَادُونَyakādūna | do they seem | كود |
| 35 | يَفْقَهُونَyafqahūna | (to) understand | فقه |
| 36 | حَدِيثًۭاḥadīthan | any statement | حدث |