Quran 41:34 — Fussilat, verse 34
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
Good and evil cannot be equal. [Prophet], repel evil with what is better and your enemy will become as close as an old and valued friend,
وَلَا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا السَّيِّئَةُ ۚ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ
walā tastawī l-ḥasanatu walā l-sayi-atu id'faʿ bi-allatī hiya aḥsanu fa-idhā alladhī baynaka wabaynahu ʿadāwatun ka-annahu waliyyun ḥamīmun
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- Not equal are the good deed and the evil deed. Repel with that which is fairer and behold, he between whom and thee there is enmity shall be as if he were a loyal friend.
- Muhammad Asad
- But [since] good and evil cannot be equal, repel thou [evil] with something that is better and lo! he between whom and thyself was enmity [may then become] as though he had [always] been close [unto thee], a true friend!
- Sahih International
- And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon, the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَلَاwalā | And not | — |
| 2 | تَسْتَوِىtastawī | (are) equal | سوي |
| 3 | ٱلْحَسَنَةُl-ḥasanatu | the good (deed) | حسن |
| 4 | وَلَاwalā | and | — |
| 5 | ٱلسَّيِّئَةُ ۚl-sayi-atu | the evil (deed) | سوأ |
| 6 | ٱدْفَعْid'faʿ | Repel | دفع |
| 7 | بِٱلَّتِىbi-allatī | by (that) which | — |
| 8 | هِىَhiya | [it] | — |
| 9 | أَحْسَنُaḥsanu | (is) better | حسن |
| 10 | فَإِذَاfa-idhā | then behold | — |
| 11 | ٱلَّذِىalladhī | One who | — |
| 12 | بَيْنَكَbaynaka | between you | بين |
| 13 | وَبَيْنَهُۥwabaynahu | and between him | بين |
| 14 | عَدَٰوَةٌۭʿadāwatun | (was) enmity | عدو |
| 15 | كَأَنَّهُۥka-annahu | (will become) as if he | — |
| 16 | وَلِىٌّwaliyyun | (was) a friend | ولي |
| 17 | حَمِيمٌۭḥamīmun | intimate | حمم |