Quran 43:20 — Az-Zukhruf, verse 20
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
They say, ‘If the Lord of Mercy had willed it, we would not have worshipped them,’ but they do not know that- they are only guessing-
وَقَالُوا لَوْ شَاءَ الرَّحْمَـٰنُ مَا عَبَدْنَاهُمْ ۗ مَا لَهُمْ بِذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ ۖ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَخْرُصُونَ
waqālū law shāa l-raḥmānu mā ʿabadnāhum mā lahum bidhālika min ʿil'min in hum illā yakhruṣūna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- They say, 'Had the All-merciful so willed, we would not have served them.' They have no knowledge of that; they are only conjecturing.
- Muhammad Asad
- Yet they say, “Had [not] the Most Gracious so willed, we would never have worshipped them!” [But] they cannot have any knowledge of [His having willed] such a thing: they do nothing but guess.
- Sahih International
- And they said, "If the Most Merciful had willed, we would not have worshipped them." They have of that no knowledge. They are not but misjudging.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَقَالُوا۟waqālū | And they say | قول |
| 2 | لَوْlaw | If | — |
| 3 | شَآءَshāa | had willed | شيأ |
| 4 | ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُl-raḥmānu | the Most Gracious | رحم |
| 5 | مَاmā | we would not have worshipped them | — |
| 6 | عَبَدْنَـٰهُم ۗʿabadnāhum | we would not have worshipped them | عبد |
| 7 | مَّاmā | Not | — |
| 8 | لَهُمlahum | they have | — |
| 9 | بِذَٰلِكَbidhālika | about that | — |
| 10 | مِنْmin | any | — |
| 11 | عِلْمٍ ۖʿil'min | knowledge | علم |
| 12 | إِنْin | Nothing | — |
| 13 | هُمْhum | they (do) | — |
| 14 | إِلَّاillā | but | — |
| 15 | يَخْرُصُونَyakhruṣūna | lie | خرص |