Quran 43:58 — Az-Zukhruf, verse 58
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
saying, ‘Are our gods better or him?’- they cite him only to challenge you: they are a contentious people-
وَقَالُوا أَآلِهَتُنَا خَيْرٌ أَمْ هُوَ ۚ مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلَّا جَدَلًا ۚ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ
waqālū aālihatunā khayrun am huwa mā ḍarabūhu laka illā jadalan bal hum qawmun khaṣimūna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- and say, 'What, are our gods better, or he?' They cite not him to thee, save to dispute;. nay, but they are a people contentious.
- Muhammad Asad
- and say, “Which is better - our deities or he?” [But] it is only in the spirit of dispute that they put this comparison before thee: yea, they are contentious folk!
- Sahih International
- And they said, "Are our gods better, or is he?" They did not present it [i.e., the comparison] except for [mere] argument. But, [in fact], they are a people prone to dispute.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَقَالُوٓا۟waqālū | And they said | قول |
| 2 | ءَأَـٰلِهَتُنَاaālihatunā | Are our gods | أله |
| 3 | خَيْرٌkhayrun | better | خير |
| 4 | أَمْam | or | — |
| 5 | هُوَ ۚhuwa | he | — |
| 6 | مَاmā | Not | — |
| 7 | ضَرَبُوهُḍarabūhu | they present it | ضرب |
| 8 | لَكَlaka | to you | — |
| 9 | إِلَّاillā | except | — |
| 10 | جَدَلًۢا ۚjadalan | (for) argument | جدل |
| 11 | بَلْbal | Nay | — |
| 12 | هُمْhum | they | — |
| 13 | قَوْمٌqawmun | (are) a people | قوم |
| 14 | خَصِمُونَkhaṣimūna | argumentative | خصم |