Quran 47:21 — Muhammad, verse 21
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
would be obedience and fitting words; it would also be better for them to be true to God when the decision to fight has been made.
طَاعَةٌ وَقَوْلٌ مَعْرُوفٌ ۚ فَإِذَا عَزَمَ الْأَمْرُ فَلَوْ صَدَقُوا اللَّهَ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ
ṭāʿatun waqawlun maʿrūfun fa-idhā ʿazama l-amru falaw ṣadaqū l-laha lakāna khayran lahum
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- obedience, and words honourable. Then, when the matter is resolved, if they were true to God, it would be better for them.
- Muhammad Asad
- obedience [to God’s call] and a word that could win [His] approval: for, since the matter has been resolved [by His revelation], it would be but for their own good to remain true to God.
- Sahih International
- Obedience and good words. And when the matter [of fighting] was determined, if they had been true to Allāh, it would have been better for them.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | طَاعَةٌۭṭāʿatun | (Is) obedience | طوع |
| 2 | وَقَوْلٌۭwaqawlun | and a word | قول |
| 3 | مَّعْرُوفٌۭ ۚmaʿrūfun | kind | عرف |
| 4 | فَإِذَاfa-idhā | And when | — |
| 5 | عَزَمَʿazama | (is) determined | عزم |
| 6 | ٱلْأَمْرُl-amru | the matter | أمر |
| 7 | فَلَوْfalaw | then if | — |
| 8 | صَدَقُوا۟ṣadaqū | they had been true | صدق |
| 9 | ٱللَّهَl-laha | (to) Allah | أله |
| 10 | لَكَانَlakāna | surely, it would have been | كون |
| 11 | خَيْرًۭاkhayran | better | خير |
| 12 | لَّهُمْlahum | for them | — |