Quran 8:38 — Al-Anfaal, verse 38
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
[Prophet], tell the disbelievers that if they desist their past will be forgiven, but if they persist, they have an example in the fate of those who went before.
قُلْ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ يَنْتَهُوا يُغْفَرْ لَهُمْ مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ وَإِنْ يَعُودُوا فَقَدْ مَضَتْ سُنَّتُ الْأَوَّلِينَ
qul lilladhīna kafarū in yantahū yugh'far lahum mā qad salafa wa-in yaʿūdū faqad maḍat sunnatu l-awalīna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- Say to the unbelievers, if they give over He will forgive them what is past; but if they return, the wont of the ancients is already gone!
- Muhammad Asad
- Tell those who are bent on denying the truth that if they desist, all that is past shall be forgiven them; but if they revert [to their wrongdoing], let them remember what happened to the like of them in times gone by.
- Sahih International
- Say to those who have disbelieved [that] if they cease, what has previously occurred will be forgiven for them. But if they return [to hostility] - then the precedent of the former [rebellious] peoples has already taken place.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | قُلqul | Say | قول |
| 2 | لِّلَّذِينَlilladhīna | to those who | — |
| 3 | كَفَرُوٓا۟kafarū | disbelieve | كفر |
| 4 | إِنin | if | — |
| 5 | يَنتَهُوا۟yantahū | they cease | نهي |
| 6 | يُغْفَرْyugh'far | will be forgiven | غفر |
| 7 | لَهُمlahum | for them | — |
| 8 | مَّاmā | what | — |
| 9 | قَدْqad | [verily] | — |
| 10 | سَلَفَsalafa | (is) past | سلف |
| 11 | وَإِنwa-in | But if | — |
| 12 | يَعُودُوا۟yaʿūdū | they return | عود |
| 13 | فَقَدْfaqad | then verily | — |
| 14 | مَضَتْmaḍat | preceded | مضي |
| 15 | سُنَّتُsunnatu | (the) practice | سنن |
| 16 | ٱلْأَوَّلِينَl-awalīna | (of) the former (people) | أول |