Quran 9:109 — At-Tawba, verse 109
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
Which is better, the person who founds his building on consciousness of God and desire for His good pleasure, or the person who founds his building on the brink of a crumbling precipice that will tumble down into the Fire of Hell, taking him with it? God does not guide the evildoers:
أَفَمَنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَانَهُ عَلَىٰ تَقْوَىٰ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانٍ خَيْرٌ أَمْ مَنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَانَهُ عَلَىٰ شَفَا جُرُفٍ هَارٍ فَانْهَارَ بِهِ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ
afaman assasa bun'yānahu ʿalā taqwā mina l-lahi wariḍ'wānin khayrun am man assasa bun'yānahu ʿalā shafā jurufin hārin fa-in'hāra bihi fī nāri jahannama wal-lahu lā yahdī l-qawma l-ẓālimīna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- Why, is he better who founded his building upon the fear of God and His good pleasure, or he who founded his building upon the brink of a crumbling bank that has tumbled with him into the fire of Gehenna? And God guides not the people of the evildoers.
- Muhammad Asad
- Which. then, is the better: he who has founded his building on God-consciousness and [a desire for] His goodly acceptance-or he who has founded his building on the edge of a water-worn, crumbling river-bank, so that it [is bound to] tumble down with him into the fire of hell? For, God does not grace with His guidance people who [deliberately] do wrong:
- Sahih International
- Then is one who laid the foundation of his building on righteousness [with fear] from Allāh and [seeking] His approval better or one who laid the foundation of his building on the edge of a bank about to collapse, so it collapsed with him into the fire of Hell? And Allāh does not guide the wrongdoing people.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | أَفَمَنْafaman | Then is (one) who | — |
| 2 | أَسَّسَassasa | founded | أسس |
| 3 | بُنْيَـٰنَهُۥbun'yānahu | his building | بني |
| 4 | عَلَىٰʿalā | on | — |
| 5 | تَقْوَىٰtaqwā | righteousness | وقي |
| 6 | مِنَmina | from | — |
| 7 | ٱللَّهِl-lahi | Allah | أله |
| 8 | وَرِضْوَٰنٍwariḍ'wānin | and (His) pleasure | رضو |
| 9 | خَيْرٌkhayrun | better | خير |
| 10 | أَمam | or | — |
| 11 | مَّنْman | (one) who | — |
| 12 | أَسَّسَassasa | founded | أسس |
| 13 | بُنْيَـٰنَهُۥbun'yānahu | his building | بني |
| 14 | عَلَىٰʿalā | on | — |
| 15 | شَفَاshafā | edge | شفو |
| 16 | جُرُفٍjurufin | (of) a cliff | جرف |
| 17 | هَارٍۢhārin | (about to) collapse | هور |
| 18 | فَٱنْهَارَfa-in'hāra | so it collapsed | هور |
| 19 | بِهِۦbihi | with him | — |
| 20 | فِىfī | in | — |
| 21 | نَارِnāri | (the) Fire | نور |
| 22 | جَهَنَّمَ ۗjahannama | (of) Hell | — |
| 23 | وَٱللَّهُwal-lahu | And Allah | أله |
| 24 | لَاlā | (does) not | — |
| 25 | يَهْدِىyahdī | guide | هدي |
| 26 | ٱلْقَوْمَl-qawma | the wrongdoing people | قوم |
| 27 | ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَl-ẓālimīna | the wrongdoing people | ظلم |