Quran 9:118 — At-Tawba, verse 118
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
And to the three men who stayed behind: when the earth, for all its spaciousness, closed in around them, when their very souls closed in around them, when they realized that the only refuge from God was with Him, He turned to them in mercy in order for them to return [to Him]. God is the Ever Relenting, the Most Merciful.
وَعَلَى الثَّلَاثَةِ الَّذِينَ خُلِّفُوا حَتَّىٰ إِذَا ضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنْفُسُهُمْ وَظَنُّوا أَنْ لَا مَلْجَأَ مِنَ اللَّهِ إِلَّا إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَتُوبُوا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ
waʿalā l-thalāthati alladhīna khullifū ḥattā idhā ḍāqat ʿalayhimu l-arḍu bimā raḥubat waḍāqat ʿalayhim anfusuhum waẓannū an lā malja-a mina l-lahi illā ilayhi thumma tāba ʿalayhim liyatūbū inna l-laha huwa l-tawābu l-raḥīmu
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- And to the three who were left behind, until, when the earth became strait for them, for all its breadth, and their souls became strait for them, and they thought that there was no shelter from God except in Him, then He turned towards them, that they might also turn; surely God turns, and is All-compassionate.
- Muhammad Asad
- And [He turned in His mercy, too,] towards the three [groups of believers] who had fallen prey to corruption, until in the end-after the earth, despite all its vastness, had become [too] narrow for them and their souls had become [utterly] constricted they came to know with certainty that there is no refuge from God other than [a return] unto Him; and thereupon He turned again unto them in His mercy, so that they might repent: for, verily, God alone is an acceptor of repentance, a dispenser of grace.
- Sahih International
- And [He also forgave] the three who were left alone [i.e., boycotted, regretting their error] to the point that the earth closed in on them in spite of its vastness and their souls confined [i.e., anguished] them and they were certain that there is no refuge from Allāh except in Him. Then He turned to them so they could repent. Indeed, Allāh is the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَعَلَىwaʿalā | And on | — |
| 2 | ٱلثَّلَـٰثَةِl-thalāthati | the three | ثلث |
| 3 | ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna | (of) those who | — |
| 4 | خُلِّفُوا۟khullifū | were left behind | خلف |
| 5 | حَتَّىٰٓḥattā | until | — |
| 6 | إِذَاidhā | when | — |
| 7 | ضَاقَتْḍāqat | (was) straitened | ضيق |
| 8 | عَلَيْهِمُʿalayhimu | for them | — |
| 9 | ٱلْأَرْضُl-arḍu | the earth | أرض |
| 10 | بِمَاbimā | though | — |
| 11 | رَحُبَتْraḥubat | it was vast | رحب |
| 12 | وَضَاقَتْwaḍāqat | And (was) straitened | ضيق |
| 13 | عَلَيْهِمْʿalayhim | for them | — |
| 14 | أَنفُسُهُمْanfusuhum | their own souls | نفس |
| 15 | وَظَنُّوٓا۟waẓannū | and they were certain | ظنن |
| 16 | أَنan | that | — |
| 17 | لَّاlā | (there is) no | — |
| 18 | مَلْجَأَmalja-a | refuge | لجأ |
| 19 | مِنَmina | from | — |
| 20 | ٱللَّهِl-lahi | Allah | أله |
| 21 | إِلَّآillā | except | — |
| 22 | إِلَيْهِilayhi | to Him | — |
| 23 | ثُمَّthumma | Then | — |
| 24 | تَابَtāba | He turned (in mercy) | توب |
| 25 | عَلَيْهِمْʿalayhim | to them | — |
| 26 | لِيَتُوبُوٓا۟ ۚliyatūbū | that they may repent | توب |
| 27 | إِنَّinna | Indeed | — |
| 28 | ٱللَّهَl-laha | Allah | أله |
| 29 | هُوَhuwa | He | — |
| 30 | ٱلتَّوَّابُl-tawābu | (is) the Acceptor of repentance | توب |
| 31 | ٱلرَّحِيمُl-raḥīmu | the Most Merciful | رحم |