Quran 9:8 — At-Tawba, verse 8
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
[How,] when, if they were to get the upper hand over you, they would not respect any tie with you, of kinship or of treaty? They please you with their tongues, but their hearts are against you and most of them are lawbreakers.
كَيْفَ وَإِنْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَيْكُمْ لَا يَرْقُبُوا فِيكُمْ إِلًّا وَلَا ذِمَّةً ۚ يُرْضُونَكُمْ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَتَأْبَىٰ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ
kayfa wa-in yaẓharū ʿalaykum lā yarqubū fīkum illan walā dhimmatan yur'ḍūnakum bi-afwāhihim watabā qulūbuhum wa-aktharuhum fāsiqūna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- How? If they get the better of you, they will not observe towards you any bond or treaty, giving you satisfaction with their mouths but in their hearts refusing; and the most of them are ungodly.
- Muhammad Asad
- How [else could it be]? -since, if they [who are hostile to you] were to overcome you, they would not respect any tie [with you,] nor any obligation to protect [you]. They seek to please you with their mouths, the while their hearts remain averse [to you]; and most of them are iniquitous.
- Sahih International
- How [can there be a treaty] while, if they gain dominance over you, they do not observe concerning you any pact of kinship or covenant of protection? They satisfy you with their mouths, but their hearts refuse [compliance], and most of them are defiantly disobedient.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | كَيْفَkayfa | How | كيف |
| 2 | وَإِنwa-in | while, if | — |
| 3 | يَظْهَرُوا۟yaẓharū | they gain dominance | ظهر |
| 4 | عَلَيْكُمْʿalaykum | over you | — |
| 5 | لَاlā | they do not regard (the ties) | — |
| 6 | يَرْقُبُوا۟yarqubū | they do not regard (the ties) | رقب |
| 7 | فِيكُمْfīkum | with you | — |
| 8 | إِلًّۭاillan | (of) kinship | ألل |
| 9 | وَلَاwalā | and not | — |
| 10 | ذِمَّةًۭ ۚdhimmatan | covenant of protection | ذمم |
| 11 | يُرْضُونَكُمyur'ḍūnakum | They satisfy you | رضو |
| 12 | بِأَفْوَٰهِهِمْbi-afwāhihim | with their mouths | فوه |
| 13 | وَتَأْبَىٰwatabā | but refuse | أبي |
| 14 | قُلُوبُهُمْqulūbuhum | their hearts | قلب |
| 15 | وَأَكْثَرُهُمْwa-aktharuhum | and most of them | كثر |
| 16 | فَـٰسِقُونَfāsiqūna | (are) defiantly disobedient | فسق |