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Surah Al-Anbya, Verse 39

سورة الأنبياء، الآية ٣٩

21:39 Juz 17 Hizb 33 Page 325 of the mushaf Meccan surah

Text of verse 21:39

لَوْ يَعْلَمُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ حِينَ لَا يَكُفُّونَ عَن وُجُوهِهِمُ ٱلنَّارَ وَلَا عَن ظُهُورِهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ ۝٣٩

Transliteration

law yaʿlamu alladhīna kafarū ḥīna lā yakuffūna ʿan wujūhihimu l-nāra walā ʿan ẓuhūrihim walā hum yunṣarūna

Translation

If those who disbelieved but knew the time when they will not avert the Fire from their faces or from their backs and they will not be aided...885

Notes

[885] The completion of the sentence is understood to be "...they would not be asking in disbelief and ridicule to be shown the punishment."

Translation in another language
Mahmoud Khalil Al-Hussary Read in the surah

Verse 39 of Surah Al-Anbya (21:39), a Meccan surah, is in juz 17, on page 325 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 74 reciters.

Listen to verse 39 of Surah Al-Anbya

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Tafsir of verse 39

Al-Mukhtasar

If these disbelieving rejecters of the resurrection were to know of the time when they will not be able to turn the hellfire away from their faces and backs, they would not be so hasty in seeking it. If only they were to know that there shall be no one to help relieve them of the punishment, and if only they were convinced of its reality, they would not be so hasty either.

Tafsir of the whole Surah Al-Anbya

Other translations of verse 39

If only the disbelievers knew the moment when they would be unable to ward the Fire off their faces or their backs, nor would they be helped16.

Notes

[16] The completion of the sentence is "...they would not be asking for the punishment."

If only those who disbelieved knew (the time) when they will not be able to ward off the Fire from their faces, nor from their backs, and they will not be helped.

If those who disbelieved but knew the time when they will not be able to drive off the fire from their faces and from their backs, and they will not be helped!

If only the Unbelievers knew (the time) when they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces, nor yet from their backs, and (when) no help can reach them!

Had those who disbelieve but known (of the time) when they shall not be able to ward off the fire from their faces nor from their backs, nor shall they be helped.

If the ones who have disbelieved knew while (Or: the time when) they will not restrain the Fire from their faces nor from their backs, nor will they be vindicated.

Verse 39 word by word

  1. لَوْ law If
  2. يَعْلَمُ yaʿlamu knew ع ل م
  3. ٱلَّذِينَ alladhīna those who
  4. كَفَرُوا۟ kafarū disbelieved ك ف ر
  5. حِينَ ḥīna (the) time ح ي ن
  6. لَا lā (when) not
  7. يَكُفُّونَ yakuffūna they will avert ك ف ف
  8. عَن ʿan from
  9. وُجُوهِهِمُ wujūhihimu their faces و ج ه
  10. ٱلنَّارَ l-nāra the Fire ن و ر
  11. وَلَا walā and not
  12. عَن ʿan from
  13. ظُهُورِهِمْ ẓuhūrihim their backs ظ ه ر
  14. وَلَا walā and not
  15. هُمْ hum they
  16. يُنصَرُونَ yunṣarūna will be helped ن ص ر

Verses related to verse 39

Cited by Ibn Kathir in his explanation of this verse

  • Az-Zumar 39:16

    لَهُم مِّن فَوْقِهِمْ ظُلَلٌ مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ وَمِن تَحْتِهِمْ ظُلَلٌ ذَٰلِكَ يُخَوِّفُ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ عِبَادَهُۥ يَٰعِبَادِ فَٱتَّقُونِ

    They will have canopies [i.e., layers] of fire above them and below them, canopies. By that Allāh threatens [i.e., warns] His servants. O My servants, then fear Me.

  • Al-A’raf 7:41

    لَهُم مِّن جَهَنَّمَ مِهَادٌ وَمِن فَوْقِهِمْ غَوَاشٍ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

    They will have from Hell a bed and over them coverings [of fire]. And thus do We recompense the wrongdoers.

  • Ibrahim 14:50

    سَرَابِيلُهُم مِّن قَطِرَانٍ وَتَغْشَىٰ وُجُوهَهُمُ ٱلنَّارُ

    Their garments of liquid pitch and their faces covered by the Fire

  • Ar-Ra’d 13:34

    لَّهُمْ عَذَابٌ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ أَشَقُّ وَمَا لَهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَاقٍ

    For them will be punishment in the life of [this] world, and the punishment of the Hereafter is more severe. And they will not have from Allāh any protector.

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