←Prev   Ayah al-`Ankabut (The Spider) 29:48   Next→ 

Popular and/or Featured Works
Muhammad Asad   
for, [O Muhammad,] thou hast never been able to recite any divine writ ere this one [was revealed], nor didst thou ever transcribe one with your own hand or else, they who try to disprove the truth [of thy revelation] might indeed have had cause to doubt [it]
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
You ˹O Prophet˺ could not read any writing ˹even˺ before this ˹revelation˺, nor could you write at all. Otherwise, the people of falsehood would have been suspicious.
Safi Kaskas   
You never recited any Book before We revealed this one to you, nor did you ever write one with your own hand. Otherwise, those who try to disprove the truth would have had cause for doubt.

Listen: 
Did you notice?

 You can SEARCH IslamAwakened: 

Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
وَمَا كُنتَ تَتۡلُوا۟ مِن قَبۡلِهِۦ مِن كِتَـٰبࣲ وَلَا تَخُطُّهُۥ بِیَمِینِكَۖ إِذࣰا لَّٱرۡتَابَ ٱلۡمُبۡطِلُونَ ۝٤٨
Transliteration (2021)   
wamā kunta tatlū min qablihi min kitābin walā takhuṭṭuhu biyamīnika idhan la-ir'tāba l-mub'ṭilūn
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
And not (did) you recite from before it, any Book, and not (did) you write it with your right hand, in that case surely (would) have doubted the falsifiers.

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
for, [O Muhammad,] thou hast never been able to recite any divine writ ere this one [was revealed], nor didst thou ever transcribe one with your own hand or else, they who try to disprove the truth [of thy revelation] might indeed have had cause to doubt [it]
M. M. Pickthall   
And thou (O Muhammad) wast not a reader of any scripture before it, nor didst thou write it with thy right hand, for then might those have doubted, who follow falsehood
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
And thou wast not (able) to recite a Book before this (Book came), nor art thou (able) to transcribe it with thy right hand: In that case, indeed, would the talkers of vanities have doubted
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
You ˹O Prophet˺ could not read any writing ˹even˺ before this ˹revelation˺, nor could you write at all. Otherwise, the people of falsehood would have been suspicious.
Safi Kaskas   
You never recited any Book before We revealed this one to you, nor did you ever write one with your own hand. Otherwise, those who try to disprove the truth would have had cause for doubt.
Wahiduddin Khan   
You were not able to read any book before this, nor did you write one down with your hand. If you had done so, the followers of falsehood would have had cause to doubt it
Shakir   
And you did not recite before it any book, nor did you transcribe one with your right hand, for then could those who say untrue things have doubted
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
And neither hadst thou been recounting from any Book before it nor writest thou it with thy right hand for then, certainly, they would have been in doubt, the ones who deal in falsehood.
T.B.Irving   
You had not been reciting any book previously nor did you copy it down with your right hand; otherwise quibblers would suspect it.
Abdul Hye   
Neither you (O Muhammad) have read any book before it (this Qur’an), nor have you written with your right hand. In that case, indeed, the followers of falsehood might have doubted.
The Study Quran   
And thou didst not recite before this any Book; nor didst thou write it with thy right hand, for then those who make false claims would have doubted
Talal Itani & AI (2024)   
You didn’t recite any scripture before this or write one with your right hand. If you had, the fabricators of falsehood would have doubted.
Talal Itani (2012)   
You did not read any scripture before this, nor did you write it down with your right hand; otherwise the falsifiers would have doubted
Dr. Kamal Omar   
And you had not been reproducing (unto the people) before this from (Allah’s) Book and nor you write it with your right [hand, (i.e., you have not written it of your own accord or out of your own capacity or knowledge)] — in that case, indeed, might have doubted the followers of myth and falsehood
M. Farook Malik   
O Muhammad, you have never read a book before this nor have you ever transcribed one with your right hand. Had you done either of these, the quibblers could suspect it
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
And in no way did you recite any Book before (this), nor did you pen it with your right (hand); then the wrongdoers (Literally: the doers) would indeed suspect it
Muhammad Sarwar   
You were not able to read or write before the Quran was revealed to you; otherwise, the followers of falsehood would have tried to confuse the matter
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
You (O Prophet,) have never been reciting any book before this, nor have you been writing it with your right hand; had it been so, the adherents of falsehood would have raised doubts
Shabbir Ahmed   
For, (O Prophet) you were never able to read a book or Scripture before this (Qur'an), nor could you write anything with your own hand. Or else, they who try to disprove the Truth might have some cause to doubt it. ((2:23). 'Biyameenik' = With your right hand = With your own hand)
Dr. Munir Munshey   
Oh messenger! Before this you never read a book. Nor did you ever write anything with your hand. Otherwise, the biased ones would have raised questions and doubts
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
And you were not (able) to say (and recite) a Book before this (Book came), and you are not (able) to write it with your right hand: Truly, if that was the case, the idle talkers would have doubted
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
And you did not recite before it any scripture, nor did you inscribe one with your right hand. Otherwise the falsifiers would have had [cause for] doubt
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
You were not reciting any scripture before this, nor were you writing one down by your hand. In that case, the doubters would have had reason
Abdel Haleem   
You never recited any Scripture before We revealed this one to you; you never wrote one down with your hand. If you had done so, those who follow falsehood might have had cause to doubt
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
And thou hast not been reciting any book before it, nor hast thou been writing it With thine right hand, for then might the followers of falsehood have doubted
Ahmed Ali   
You did not read any Scripture before this, nor wrote one with your right hand, or else these dissemblers would have found a cause to doubt it
Aisha Bewley   
You never recited any Book before it nor did you write one down with your right hand. If you had, the purveyors of falsehood would have voiced their doubts.
Ali Ünal   
You did not (O Messenger) read of any book before it (the revelation of this Qur’an), nor did you write one with your right (or left) hand. For then those who have ever sought to disprove the truth might have a reason to doubt (it)
Ali Quli Qara'i   
You did not use to recite any scripture before it, nor did you write it with your right hand, for then the impugners would have been skeptical
Hamid S. Aziz   
You  (Muhammad) could not recite before this any Book (or Scripture), nor write it with your right hand, for then, indeed, might those who deal (or talk) in vanities (trivialities, falsehoods, irrelevancies) have doubted
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
And you were not reading any book and you did not write any book with your right hand before it (Quran), for in that case those who follow falsehood would have certainly doubted.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
And you were not able to recite a book before this, nor are you able to transcribe it with your right hand. In that case indeed, they would have doubted
Musharraf Hussain   
You did not recite any book before, nor did you ever copy it out with your right hand; had you done so then the fault finders would have a reason to doubt.
Maududi   
(O Prophet), you did not recite any Book before, nor did you write it down with your hand; for then the votaries of falsehood would have had a cause for doubt
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
You were not reciting any Book before this, nor were you writing one down by your hand. In that case, the doubters would have had reason
Mohammad Shafi   
And you (Prophet Muhammad) have not read any book before it (Qur'aan), nor have you written anything in your own hand. Had you been so literate, the followers of falsehood might have some reason to doubt (the divine authorship of the Qur'aan)

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
And you used not to recite any Book before it and nor you used to write anything with your hand, in that case the followers of falsehood would have doubted.
Rashad Khalifa   
You did not read the previous scriptures, nor did you write them with your hand. In that case, the rejectors would have had reason to harbor doubts.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
Never before did you recited any Book, or inscribe it with your right hand. If you had done so, those who follow falsehood would have doubted
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
And thou didst not recite before it any book, nor didst thou transcribe one with thy right hand, for then could the liars have doubted
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
And We were not reading/reciting from before it from a Book , and nor you write it with your right (hand), then the wasters/falsifiers would have doubted/become suspicious
Bijan Moeinian   
[The disbelievers say that Mohammad has forged this Qur’an.] You (Mohammad) never read any book before Qur’an, neither have you authored any book so far [Mohammad’s people knew that he was illiterate.] If you had done so, the disbelievers would have had a reason to doubt [your sincerity.]
Faridul Haque   
And you (O dear Prophet Mohammed - peace and blessings be upon him) were not reading any Book before it, nor writing with your right hand – if it were, the people of falsehood would surely have doubted
Sher Ali   
And thou didst not recite any Book before the Qur'an, nor didst thou write one with thy right hand; in that case the liars would have had cause to doubt
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
And, (O Beloved,) you never recited any book before this, nor did you write it with your own hand in which case the disbelievers would certainly have doubted
Amatul Rahman Omar   
(Prophet!) you read no book, nor did you write one with your own hand before this (Qur'an was revealed). (Had it been so,) those who declare (it) as false could then (have the cause to) entertain some doubts
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
Neither did you (O Muhammad SAW) read any book before it (this Quran), nor did you write any book (whatsoever) with your right hand. In that case, indeed, the followers of falsehood might have doubted

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
Not before this didst thou recite any Book, or inscribe it with thy right hand, for then those who follow falsehood would have doubted
George Sale   
Thou couldest not read any book before this; neither couldest thou write it with thy right hand: Then had the gainsayers justly doubted of the divine original thereof
Edward Henry Palmer   
Thou couldst not recite before this any book, nor write it with thy right hand, for in that case those who deem it vain would have doubted
John Medows Rodwell   
Thou didst not recite any book (of revelation) before it: with that right hand of thine thou didst not transcribe one: else might they who treat it as a vain thing have justly doubted
N J Dawood (2014)   
Never have you¹ read a book before this, nor have you ever transcribed one with your right hand. Had you done either, the unbelievers might have doubted

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame   
And you did not use to rehearse any book before it nor did you use to write it with your right hand then those who are prompt to falsehood would have doubted.
Munir Mezyed   
You were incapable of reading or writing before the Qur’ān was revealed to you. Otherwise, those who yield to falsehood would have harbored doubts (over It).
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
And you did not recite from a book before nor write it with your own hand, otherwise the ignorant would have doubted.
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
You were unable to recite a book before this. Also, you are not able to write it with your own hand. In that case, the doubting would have intensified.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
And yousg never used to read any Scripture before it, and you never used to write it down with your right hand; otherwise the advocates of falsehood would have doubted.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
You had not been reciting any book previously nor did you copy it down with your right hand; otherwise quibblers would suspect it.
Samy Mahdy   
And you were not reciting before it, of a book, nor do you write it down with your right hand; otherwise, the invalidators would have doubted.
Sayyid Qutb   
Never have you been able to read a book before this, nor have you ever been able to transcribe one with your right hand; or else those who cling to falsehood would have had cause to doubt.
Ahmed Hulusi   
And you did not recite any book (like the Torah and the Gospel) before (the knowledge we disclosed), nor did you inscribe it with your right hand... (Hence, he may be literate in the general sense...25:5). Otherwise, (had you been literate) the ones who wish to falsify your words would surely have had doubt.
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli   
And you did not recite before it any book, nor did you transcribe one with your right hand, indeed, would the talkers of vanities have doubted
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
Had you been -O Muhammad- a learned man who read books before the Quran and were able to give expression to your feelings and your thoughts in writing and transcribe it with your right hand, this would have raised suspicion among those who take pleasure in the vanity of wickedness
Mir Aneesuddin   
And earlier to this, you were not (able) to read from a book nor were you (able) to write it with your right hand. (Had you known reading and writing) then those involved in falsehood would have doubted.
The Wise Quran   
And you did not recite before it any Book, nor write it with your right hand, then the vain-doers surely would have doubted.

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
And thou wast not (able) to recite a Book before this (Book came), nor art thou (able) to transcribe it with thy right hand: In that case, indeed, would the talkers of vanities have doubted
OLD Literal Word for Word   
And not (did) you recite before it, any Book, and not (did) you write it with your right hand, in that case surely (would) have doubted the falsifiers
OLD Transliteration   
Wama kunta tatloo min qablihi min kitabin wala takhuttuhu biyameenika ithan lairtaba almubtiloona