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Popular and/or Featured Works
Muhammad Asad   
And how many a [rebellious] community have We destroyed, with Our punishment coming upon it by night, or while they were resting at noontide
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
˹Imagine˺ how many societies We have destroyed! Our torment took them by surprise ˹while sleeping˺ at night or midday.
Safi Kaskas   
So many [rebellious] towns have We destroyed. Our punishment came to them at night or while they were resting in the afternoon.

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
وَكَم مِّن قَرۡیَةٍ أَهۡلَكۡنَـٰهَا فَجَاۤءَهَا بَأۡسُنَا بَیَـٰتًا أَوۡ هُمۡ قَاۤىِٕلُونَ ۝٤
Transliteration (2021)   
wakam min qaryatin ahlaknāhā fajāahā basunā bayātan aw hum qāilūn
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
And how many of a city We destroyed it, and came to it Our punishment (at) night or (while) they were sleeping at noon.

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
And how many a [rebellious] community have We destroyed, with Our punishment coming upon it by night, or while they were resting at noontide
M. M. Pickthall   
How many a township have We destroyed! As a raid by night, or while they slept at noon, Our terror came unto them
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
How many towns have We destroyed (for their sins)? Our punishment took them on a sudden by night or while they slept for their afternoon rest
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
˹Imagine˺ how many societies We have destroyed! Our torment took them by surprise ˹while sleeping˺ at night or midday.
Safi Kaskas   
So many [rebellious] towns have We destroyed. Our punishment came to them at night or while they were resting in the afternoon.
Wahiduddin Khan   
How many towns We have destroyed. Our scourge fell upon them by night or at midday when they were resting
Shakir   
And how many a town that We destroyed, so Our punishment came to it by night or while they slept at midday
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
And how many towns We caused to perish! And Our might drew near them at night or when they were ones who sleep at noon!
T.B.Irving   
How many towns have We wiped out? Our might has come upon them at dead of night or while they were napping.
Abdul Hye   
And how many towns We destroyed? Our punishment came to them suddenly by night or when they were sleeping at noon
The Study Quran   
How many a town have We destroyed! Our Might came upon them by night, or while they took their ease at midday
Talal Itani & AI (2024)   
How many a town have We destroyed! Our might came upon them by night or while they were taking a midday nap.
Talal Itani (2012)   
How many a town have We destroyed? Our might came upon them by night, or while they were napping
Dr. Kamal Omar   
And so many out of the habitations We destroyed them — so Our punishment came to them by night or (while) they are those who are tahead of state rest in afternoon
M. Farook Malik   
How many towns have We destroyed for their sins? Our scourge took them all of a sudden at night or while they were taking their afternoon rest
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
And how many a town We have caused to perish, so Our violence came to it at night (in their homes), or while halting (at midday)
Muhammad Sarwar   
How many cities have We destroyed! Our wrath struck their people at night or during their midday siesta
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
How many a town We have destroyed! Our punishment came upon them at night or when they were having a nap at midday
Shabbir Ahmed   
(You will find ample documentation in history that when communities ignored Our Permanent Value System they met with destruction.) How many a community Our Law of Requital has annihilated! Our Requital visited them by night, or while they slept at noon
Dr. Munir Munshey   
Many towns have We destroyed! Our punishment came upon them at night (when they slept), or while they napped (during the day)
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
And how many towns have We destroyed (for the sins of their people)? Our punishment took them all of a sudden by night or during their sleep for their afternoon rest
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
And how many cities have We destroyed, and Our punishment came to them at night or while they were sleeping at noon
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
And how many a town have We destroyed; for Our punishment came to them while sleeping, or while resting
Abdel Haleem   
How many towns We have destroyed! Our punishment came to them by night or while they slept in the afternoon
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
And how many a township We have destroyed, upon them Our violence came at night or while they were taking their midday rest
Ahmed Ali   
Many a habitation have We laid low before: Our retribution came upon them in the night or in the midst of siesta at noon
Aisha Bewley   
How many cities We have destroyed! Our violent force came down on them during the night, or while they were asleep during the day.
Ali Ünal   
How many a township We have destroyed (because they did not pay heed to Our warning). Our scourge fell upon them at night or when they were taking their ease in the noontime
Ali Quli Qara'i   
How many a town We have destroyed! Our punishment came to it at night, or while they were taking a midday nap
Hamid S. Aziz   
Yet how many a town have We destroyed, and Our wrath came upon it by night, or while they slept at noon
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
And how many towns did We destroy, that Our punishment came to them by night or while they were resting (during daytime)?
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
How many towns have We caused to perish? Our punishment took them all of a sudden by night, or while they slept during their afternoon rest
Musharraf Hussain   
How many towns did We destroy? Our scourge struck them at night, or during their afternoon nap
Maududi   
How many a township We have destroyed! Our scourge fell upon them at night, or when they were taking midday rest
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
And how many a town have We destroyed; for Our punishment came to them while sleeping, or while resting.
Mohammad Shafi   
And in many a human settlement that We have destroyed, Our punishment came to it by night or while its inhabitants were having their midday nap

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
And many a town We have destroyed then Our torment came upon them by night or while they slept in the noon
Rashad Khalifa   
Many a community we annihilated; they incurred our retribution while they were asleep, or wide awake.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
How many a village have We laid in ruin! In the night Our Might fell upon it, or at midday when they were drowsy
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
And how many a town have We destroyed! So Our punishment came to it by night or while they slept at midday
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
And how many from a village/urban city We destroyed it , so Our might/power came to it suddenly at night/overnight, or (while) they are saying/relaxing at midday
Bijan Moeinian   
If you only knew how many towns of the disbelievers I destroyed in account of their wrong doings. My punishment came to them at night or in the afternoon while they had a siesta
Faridul Haque   
And many a township did We destroy - so Our punishment came to them at night or while they were sleeping at noon
Sher Ali   
How many a town have WE destroyed ! And our punishment came upon it by night or while they slept at noon
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
And how many a town (is such as) We destroyed! Our torment came upon them at night or (whilst) they were asleep at noon
Amatul Rahman Omar   
So many a (rebellious) township have We caused to be ruined; so Our punishment visited them by night or while they were taking their midday rest
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
And a great number of towns (their population) We destroyed (for their crimes). Our torment came upon them (suddenly) by night or while they were sleeping for their afternoon rest

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
How many a city We have destroyed! Our might came upon it at night, or while they took their ease in the noontide
George Sale   
How many cities have We destroyed; which our vengeance overtook by night, or while they were reposing themselves at noon-day
Edward Henry Palmer   
Yet how many a town have we destroyed, and our violence came upon it by night, or while they slept at noon; and their cry, when our violence came upon them
John Medows Rodwell   
How many cities have we destroyed! By night, or while they were in their midday slumber, did our wrath reach them
N J Dawood (2014)   
How many cities have We obliterated! While sleeping Our scourge fell upon them, or at midday, when they were drowsing

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame   
And how many a township have We destroyed when Our fury came upon it while they were sleeping at night or while they were sleeping at daytime.
Munir Mezyed   
So many towns We destroyed (their inhabitants for their iniquitous deeds). Our retribution came upon them (unexpectedly) by night, or while they were reposing themselves at noon-day.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
And how many towns have We destroyed when Our adversity reached them at night or whilst they rest in the day.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
And how many a town have We annihilated, such that Our chastisement came upon them while sleeping at night or while they were napping at noon.
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
How many communities have We destroyed? Our punishment came by night or while they slept during midday.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
How many towns have We wiped out? Our might has come upon them at dead of night or while they were napping.
Samy Mahdy   
And how many villages have We destroyed? So, our adversity came upon them while sleeping at night, or while they were sleeping at noon.
Sayyid Qutb   
How many a community have We destroyed, with Our punishment falling upon them by night, or at midday while they were resting.
Thomas Cleary   
How many communities have We destroyed and visited with Our vengeance in their homes by night or as they slept by day?
Ahmed Hulusi   
How many cities of people We have destroyed; Our torment came to them while they were sleeping at night or during the day.
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli   
And how many a town that We have destroyed, Our punishment came unto them by night or while they slept at midday
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
How many towns did We reduce into a useless form in requital of their wickedness which grew more and more daily. Great was Our indignation against them that it spoke thunder on some at night while asleep* and on others during their siesta**
Mir Aneesuddin   
And how many a city We destroyed, so Our punishment came to it by night or while they slept in the afternoon.

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
How many towns have We destroyed (for their sins)? Our punishment took them on a sudden by night or while they slept for their afternoon rest
OLD Literal Word for Word   
And how many of a city We destroyed it, and came to it Our punishment (at) night or (while) they were sleeping at noon
OLD Transliteration   
Wakam min qaryatin ahlaknaha fajaaha ba/suna bayatan aw hum qa-iloona