←Prev   Ayah al-Anbiya` (The Prophets) 21:39   Next→ 

Popular and/or Featured Works
Muhammad Asad   
If they but knew - they who are bent on denying the truth - [that there will come] a time when they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces, nor from their backs, and will not find any succour
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
If only the disbelievers knew that a time will come when they will not be able to keep the Fire off their faces or backs, nor will they be helped.
Safi Kaskas   
If the unbelievers only knew the time when they will not be able to divert the Fire from their faces or from their backs, and they will find no help.

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
لَوْ يَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا حِينَ لَا يَكُفُّونَ عَن وُجُوهِهِمُ النَّارَ وَلَا عَن ظُهُورِهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُون
Transliteration (2021)   
law yaʿlamu alladhīna kafarū ḥīna lā yakuffūna ʿan wujūhihimu l-nāra walā ʿan ẓuhūrihim walā hum yunṣarūn
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
If knew those who disbelieved (the) time (when) not they will avert from their faces the Fire and not from their backs and not they will be helped!

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
If they but knew - they who are bent on denying the truth - [that there will come] a time when they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces, nor from their backs, and will not find any succour
M. M. Pickthall   
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
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
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
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
If only the disbelievers knew that a time will come when they will not be able to keep the Fire off their faces or backs, nor will they be helped.
Safi Kaskas   
If the unbelievers only knew the time when they will not be able to divert the Fire from their faces or from their backs, and they will find no help.
Wahiduddin Khan   
If only those who deny the truth knew the time when they would not be able to ward off the fire neither from their faces nor from their backs. They will not be helped
Shakir   
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
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
If those who were ungrateful but know at the time when they will not limit the fire from their faces, nor from their backs and they will not be helped!
T.B.Irving   
If those who disbelieve only knew about the time when they will not fend the Fire off from their faces nor from their backs, nor will they be supported.
Abdul Hye   
(They would not ask) if the disbelievers knew the time when they will neither be able to protect their faces from the fire nor their backs, and they will not be helped.
The Study Quran   
If those who disbelieved but knew of the time when they shall not be able to hold back the Fire from their faces or from their backs, nor be helped
Dr. Kamal Omar   
If those who have disbelieved know when they will not ward off the Fire from their faces, and nor from their backs, and neither they will be given any assistance
Farook Malik   
They would not have asked this question if only the unbelievers knew the Day when they will be able to protect neither their faces from the fire of hell nor their backs, nor will they be helped
Talal A. Itani (new translation)   
If those who disbelieve only knew, when they cannot keep the fire off their faces and off their backs, and they will not be helped
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
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
Muhammad Sarwar   
Would that the unbelievers knew that no one would protect their faces and backs against the fire, nor they would be helped
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
Only if the disbelievers were to know the time when they will not (be able to) keep off the fire from their faces or from their backs, nor will they be helped
Shabbir Ahmed   
If those who are bent upon denial, but knew that they will not be able to repel the fire from their faces and from their backs, and they will not be helped
Dr. Munir Munshey   
If the unbelievers could only imagine the moment when they will struggle in vain to ward off the fire from their faces and their backs! They shall have no help
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
If the disbelievers only knew (the time) when they will not be able to keep away the Fire from their faces, nor from their back and (when) no help can reach them
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
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..
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
If only those who reject knew, that they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces, nor from their backs, nor will they be helped
Abdel Haleem   
If the disbelievers only knew, the time will arrive when they will not be able to ward off the Fire from their faces or their backs, and they will get no help
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
If only those who disbelieve have known of the time when they shall not be able to ward off from their faces the Fire nor from their backs, nor shall they be succoured
Ahmed Ali   
If only the unbelievers could apprehend the moment when they would neither be able to ward off the fire from their faces and their backs, nor help reach them
Aisha Bewley   
If those who are kafir only knew of the time when they will not be able to keep the Fire away from their faces or their backs! And they will receive no help!
Ali Ünal   
If only those who persistently disbelieve knew the time when they will be unable to ward off the Fire from their faces, and from their backs, and they will never be helped against it
Ali Quli Qara'i   
If only the faithless knew of the time when they will not be able to keep the Fire off their faces and their backs, nor will they be helped
Hamid S. Aziz   
If those who disbelieve but knew the time when they will not be able to ward off the Fire from their faces and from their backs, and they will not be helped
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
If those who disbelieved knew of the time that they will not be able to keep the fire away from their faces and from their backs and they will not be helped (then they would not say such things)
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
If only the unbelievers knew of the time when they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces, nor from their backs, nor will they be helped
Musharraf Hussain   
If only the disbelievers knew, a time will come when they won’t be able to stop the Fire burning their faces and backs, and they will be helpless.
Maududi   
If only the unbelievers knew of the Hour when they shall not be able to keep off the Fire from their faces, nor from their backs; nor shall they be helped
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
If only those who reject knew, that they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces, nor from their backs, nor will they be helped.
Mohammad Shafi   
Had those who suppress the Truth but known that a time would come when they shall not be able to ward off the fire from their faces or from their backs! And then they shall get no help

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
Anyhow the infidels knew the time when they will not be able to keep off fire from their mouths not from their backs, neither they shall be helped.
Rashad Khalifa   
If only those who disbelieve could envision themselves when they try to ward off the fire - off their faces and their backs! No one will help them then.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
If the unbelievers only knew when they will be unable to shield either their faces or their backs from the Fire; when they will not be helped
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
If those who disbelieve but 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
Muhammad Ahmed - Samira   
If those who disbelieved know when they do not prevent/stop the fire from their faces/fronts, and nor from their backs, and nor they, they be given victory/aid
Bijan Moeinian   
If the disbelievers could see the Day that they are trying to turn the Fire off from their faces and from their backs while nobody comes to their help
Faridul Haque   
If only the disbelievers realised the time when they will not be able to stop the fire from their faces and from their backs - and nor are they to be helped
Sher Ali   
If only the disbelievers 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
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
If the disbelievers knew the time when they will not be able to keep off the Fire (of Hell) from their faces and their backs, nor will they be helped (then they would not call out to hasten the torment)
Amatul Rahman Omar   
How good it would be if those who disbelieve could know the time when they will not be able to ward off (the flames of) the fire from their faces nor from their backs and they shall not be helped
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
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

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
If the unbelievers but knew when that they shall not ward off the Fire from their faces nor from their backs, neither shall they be helped
George Sale   
If they who believe not, knew that the time will surely come, then they shall not be able to drive back the fire of hell from their faces, nor from their backs, neither shall they be helped, they would not hasten it
Edward Henry Palmer   
Did those who misbelieve but know when the fire shall not be warded off from their faces nor from their backs, and they shall not be helped
John Medows Rodwell   
Did the infidels but know the time when they shall not be able to keep the fire of hell from their faces or from their backs, neither shall they be helped
N J Dawood (2014)   
If only the unbelievers knew the day when they shall strive in vain to shield their faces and their backs from the fire of Hell; the day when none shall succour them

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
If the unbelievers only knew when they will not be able to deflect the fire from their faces or from their backs, when no help can come to them!
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
If those who disbelieve only knew about the time when they will not fend the Fire off from their faces nor from their backs, nor will they be supported.
Sayyid Qutb   
If only the unbelievers knew [that there will come] a time when they will not be able to shield their faces and their backs from the fire; a time when they will find no support.
Ahmed Hulusi   
If only those who deny the knowledge of the reality knew the time when they would not be able to ward off the fire neither from their faces (their internal world) nor from their backs (their external world); if only they knew the time when they will not be helped!
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli   
If those who disbelieve but know the time when they will not be able to ward off the Fire from their faces and from their backs, nor shall they be helped, (they would not hasten about the Resurrection)
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur'an al-Karim   
If only these infidels who deny Allah knew that there shall come a time when they shall not be able to avert the blazing fire from their faces nor from their backs nor shall they be afforded help
Mir Aneesuddin   
And they say, "When will this promise (come to pass) if you are truthful?"

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
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
OLD Literal Word for Word   
If knew those who disbelieved (the) time (when) not they will avert from their faces the Fire and not from their backs and not they will be helped