←Prev   Ayah al-Anbiya` (The Prophets) 21:58   Next→ 

Popular and/or Featured Works
Muhammad Asad   
And then he broke those [idols] to pieces, [all] save the biggest of them, so that they might [be able to] turn to it
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
So he smashed them into pieces, except the biggest of them, so they might turn to it ˹for answers˺.
Safi Kaskas   
So he broke them into pieces, except for the largest one among them, so that they might return to it [and question].

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
فَجَعَلَهُمْ جُذَاذًا إِلَّا كَبِيرًا لَّهُمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ إِلَيْهِ يَرْجِعُون
Transliteration (2021)   
fajaʿalahum judhādhan illā kabīran lahum laʿallahum ilayhi yarjiʿūn
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
So he made them (into) pieces except a large (one) of them, so that they may to it return.

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
And then he broke those [idols] to pieces, [all] save the biggest of them, so that they might [be able to] turn to it
M. M. Pickthall   
Then he reduced them to fragments, all save the chief of them, that haply they might have recourse to it
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
So he broke them to pieces, (all) but the biggest of them, that they might turn (and address themselves) to it
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
So he smashed them into pieces, except the biggest of them, so they might turn to it ˹for answers˺.
Safi Kaskas   
So he broke them into pieces, except for the largest one among them, so that they might return to it [and question].
Wahiduddin Khan   
He broke them all into pieces, except for the biggest one of them, so that they might return to it [for enquiry]
Shakir   
So he broke them into pieces, except the chief of them, that haply they may return to it
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
So he made them broken pieces—but the greatest of them—so that perhaps they will return to it.
T.B.Irving   
So he broke them into fragments except for the biggest one of them, so that they might return to [question] it.
Abdul Hye   
So he made them fragments, except the biggest of them so that they might turn to it.
The Study Quran   
So he broke them into pieces—save the largest of them—that haply they may have recourse to it
Dr. Kamal Omar   
So he (i.e., Ibrahim) made them into pieces except the Most High and Most Great to them so that they may turn to Him (Alone) in devotion
Farook Malik   
So he broke them all in pieces, except the biggest of them, so that they might turn to it
Talal A. Itani (new translation)   
So he reduced them into pieces, except for their biggest, that they may return to it
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
So he made them into scraps, except a great one they had, that possibly they would return to it
Muhammad Sarwar   
He broke all the idols into pieces, except the biggest among them so that perhaps people would refer to it
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
Then, he turned all of them into pieces, except the big one of them, so that they may come back to it
Shabbir Ahmed   
Then he reduced them to fragments except the big one, so that they might turn to it. (37:88-98)
Dr. Munir Munshey   
So he battered them to pieces, except the one most prominent. Maybe they would turn to it
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
So he broke them to pieces, (everyone) except the biggest of them, that they might turn (and try asking) it
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
So he made them into fragments, except a large one among them, that they might return to it [and question]
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
So he broke them into pieces except for the biggest of them, so that they may turn to him
Abdel Haleem   
He broke them all into pieces, but left the biggest one for them to return to
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
Then he made them fragments, all except the big one of them, that haply unto it they may return
Ahmed Ali   
So he smashed them up to pieces with the exception of the biggest, so that they may turn to it
Aisha Bewley   
He broke them in pieces, except for the biggest one, so that they would have it to consult!
Ali Ünal   
And then he broke all of them to pieces except the one biggest in their sight, so that they might be able turn back to it (to ask what had happened)
Ali Quli Qara'i   
So he broke them into pieces, —all except the biggest of them— so that they might come back to it
Hamid S. Aziz   
So he broke them in pieces, all except their largest, that they might have recourse to it
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
So he made them into small pieces except the biggest one of them, so that they may return to him
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
Then he broke them to pieces, all but the biggest of them, so that they might turn to it
Musharraf Hussain   
He smashed them to pieces except the biggest, which He left intact so they would return to it.
Maududi   
Then he broke them all into pieces, sparing only the supreme one among them that they may possibly return to him
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
So he broke them into pieces except for the biggest of them, so that they may turn to him.
Mohammad Shafi   
So he broke those (idols) into pieces, except for the biggest of them, that they (polytheists) may turn to it (to inform them as to who did the destruction of the other idols)

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
Then he broke them into pieces but the big one of them, that haply they may ask to it something.
Rashad Khalifa   
He broke them into pieces, except for a big one, that they may refer to it.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
He broke them all into pieces, except their great one so that they might return to it
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
So he broke them into pieces, except the chief of them, that haply they might return to it
Muhammad Ahmed - Samira   
So he made them broken/pieces except a big/large (one) for them, maybe/perhaps to it they return
Bijan Moeinian   
Accordingly he broke them all into pieces, except the chief “god” so that it may serve as a subject of discussion at their return
Faridul Haque   
He shattered them all, except the biggest among them, that perhaps they may question it
Sher Ali   
So he broke them into pieces, all except the chief of them, that they might return to it
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
Then Ibrahim (Abraham) broke those (idols) into pieces except the biggest (idol) so that they might turn to it
Amatul Rahman Omar   
So he smashed them all into pieces, except their chief (idol), that they might return to it (for inquiry as he planned)
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
So he broke them to pieces, (all) except the biggest of them, that they might turn to it

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
So he broke them into fragments, all but a great one they had, for haply they would return to it
George Sale   
And in the peoples absence he went into the temple where the idols stood, and he brake them all in pieces, except the biggest of them; that they might lay the blame upon that. And when they were returned
Edward Henry Palmer   
So he brake them all in pieces, except a large one they had; that haply they might refer it to that
John Medows Rodwell   
So, he broke them all in pieces, except the chief of them, that to it they might return, inquiring
N J Dawood (2014)   
So he broke them all in pieces, except their supreme god, so that they might return to him

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
(Abraham) broke (the idols) to pieces except for the biggest one of them, so that (the idolaters) may address it.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
So he broke them into fragments except for the biggest one of them, so that they might return to [question] it.
Sayyid Qutb   
So he broke the idols to pieces, [all] except for the biggest of them, so that they might turn back to him.
Ahmed Hulusi   
So (Abraham) broke all of them into pieces except the biggest one of them, in case they wanted to resort to him for enquiry.
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli   
So he broke them into pieces, (all) except the chief of them, that haply they may return to it
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur'an al-Karim   
And so he reduced them -the idols- into a useless form except their biggest, so that they might turn to it for information
Mir Aneesuddin   
And by Allah, I have a definite plot for your idols after you go away turning your backs."

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
So he broke them to pieces, (all) but the biggest of them, that they might turn (and address themselves) to it
OLD Literal Word for Word   
So he made them (into) pieces except a large (one) of them, so that they may to it return