←Prev   Ayah al-Imran (The Family of Imran, The House of Imran) 3:143   Next→ 

Popular and/or Featured Works
Muhammad Asad   
For, indeed, you did long for death [in God’s cause] before you came face to face with it; and now you have seen it with your own eyes
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
You certainly wished ˹for the opportunity˺ for martyrdom before encountering it, now you have seen it with your own eyes.
Safi Kaskas   
You desired death [in God's cause] before you encountered it. Now you have seen it with your own eyes!

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
وَلَقَدْ كُنتُمْ تَمَنَّوْنَ الْمَوْتَ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَلْقَوْهُ فَقَدْ رَأَيْتُمُوهُ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُون
Transliteration (2021)   
walaqad kuntum tamannawna l-mawta min qabli an talqawhu faqad ra-aytumūhu wa-antum tanẓurūn
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
And certainly you used to wish (for) death from before [that] you met it, then indeed, you have seen it while you (were) looking on.

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
For, indeed, you did long for death [in God’s cause] before you came face to face with it; and now you have seen it with your own eyes
M. M. Pickthall   
And verily ye used to wish for death before ye met it (in the field). Now ye have seen it with your eyes
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
Ye did indeed wish for death before ye met him: Now ye have seen him with your own eyes, (And ye flinch!
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
You certainly wished ˹for the opportunity˺ for martyrdom before encountering it, now you have seen it with your own eyes.
Safi Kaskas   
You desired death [in God's cause] before you encountered it. Now you have seen it with your own eyes!
Wahiduddin Khan   
You were longing for death, before you met it. Now you have seen it with your own eyes
Shakir   
And certainly you desired death before you met it, so indeed you have seen it and you look (at it
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
And, certainly, you had been coveting death before you were to meet it. Then, surely, you saw and look on it.
T.B.Irving   
You used to long for death even before you met it, so now you have seen it while you were facing it!
Abdul Hye   
Indeed you used to wish death before you met it. Now you have seen it openly with your own eyes.
The Study Quran   
You did indeed long for death before you met it. Now you have seen it, looking on
Dr. Kamal Omar   
You were indeed longing for death before you faced it. So, without doubt you have seen it and you are awaiting (for orders instead of tahead of state initiative)
Farook Malik   
Ye did indeed wish for death before ye met him: Now ye have seen it with your own eyes, (and ye flinch!)
Talal A. Itani (new translation)   
You used to wish for death before you have faced it. Now you have seen it before your own eyes
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
And indeed you readily coveted death even before you met it; then you have already seen it, and you were looking (at it)
Muhammad Sarwar   
You certainly wished to die (for the cause of God) before you actually faced death. Then you faced death (in the battlefield and only a few of you had the true desire to die)
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
You had longed for death before you faced it. Now, you have seen it with your eyes wide open
Shabbir Ahmed   
You used to long for death in the Cause of Allah before you faced it. Now you have faced it, right before your eyes. You understand that honorable life in this world belongs to those who have conquered the fear of death, and that death is the gateway to the Eternal life
Dr. Munir Munshey   
You had certainly wished to die (for His cause) before you (actually) came face-to-face with death (on the battlefield). Now you have seen it up close with your own eyes
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
You did indeed wish for death before you met it: Now you have seen it (in battles) with your own two eyes, (and you draw back!
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
And you had certainly wished for martyrdom before you encountered it, and you have [now] seen it [before you] while you were looking on
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
And you used to long for death before you came upon it; so now you see it right in-front of you
Abdel Haleem   
Before you encountered death, you were hoping for it. Well, now you have seen it with your own eyes
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
And assuredly ye were wont to long for death ere ye had met it. Now ye are beholding it even while ye are looking on
Ahmed Ali   
You had wished to know death before you faced it (in battle); so now you have seen it before your own eyes
Aisha Bewley   
You were longing for death before you met it. Now you have seen it with your own eyes.
Ali Ünal   
You did indeed long for death (for God’s cause) before you came face to face with it; now you have faced it (on the battlefield), only observing it with your own eyes (without doing anything to meet it)
Ali Quli Qara'i   
Certainly you were longing for death before you had encountered it. Then certainly you saw it, as you looked on
Hamid S. Aziz   
Verily, you used to long for death before you met it! Now you see it (and flinch)
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
And you certainly used to wish for the death to meet it in the past, so now you have seen it while you are looking (at it)
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
You indeed wished for death before you met it. Now you have seen it with your own eyes
Musharraf Hussain   
Before coming face to face with it, you were eager to fight,but now you have seen it with your own eyes
Maududi   
You previously longed for death (in the way of Allah): now you have faced it, observing it with your own eyes
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
And you used to long for death before you came upon it; so now you see it right in-front of you!
Mohammad Shafi   
You did indeed wish for death before you were face-to-face with it. Then you did certainly see it and you looked on.

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
And you used to long for death before meeting it, so now you have seen it with your eyes.
Rashad Khalifa   
You used to long for death before you had to face it. Now you have faced it, right before your eyes.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
You used to wish for death before you met it, so you have seen it while you were looking
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
And certainly you desired death before you met it. So indeed you have seen it now while you look (at it)
Muhammad Ahmed - Samira   
And you had been wishing/desiring the death, from before that you meet/find it, so you had seen it and you (are) looking
Bijan Moeinian   
You were wishing for the death (martyrdom) and now you saw it with your own eyes [in this battle and realize that it is not an easy honor to earn.]
Faridul Haque   
And you used to wish for death before you met it; so now you see it before your eyes
Sher Ali   
And you used to wish for such a death before you met it; now you have seen it face to face, then why do some of you seek to avoid it
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
And you used to long for death (as a martyr) before you faced it. So now you have seen it in front of your own eyes
Amatul Rahman Omar   
And you used to long for (Jihad and a martyr's) death before you met it, but now you have seen it and you will see yet (many more wonders happen)
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
You did indeed wish for death (AshShahadah - martyrdom) before you met it. Now you have seen it openly with your own eyes

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
You were longing for death before you met it; now you have seen it, while you were beholding
George Sale   
Moreover ye did sometime wish for death before that ye met it; but ye have now seen it, and ye looked on, but retreated from it
Edward Henry Palmer   
Why, ye longed for death before ye met it! Now ye have looked upon it and ye halt
John Medows Rodwell   
Ye had desired death ere ye met it. But ye have now seen it - and ye have beheld it - and fled from it
N J Dawood (2014)   
You used to wish for death before you met it, and now you behold what it is like

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
You hoped for death until you actually faced it. Now you have seen it with your own eyes.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
You used to long for death even before you met it, so now you have seen it while you were facing it!
Sayyid Qutb   
Surely, you used to wish for death before you came face to face with it. Now you have seen it with your own eyes.
Ahmed Hulusi   
You had certainly wished for martyrdom without having to encounter death. Now you see it, but you keep looking on!
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli   
And really you were longing for death before you met it (the holy struggle) ; but (now that) you have seen it, you look (at it) !
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur'an al-Karim   
Before the encounter with death, you had always wished yourselves dead in the cause of Allah, and now that you have seen it executed in your companions, you falter and let go; you quit your posts and seek much after booty
Mir Aneesuddin   
And you had desired death before you met it, so you have seen it while you were looking.

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
Ye did indeed wish for death before ye met him: Now ye have seen him with your own eyes, (And ye flinch!
OLD Literal Word for Word   
And certainly you used to wish (for) death before [that] you met it, then indeed, you have seen it while you (were) looking on