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Popular and/or Featured Works
Muhammad Asad   
And if you are on a journey and cannot find a scribe, pledges [may be taken] in hand: but if you trust one another, then let him who is trusted fulfil his trust, and let him be conscious of God, his Sustainer. And do not conceal what you have witnessed - for, verily, he who conceals it is sinful at heart; and God has full knowledge of all that you do
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
If you are on a journey and a scribe cannot be found, then a security can be taken. If you trust one another, then ˹there is no need for a security, but˺ the debtor should honour this trust ˹by repaying the debt˺—and let them fear Allah, their Lord. And do not conceal the testimony, for whoever conceals it, their hearts are indeed sinful. And Allah ˹fully˺ knows what you do.
Safi Kaskas   
If you are on a trip and do not find a scribe, then an earnest payment should be paid. If you entrust things to each other, the one to whom it was entrusted should fulfill his pledge. He should be mindful of God, his Lord. Do not hide the testimony. Whoever hides it has a guilty heart. God knows what you do.

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
۞ وَإِن كُنتُمۡ عَلَىٰ سَفَرࣲ وَلَمۡ تَجِدُوا۟ كَاتِبࣰا فَرِهَـٰنࣱ مَّقۡبُوضَةࣱۖ فَإِنۡ أَمِنَ بَعۡضُكُم بَعۡضࣰا فَلۡیُؤَدِّ ٱلَّذِی ٱؤۡتُمِنَ أَمَـٰنَتَهُۥ وَلۡیَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ رَبَّهُۥۗ وَلَا تَكۡتُمُوا۟ ٱلشَّهَـٰدَةَۚ وَمَن یَكۡتُمۡهَا فَإِنَّهُۥۤ ءَاثِمࣱ قَلۡبُهُۥۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ عَلِیمࣱ ۝٢٨٣
Transliteration (2021)   
wa-in kuntum ʿalā safarin walam tajidū kātiban farihānun maqbūḍatun fa-in amina baʿḍukum baʿḍan falyu-addi alladhī u'tumina amānatahu walyattaqi l-laha rabbahu walā taktumū l-shahādata waman yaktum'hā fa-innahu āthimun qalbuhu wal-lahu bimā taʿmalūna ʿalīmu
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
And if you are on a journey and not you find a scribe, then pledge in hand. Then if entrusts one of you (to) another then let discharge the one who is entrusted his trust. And let him fear Allah, his Lord. And (do) not conceal the evidence. And whoever conceals it, then indeed he (is) sinful - his heart. And Allah of what you do (is) All-Knower.

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
And if you are on a journey and cannot find a scribe, pledges [may be taken] in hand: but if you trust one another, then let him who is trusted fulfil his trust, and let him be conscious of God, his Sustainer. And do not conceal what you have witnessed - for, verily, he who conceals it is sinful at heart; and God has full knowledge of all that you do
M. M. Pickthall   
If ye be on a journey and cannot find a scribe, then a pledge in hand (shall suffice). And if one of you entrusteth to another let him who is trusted deliver up that which is entrusted to him (according to the pact between them) and let him observe his duty to Allah his Lord. Hide not testimony. He who hideth it, verily his heart is sinful. Allah is Aware of what ye do
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
If ye are on a journey, and cannot find a scribe, a pledge with possession (may serve the purpose). And if one of you deposits a thing on trust with another, Let the trustee (Faithfully) discharge His trust, and let him fear his Lord. Conceal not evidence; for whoever conceals it,- His heart is tainted with sin. And Allah Knoweth all that ye do
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
If you are on a journey and a scribe cannot be found, then a security can be taken. If you trust one another, then ˹there is no need for a security, but˺ the debtor should honour this trust ˹by repaying the debt˺—and let them fear Allah, their Lord. And do not conceal the testimony, for whoever conceals it, their hearts are indeed sinful. And Allah ˹fully˺ knows what you do.
Safi Kaskas   
If you are on a trip and do not find a scribe, then an earnest payment should be paid. If you entrust things to each other, the one to whom it was entrusted should fulfill his pledge. He should be mindful of God, his Lord. Do not hide the testimony. Whoever hides it has a guilty heart. God knows what you do.
Wahiduddin Khan   
If you are on a journey and do not find any literate person, something should be handed over as security. If one of you entrusts another with something, let the trustee restore the pledge to its owner; and let him fear God, his Lord. Do not conceal testimony. If someone does conceal it, in his heart he commits a crime. God knows what you do
Shakir   
And if you are upon a journey and you do not find a scribe, then (there may be) a security taken into possession; but if one of you trusts another, then he who is trusted should deliver his trust, and let him be careful (of his duty to) Allah, his Lord; and do not conceal testimony, and whoever conceals it, his heart is surely sinful; and Allah knows what you do
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
And if you had been on a journey and find no one who is a scribe, then, a guarantee of that which is held in hand. But if any of you entrusted to another, then, let who was trusted give back his trust and let him be Godfearing of God, his Lord, and keep not back testimony. And he who keeps back, he, then, truly, his heart is one that is perverted. And God is Knowing of what you do.
T.B.Irving   
If you are on a journey and do not find any literate person, then a deposit may be withheld as a lien. If one of you entrusts (something to] another, the one who has been entrusted with it should hand over his security and he should heed God his Lord and not hide any testimony. Anyone who hides it has a vicious heart. God is Aware of anything you do!
Abdul Hye   
If you are on a journey and you cannot find a scribe, then take a pledge in hand. But if any of you trusts another, then let one who is trusted fulfill its trust (faithfully), and let him fear Allah, his Lord. You don’t conceal the evidence, and whoever conceals it, surely its heart is sinful. Allah is All-Knower of what you do.
The Study Quran   
And if you are on a journey and cannot find a scribe, then let there be a pledge in hand. And if one of you trusts the other, let him who is trusted deliver his trust, and let him reverence God his Lord. And conceal not the testimony. Whosoever conceals it, truly his heart is sinful. And God knows whatsoever you do
Talal Itani & AI (2024)   
If you are traveling and can’t find a scribe, a security deposit should be received. If you trust one another, let the one entrusted fulfill his trust, and let him fear God, his Lord. Don’t conceal the testimony, for whoever conceals it, his heart is sinful. God is fully aware of what you do.
Talal Itani (2012)   
If you are on a journey, and cannot find a scribe, then a security deposit should be handed over. But if you trust one another, let the trustee fulfill his trust, and let him fear God, his Lord. And do not conceal testimony. Whoever conceals it is sinner at heart. God is aware of what you do
Dr. Kamal Omar   
And if you are in travel and you find not a scribe, then mortgage (something) in custody. And if some of you relied on some other, then he must return who has been trusted by that to whom belongs the item (loaned). And he must pay obedience to Allah, his Nourisher-Sustainer. And do not conceal the evidence. And whoever conceals it, then indeed he: his heart (is) a sinner. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do
M. Farook Malik   
If you are on a journey and cannot find a scribe to write down the transaction, then transact your business by taking possession of a pledge. If one of you entrust another with a pledge, let the trustee deliver the pledged property to its owner, and let him fear Allah, his Lord. Do not conceal testimony, and whoever conceals it, his heart is surely sinful. Allah is aware of all your actions
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
And in case you are on a journey and you do not find a writer, then (take) a pledge in hand. (i.e. to be paid) Yet in case some of you feel more secure with some others, (Literally: if some of you "trust" some "others") then let him who is given the deposit pay back his deposit and let him be pious to Allah his Lord. And do not keep back the testimony; and whoever keeps it back, then surely his heart is vicious; and Allah is Ever-Knowing of whatever you do
Muhammad Sarwar   
If you are on a journey where you cannot find a scribe, finalize your contract in the form of a deposit in which the goods are already given to the parties. If you trust each other in such a contract, let him pay back what he has entrusted you with and have fear of God, his Lord. Do not refuse to testify to what you bore witness. Whoever does so has committed a sin. God knows what you do
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
If you are on a journey, and find no scribe, then (you may have resort to holding something as) mortgage, taken into possession. However, if one of you trusts the other, then the one who has been trusted should fulfill his trust, and should fear Allah, his Lord. Do not conceal testimony. Whoever conceals it, his heart is surely, sinful. Allah is All-Aware of what you do
Shabbir Ahmed   
If you are traveling and a scribe is not available, a collateral of some value may serve the purpose, or a bond shall be posted to guarantee repayment. If one is trusted in this manner, he shall return the collateral or the bond when due, and be mindful of Allah, his Lord. Do not withhold any testimony by concealing what you have witnessed. Anyone who withholds a testimony is noxious to his own sensitivity. Allah is Aware of all your actions
Dr. Munir Munshey   
If you happen to be traveling, and cannot find a scribe, then you may pledge (or pawn) goods in hand (for cash). If one of you trusts another (with any matter), then he who is trusted should (fulfill his pledge and) discharge the trust faithfully. He should fear Allah, his Lord, and not hide (any of) the evidence. Whoever hides evidence surely has a sinful heart. Allah has full knowledge of every single thing you do
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
If you are on a journey, and cannot find a scribe, a pledge with possession (that may serve the purpose) and if one of you deposits a thing on trust with another, let the trustee (faithfully) discharge his trust, and let him fear his Lord. Do not conceal testimony; For whoever conceals it— His heart is stained with sin. And Allah Knows well (Aleem) all that you do
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
And if you are on a journey and cannot find a scribe, then a security deposit [should be] taken. And if one of you entrusts another, then let him who is entrusted discharge his trust [faithfully] and let him fear Allah , his Lord. And do not conceal testimony, for whoever conceals it - his heart is indeed sinful, and Allah is Knowing of what you do
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
And if you are traveling or do not find a scribe, then a pledge of collateral. If you trust each other then let the one who was entrusted deliver his trust, and let him be aware of God, and do not hold back the testimony. And whoever holds it back, then he has sinned in his heart, and God is aware of what you do
Abdel Haleem   
If you are on a journey, and cannot find a scribe, something should be handed over as security, but if you decide to trust one another, then let the one who is trusted fulfil his trust; let him be mindful of God, his Lord. Do not conceal evidence: anyone who does so has a sinful heart, and God is fully aware of everything you do
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
And if ye be on a journey and ye find not a scribe, then let there be a pledge taken; then, if one of you entrusteth the other, let the one is trusted discharge his trust, and let him fear Allah, his Lord. And hide not testimony whosoever hideth and it, his heart verily is Knower. Allah is of that which ye wor
Ahmed Ali   
If you are on a journey and cannot find a scribe, pledge your goods (against the Loan); and if one trusts the other, then let him who is trusted deliver the thing entrusted, and have fear of God, his Lord. Do not suppress any evidence, for he who conceals evidence is sinful of heart; and God is aware of all you do
Aisha Bewley   
If you are on a journey and cannot find a writer, something can be left as a security. If you leave things on trust with one another the one who is trusted must deliver up his trust and have taqwa of Allah his Lord. Do not conceal testimony. If someone does conceal it, his heart commits a crime. Allah knows what you do.
Ali Ünal   
If you are (in circumstances like being) on a journey and cannot find a scribe, then a pledge in hand will suffice. But if you trust one another, let him (the debtor) who is trusted fulfill his trust, and let him act in piety and keep from disobedience to God, his Lord (by fulfilling the conditions of the contract). And do not conceal the testimony; he who conceals it, surely his heart (which is the center of faith) is contaminated with sin. God has full knowledge of what you do
Ali Quli Qara'i   
If you are on a journey and cannot find a writer, then a retained pledge [shall suffice]. And if one of you entrusts to another, let him who is trusted deliver his trust, and let him be wary of Allah, his Lord. And do not conceal testimony; anyone who conceals it, his heart will indeed be sinful. And Allah knows best what you do
Hamid S. Aziz   
But if you are upon a journey, and you cannot find a scribe, then let a pledge be taken. But if one of you trust another, then let him who is trusted surrender his trust, and let him fear Allah his Lord, and conceal not testimony, for he who conceals it,
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
If you are traveling and cannot find a writer, then take collateral. And if one of you entrusts (a trust to) another, then the trustee should return the trust and he should be cautious of God, his Lord. And do not hide (or withhold) the testimony, and anyone who hides it then he is indeed a sinner at heart. And God knows what you do.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
If you are on a journey and cannot find a scribe, then pledge with your possessions. And if one of you deposits a thing on trust with another, let the trustee discharge his trust and let him be regardful of his Lord. And do not conceal evidence, and whoever conceals it, his heart is then tainted with corruption. And God knows all that you do
Musharraf Hussain   
If you are on a journey and unable to find a scribe then pledge something as a security. However, if you decide to trust one another, then let the trustee fulfil his trust, and let him be mindful of his Lord. Let none of you hide the truth; whoever does so, his heart is sinful. Allah is fully aware of what you do
Maududi   
If you are on a journey and cannot find a scribe to write the document, then transact your business on the security of a pledge in hand. And, if any one transacts a piece of business with another merely on trust, then the one who is trusted should fulfil his trust and fear Allah, his Lord And never conceal evidence for he who conceals it, has a sinful heart: Allah knows everything that you do
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
And if you are traveling or do not find a scribe, then a pledge of collateral. So, if you have entrusted each other in this manner, then let the one who was entrusted deliver his trust, and let him be aware of God his Lord. And do not hold back the testimony. And whoever holds it back, then he has sinned in his heart, and God is aware of what you do.
Mohammad Shafi   
And if you are on a journey and cannot find a scribe, then let a security deposit be taken over. Then if some of you entrust some others with some things, the trustee should take care of the trust, and should fear Allah, his Lord. And do not suppress evidence. And whoever suppresses it, he is sinful at heart.Allah is aware of what you do

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
And if you are on a journey, and you find not a scribe then let there be pledge with possession. And if in between you one entrusts the other, then let he whom he trusted deliver his trust and fear Allah Who is his Lord and conceal not evidence; and whosoever would conceal evidence, then his heart is sinful from inside, and Allah knows your deeds.
Rashad Khalifa   
If you are traveling, and no scribe is available, a bond shall be posted to guarantee repayment. If one is trusted in this manner, he shall return the bond when due, and he shall observe GOD his Lord. Do not withhold any testimony by concealing what you had witnessed. Anyone who withholds a testimony is sinful at heart. GOD is fully aware of everything you do.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
If you are upon a journey and a scribe cannot be found, then let pledges be taken. If any of you trusts another let the trusted deliver his trust; and let him fear Allah his Lord. And you shall not conceal the testimony. He who conceals it, his heart is sinful. Allah has knowledge of what you do
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
And if you are on a journey and you cannot find a scribe, a security may be taken into possession. But if one of you trusts another, then he who is trusted should deliver his trust, and let him keep his duty to Allah, his Lord. And conceal not testimony. And whoever conceals it, his heart is surely sinful. And Allah is Knower of what you do
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
And if you were on (a) journey/trip/voyage and did not find (a) writer/one able to write, so a secured pawn handed over/received , so if some/part of you trusted/entrusted some/part, so who was trusted should discharge/fulfill (E) his deposit/security, and (he) should fear and obey God, his Lord, and do not hide/conceal the testimony/certification and who hides/conceals it, so that he truly his heart/mind is sinning/committing a crime , and God (is) with what you make/do knowledgeable
Bijan Moeinian   
If you are traveling, and you can not find someone to write down the transaction, ask for collateral. Once the debt is paid back, the collateral must immediately be returned. Say the whole truth once asked to serve as a witness. Only those who have a disease in their heart commit the sin of not revealing the whole truth. Do not forget that God knows what you are doing
Faridul Haque   
And if you are on a journey and cannot find a scribe, then a mortgage (deposit) must be handed over; and if one of you trusts the other, the one who is trusted may return the mortgage entrusted to him and fear Allah, his Lord; and do not hide testimony; and if one hides it, his heart is sinful from within; and Allah knows what you do
Sher Ali   
And if you be on a journey, and you find not a scribe, then let there be a pledge with possession. And if one of you entrust another with something, then let him who is entrusted, surrender his trust and let him fear ALLAH, his Lord. And hide not testimony; and whoever hides it his heart is certainly sinful. And ALLAH is Well-Aware of what you do
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
And if you are on a journey and do not find a scribe, then take possession of a pledge in mortgage. Then, if one of you trusts the other, so he whose honesty has been trusted should deliver his trust and fear Allah, Who provides him subsistence. And do not conceal evidence. And the one who conceals it, his heart is certainly sinful. And Allah knows well whatever you do
Amatul Rahman Omar   
And if you be on a journey and do not find a scribe, then (let there be) a pledge with possession (of some article to secure your debt). If one of you entrusts something to another let him who is entrusted deliver his trust, and let him take Allah, his Lord, as a shield. Do not conceal the evidence, for whoso conceals it, his heart is certainly sinful. Allah is Well-Aware of all that you do
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
And if you are on a journey and cannot find a scribe, then let there be a pledge taken (mortgaging); then if one of you entrust the other, let the one who is entrusted discharge his trust (faithfully), and let him be afraid of Allah, his Lord. And conceal not the evidence for he, who hides it, surely his heart is sinful. And Allah is All-Knower of what you do

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
And if you are upon a journey, and you do not find a writer, then a pledge in hand. But if one of you trusts another, let him who is trusted deliver his trust, and let him fear God his Lord. And do not conceal the testimony; whoso conceals it, his heart is sinful; and God has knowledge of the things you do
George Sale   
And if ye be on a journey, and find no writer, let pledges be taken: But if one of you trust the other, let him who is trusted return what he is trusted with, and fear God his Lord. And conceal not the testimony, for he who concealeth it, hath surely a wicked heart: God knoweth that which ye do
Edward Henry Palmer   
But if ye be upon a journey, and ye cannot find a scribe, then let a pledge be taken. But if one of you trust another, then let him who is trusted surrender his trust, and let him fear God his Lord, and conceal not testimony, for he who conceals it, verily, sinful is his heart: God knows what ye do
John Medows Rodwell   
And if ye be on a journey and shall find no notary, let pledges be taken: but if one of you trust the other, let him who is trusted, restore what he is trusted with, and fear God his Lord. And refuse not to give evidence. He who refuseth is surely wicked at heart: and God knoweth your deeds
N J Dawood (2014)   
If you are travelling the road and cannot find a scribe, then let pledges be given. If one of you entrusts another with a pledge, let the trustee restore the pledge to its owner; and let him fear God, his Lord. You shall not withhold testimony; sinful is the heart of him who withholds it. God has knowledge of what you do

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame   
And if you are on a journey and you find no writer, then let pawns be taken. But if one of you trust the other, then let the one who was trusted deliver his trust and let him revere Allah his Lord and do not conceal the witnessing and whoever conceals it, he indeed is sinful in his heart. And Allah is All-knowing about all that you do.
Munir Mezyed   
If it happens that you are on a journey and you cannot find a scribe, then let pledges be taken (mortgaging). But if one of you trusts the other, let him who is trusted return what he is trusted with and act piously towards Allâh, His Lord. Do not conceal the testimony. For he who conceals it has caused his heart to be sinful. Most certainly Allâh is All-Knowing of whatsoever you do.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
And if you are on a journey and can´t find a scribe, then a tangible security, and when you entrust something to each other, then the one who has been entrusted must return what he has been entrusted with, and let him beware of Allah, his Lord, and do not hide the evidence, for the one who hides it has a sinful heart, and Allah knows what you do.
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
If you are traveling and cannot find a scribe, seal the deal with a deposit. If one of you trusts another with the deposit of a thing, the trustee must fulfill his/her trust. May he/she fear Allah. Do not conceal any evidence. Whoever conceals it truly has a sinful heart. Allah knows whatever you do.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
But if youpl are on a journey and cannot find a scribe, then a security should be handed over. But if you trust one another, let the one who was trusted fulfill his trust, and let him be mindful of Allah, his Lord. And do not conceal testimony, for whoever conceals it—indeed, he has a sinful heart. And Allah is All-Knowing of what you do.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
If you are on a journey and do not find any literate person, then a deposit may be withheld as a lien. If one of you entrusts [something to] another, the one who has been entrusted with it should hand over his security and he should heed Allah (God) his Lord and not hide any testimony. Anyone who hides it has a vicious heart. Allah (God) is Aware of anything you do!
Samy Mahdy   
And if you are on a journey, and cannot find a writer. So, a bet should be handed over. So, if some of you secure some other, so let the trustee procure his entrust, and let him show the piety of Allah, his Lord. And do not mute the witnessing. And whoever mutes it, so his core is a sinner. And Allah with what you are working, Knower.
Ahmed Hulusi   
If you are traveling and cannot find a scribe, pledges may be taken in word. If you trust each other, let the trustee restore the pledge faithfully and let him fear his Rabb. Do not conceal what you have witnessed. Whoever conceals his testimony, indeed his heart is guilty (unable to reflect its essence; veiled from its reality). Allah knows what you do in the scope of the letter B.
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli   
And if you are on a journey and you do not find a scribe. then take a pledge with possession. But if one of you entrusts to another, then he who is trusted should pay back his trust; and let him be in awe of Allah, his Lord. And do not conceal testimony, and whoever conceals it, then surely his heart is sinful; and Allah is all-Knowing of what you do
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
And if you are on a journey and cannot find a writer, then place a pledge in the creditor’s possession as a guarantee of good faith. And if the debtor considers the creditor a credible person then the creditor should prove himself trustworthy and return the pledge upon receiving the debt from the debtor, also expected to be trustworthy, and either of them should keep Allah in mind and revere Him. And do not conceal, destroy, suppress or refuse to provide evidence when summoned, and he who withholds testimony is indeed morally depraved with a soiled and sinful heart. And Allah is 'Alimun of all you do
Mir Aneesuddin   
And if you are on a journey and you do not find a writer (for the contract) then a security may be taken into possession, then if one of you entrusts another (with something) then he who is entrusted should deliver that which is entrusted to him and let him fear Allah, his Fosterer; and do not hide the testimony and one who hides it then his heart is certainly sinful; and Allah is the Knower of what you do.

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
If ye are on a journey, and cannot find a scribe, a pledge with possession (may serve the purpose). And if one of you deposits a thing on trust with another, Let the trustee (Faithfully) discharge His trust, and let him fear his Lord. Conceal not evidence; for whoever conceals it,- His heart is tainted with sin. And God Knoweth all that ye do
OLD Literal Word for Word   
And if you are on a journey and not you find a scribe, then pledge in hand. Then if entrusts one of you (to) another then let discharge the one who is entrusted his trust. And let him consciously revere Allah, his Lord. And (do) not conceal the evidence. And whoever conceals it, then indeed he (is) sinful - his heart. And Allah of what you do (is) All-Knower
OLD Transliteration   
Wa-in kuntum AAala safarin walam tajidoo katiban farihanun maqboodatun fa-in amina baAAdukum baAAdan falyu-addi allathee i/tumina amanatahu walyattaqi Allaha rabbahu wala taktumoo alshshahadata waman yaktumha fa-innahu athimun qalbuhu waAllahu bima taAAmaloona AAaleemun