←Prev   Ayah al-Anbiya` (The Prophets) 21:18   Next→ 

Popular and/or Featured Works
Muhammad Asad   
Nay, but [by the very act of creation] We hurl the truth against falsehood, and it crushes the latter: and lo! it withers away. But woe unto you for all your [attempts at] defining [God] –
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
In fact, We hurl the truth against falsehood, leaving it crushed, and it quickly vanishes. And woe be to you for what you claim!
Safi Kaskas   
Instead, We hurl the Truth after falsehood, and the Truth destroys it, and it withers away. But woe to you for all your [attempts to] define [God].

Listen: 
Did you notice?

 You can SEARCH IslamAwakened: 

Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
بَلۡ نَقۡذِفُ بِٱلۡحَقِّ عَلَى ٱلۡبَـٰطِلِ فَیَدۡمَغُهُۥ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقࣱۚ وَلَكُمُ ٱلۡوَیۡلُ مِمَّا تَصِفُونَ ۝١٨
Transliteration (2021)   
bal naqdhifu bil-ḥaqi ʿalā l-bāṭili fayadmaghuhu fa-idhā huwa zāhiqun walakumu l-waylu mimmā taṣifūn
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
Nay, We hurl the truth against [the] falsehood, and it breaks its head, behold, it (is) vanishing. And for you (is) destruction for what you ascribe.

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
Nay, but [by the very act of creation] We hurl the truth against falsehood, and it crushes the latter: and lo! it withers away. But woe unto you for all your [attempts at] defining [God] –
M. M. Pickthall   
Nay, but We hurl the true against the false, and it doth break its head and lo! it vanisheth. And yours will be woe for that which ye ascribe (unto Him)
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
Nay, We hurl the Truth against falsehood, and it knocks out its brain, and behold, falsehood doth perish! Ah! woe be to you for the (false) things ye ascribe (to Us)
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
In fact, We hurl the truth against falsehood, leaving it crushed, and it quickly vanishes. And woe be to you for what you claim!
Safi Kaskas   
Instead, We hurl the Truth after falsehood, and the Truth destroys it, and it withers away. But woe to you for all your [attempts to] define [God].
Wahiduddin Khan   
We will hurl the truth at falsehood, the falsehood shall be crushed and will disappear. Woe to you for what you utter
Shakir   
Nay! We cast the truth against the falsehood, so that it breaks its head, and lo! it vanishes; and woe to you for what you describe
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
Nay! We hurl The Truth against falsehood so it prevails over it. That is when falsehood is that which vanishes away. And woe to you for what you allege.
T.B.Irving   
Rather We hurl Truth against falsehood, so it knocks it down. Then it disappears. You are the ones [who need] to worry because of what you are describing.
Abdul Hye   
Nay, We have sent down the truth (this Qur’an) against the falsehood so it destroys it, and then it (falsehood) is vanished. Woe to you for that (false deity) which you ascribe.
The Study Quran   
Nay, but We cast truth against falsehood, and it crushes it, and, behold, it vanishes. And woe unto you for that which you describe
Talal Itani & AI (2024)   
Instead, We hurl the truth against falsehood, and it crushes it, leaving it utterly vanquished. Woe unto you, for what you described!
Talal Itani (2012)   
In fact, We hurl the truth against falsehood, and it crushes it, so it vanishes. Woe unto you, for what you describe
Dr. Kamal Omar   
Nay! We do target-shooting with the help of Al-Haqq (‘The Truth’) on the falsehood, so it knocks down its brain, so instantly it is one that vanishes. And woe to you for that you invent (as forgery and lies)
M. Farook Malik   
Nay! We give falsehood a violent blow with the Truth to knock it out and behold! Falsehood vanishes away. Woe be to you, for all the false gods you have invented
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
No indeed, We hurl the Truth against the untruth; so (Truth) smashes it; then, only then does (untruth) expire. And woe to you for whatever you describe
Muhammad Sarwar   
We bring forward the Truth to crush and destroy falsehood; it is doomed to be banished. Woe to you for your way of thinking about God
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
Instead, We launch the truth against falsehood, which gets it smashed, and in no time it is gone. Alas to you for what you describe
Shabbir Ahmed   
Nay, We hurl the true against the false, and it crushes it and verily falsehood has to vanish. It is only harmful for yourselves to fabricate falsehood. (Some people conjecture that the Universe is a dream, a play or a mere shadow of the World of Ideas. But We have designed it such that the Reality advances and falsehood vanishes)
Dr. Munir Munshey   
On the contrary, We run the truth against falsehood, over which it triumphs. In time, the falsehood is bound to come to naught! Misery to you for what you attribute
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
No, We throw the truth against falsehood, and it (truth) destroys it (the falsehood), and look! Falsehood disappears! Oh! Misery be to you for the (false) things that you ascribe (to Us)
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
Rather, We dash the truth upon falsehood, and it destroys it, and thereupon it departs. And for you is destruction from that which you describe
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
No, We cast with the truth upon the falsehood, so it disrupts it, and then it retreats. And woe to you for what you have described
Abdel Haleem   
No! We hurl the truth against falsehood, and truth obliterates it- see how falsehood vanishes away! Woe to you [people] for the way you describe God
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
Aye! We hurl truth against false hood, so that it braineth it, and lo! it vanisheth; and to you be the woe for that which ye utter
Ahmed Ali   
In fact We strike the truth against the false, which shatters it, and it disappears. Woe to you for what you attribute (to Him)
Aisha Bewley   
Rather We hurl the truth against falsehood and it cuts right through it and it vanishes clean away! Woe without end for you for what you portray!
Ali Ünal   
No, but We hurl the truth against falsehood, and it breaks the latter’s head, and see, it vanishes. So woe to you for all the falsehood you attribute to God
Ali Quli Qara'i   
Rather We hurl the truth against falsehood, and it crushes its head, and behold, falsehood vanishes! And woe to you for what you allege [about Allah]
Hamid S. Aziz   
Nay, We hurl the True against the False and it does break its head, and lo! It vanishes. But woe to you for what you attribute (to Allah)
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
No, but We throw the truth over the falsehood, and it destroys it, and then it dies out. And woe to you for what you describe.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
No, We hurl the truth against falsehood, and it knocks out its brains, and behold, falsehood is bound to perish. Woe to you for the things you ascribe to Us
Musharraf Hussain   
Nay, We pitched the truth against falsehood, so it wiped it out; falsehood is weak. For you is Hell for the things you attributed to Allah.
Maududi   
Nay, We hurl the Truth at falsehood so that the Truth crushes falsehood, and lo! it vanishes. Woe to you for what you utter
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
No,We cast with the truth upon the falsehood, so it disrupts it, and then it retreats. And woe to you for what you have described.
Mohammad Shafi   
Nay! We cast the truth against the falsehood to demolish it (falsehood). And lo! Falsehood perishes. And woe to you for the (wrong) way you perceive things

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
Rather We hurl the truth at falsehood, then it takes out its brain, and therefore it vanishes. And Woe is to you for those utterances, which you fabricate.
Rashad Khalifa   
Instead, it is our plan to support the truth against falsehood, in order to defeat it. Woe to you for the utterances you utter.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
No, We hurl truth at falsehood, and it shall conquer it, and see, falsehood vanishes. Woe to you for all you have described
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
Nay, We hurl the Truth against falsehood, so it knocks out its brains, and lo! it vanishes. And woe to you for what you describe
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
Rather We throw/hurl with the truth on the falsehood, so it nullifies/eliminates it (the falsehood), so then it(the falsehood) is vanishing/being destroyed , and for you (is) the grief/misfortune from what you describe/categorize
Bijan Moeinian   
Instead, it is My intention to give the falsehood a hard blow with the truth (as explained in detail in Qur’an) and let it vanish. Pity to those who fabricate lies about their Lord (Saying He has said such and such things, He has begotten a son, etc.
Faridul Haque   
But in fact We hurl the truth upon falsehood, so it scatters its brains - thereupon it vanishes; and for you is ruin due to the matters you fabricate
Sher Ali   
Nay, WE hurl the truth at falsehood, and it breaks its head, and lo ! it perishes. And woe to you for that which you ascribe to ALLAH
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
Nay, We strike at falsehood with the truth with full force. So, the truth crushes it and it (i.e., the falsehood) gets destroyed. And you are bound to ruin yourselves owing to what you utter
Amatul Rahman Omar   
Nay, We hurl the truth at falsehood so that it knocks out its brains (and defeats it); and behold, it (- the falsehood) vanishes. And you deserve to be punished (with Gehenna) for what you ascribe (to God)
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
Nay, We fling (send down) the truth (this Quran) against the falsehood (disbelief), so it destroys it, and behold, it (falsehood) is vanished. And woe to you for that (lie) which you ascribe (to Us) (against Allah by uttering that Allah has a wife and a son)

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
Nay, but We hurl the truth against falsehood and it prevails over it, and behold, falsehood vanishes away. Then woe to you for that you describe
George Sale   
But We will oppose truth to vanity, and it shall confound the same; and behold, it shall vanish away. Woe be unto you, for that which ye impiously utter concerning God
Edward Henry Palmer   
Nay, we hurl the truth against falsehood and it crashes into it, and lo! it vanishes, but woe to you for what ye attribute (to God)
John Medows Rodwell   
Nay, we will hurl the truth at falsehood, and it shall smite it, and lo! it shall vanish. But woe be to you for what ye utter of God
N J Dawood (2014)   
Indeed, We will hurl Truth at Falsehood, until Truth shall triumph and Falsehood be no more. Woe betide you, for all the falsehoods you have uttered

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame   
Nay We cast with the truth against the falsehood and it [the truth] knocks it out completely and behold it [the falsehood] is dismantled and the woe unto you for all that you attribute [to Allah].
Munir Mezyed   
And We expound the truth and hurl it at falsehood so that the truth refutes and quells it, and lo! it vanishes completely. Woe betide you for all the falsehood you attribute (to Allâh).
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
But We pour the truth over falsehood so it repels it and it vanishes, and you will suffer for what you make out.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
Rather, We hurl the truth against falsehood so that it crushes it, and thus it vanishes. And woe unto youpl for what you describe.
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
Instead [of playing sport], We hurl truth against deceit in order to destroy (deceit), and then deception perishes. Beware of incurring misery because of your [false] descriptions [of God].
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
Rather We hurl Truth against falsehood, so it knocks it down. Then it disappears. You are the ones [who need] to worry because of what you are describing.
Samy Mahdy   
If We wanted amusement, We would have taken it from Our presence, if We were doing.
Sayyid Qutb   
Nay, but We hurl the truth against falsehood, and it crushes the latter, and behold, it withers away. But woe to you for all your false claims.
Thomas Cleary   
No, but We do hurl Truth against falsehood, and It breaks its head, and falsehood perishes. And woe to you all for what you assert.
Ahmed Hulusi   
On the contrary, We bring the Truth (the reality) down upon falsity (delusive ideas) and crush to pieces its system of thought... And behold, it will be destroyed and gone... Woe to you for the things you describe!
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli   
Nay! But We hurl the truth against falsehood so that it breaks out its brain, and behold, falsehood vanishes away. And yours will be woe for that which you ascribe (unto Allah)
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
But what befits Our Supremacy is to dash fiction and falsehood with truth so that it is erased and vanished wherefore woe betide you for what you insolently ascribe to Allah
Mir Aneesuddin   
Had We intended to take to pastime We could have taken it from near Us, if (at all) We were to do (it).

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
Nay, We hurl the Truth against falsehood, and it knocks out its brain, and behold, falsehood doth perish! Ah! woe be to you for the (false) things ye ascribe (to Us)
OLD Literal Word for Word   
Nay, We hurl the truth against [the] falsehood, and it breaks its head, behold, it (is) vanishing. And for you (is) destruction for what you ascribe
OLD Transliteration   
Bal naqthifu bialhaqqi AAala albatili fayadmaghuhu fa-itha huwa zahiqun walakumu alwaylu mimma tasifoona