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Popular and/or Featured Works
Muhammad Asad   
[and] neither may the sun overtake the moon, nor can the night usurp the time of day, since all of them float through space [in accordance with Our laws]
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
It is not for the sun to catch up with the moon, nor does the night outrun the day. Each is travelling in an orbit of their own.
Safi Kaskas   
The sun is not allowed to reach the moon, nor does the night overtake the day, but each floats in their own orbit.

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
لَا ٱلشَّمۡسُ یَنۢبَغِی لَهَاۤ أَن تُدۡرِكَ ٱلۡقَمَرَ وَلَا ٱلَّیۡلُ سَابِقُ ٱلنَّهَارِۚ وَكُلࣱّ فِی فَلَكࣲ یَسۡبَحُونَ ۝٤٠
Transliteration (2021)   
lā l-shamsu yanbaghī lahā an tud'rika l-qamara walā al-laylu sābiqu l-nahāri wakullun fī falakin yasbaḥūn
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
Not the sun is permitted for it - that it overtakes the moon, and not the night (can) outstrip the day, but all in an orbit they are floating.

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
[and] neither may the sun overtake the moon, nor can the night usurp the time of day, since all of them float through space [in accordance with Our laws]
M. M. Pickthall   
It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor doth the night outstrip the day. They float each in an orbit
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
It is not permitted to the Sun to catch up the Moon, nor can the Night outstrip the Day: Each (just) swims along in (its own) orbit (according to Law)
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
It is not for the sun to catch up with the moon, nor does the night outrun the day. Each is travelling in an orbit of their own.
Safi Kaskas   
The sun is not allowed to reach the moon, nor does the night overtake the day, but each floats in their own orbit.
Wahiduddin Khan   
The sun cannot overtake the moon, nor can the night outpace the day: each floats in [its own] orbit
Shakir   
Neither is it allowable to the sun that it should overtake the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day; and all float on in a sphere
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
It is not fit and proper for the sun to overtake the moon nor the nighttime one to take the lead over the daytime. They each swim in an orbit.
T.B.Irving   
The sun dare not overtake the moon nor does night outpace the day. Each floats along in its own orbit.
Abdul Hye   
The sun is neither permitted to overtake the moon nor does the night outstrip the day. They all each float in its own orbit.
The Study Quran   
It befits not the sun to overtake the moon, nor the night to outstrip the day. Each glides in an orbit
Talal Itani & AI (2024)   
The sun is not permitted to overtake the moon, nor does the night outpace the day. Each floats in an orbit.
Talal Itani (2012)   
The sun is not to overtake the moon, nor is the night to outpace the day. Each floats in an orbit
Dr. Kamal Omar   
The sun: it suits it not that it may join the moon, and nor the night that it is one that outstrips the day. [The night, by itself, cannot override the day time to merge a portion of the day-time into the hours of the night]. And all swiftly move in space
M. Farook Malik   
Neither it is possible for the sun to overtake the moon, nor for the night to outstrip the day: each floats along in its own orbit
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
It does not behoove the sun to overtake the moon, nor does the night outstrip the daytime, and each is swimming in an orbit
Muhammad Sarwar   
how the sun is not supposed to catch-up with the moon, nor is the night to precede the day. All of them are to float in a certain orbit
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
Neither it is for the sun to overtake the moon, nor can the night outpace the day. Each one is floating in an orbit
Shabbir Ahmed   
It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor can the night outrun the day. All of them swim along in their orbits. (The sun cannot cause the moon to gravitate towards itself and the night and the day cannot lengthen or shorten other than the appointed measure (21:33), (22:61), (25:62), (31:29), (41:37), (57:6))
Dr. Munir Munshey   
It is not ordained for the sun to overtake the moon, nor for the night to outpace the day. Each, (the sun and the moon), is afloat in its respective orbit
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
It is not allowed for the sun to overtake the moon, nor can the night overtake the day: Each (can only) stay on in (its own) path (according to the Order of Allah)
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
It is not allowable for the sun to reach the moon, nor does the night overtake the day, but each, in an orbit, is swimming
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
The sun is not required to overtake the moon, nor will the night precede the day; each of them is swimming in its own orbit
Abdel Haleem   
The sun cannot overtake the moon, nor can the night outrun the day: each floats in [its own] orbit
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
It is not permitted to the sun that it should overtake the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day: each in an orbit, they float
Ahmed Ali   
Neither can the sun overtake the moon, nor the night outpace the day: Each of them keeps coursing in its orbit
Aisha Bewley   
It is not for the sun to overtake the moon nor for the night to outstrip the day; each one is swimming in a sphere.
Ali Ünal   
It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor does the night outstrip the day. All (the celestial bodies and systems) float in an orbit (determined for each)
Ali Quli Qara'i   
Neither it behooves the sun to overtake the moon, nor may the night outrun the day, and each swims in an orbit
Hamid S. Aziz   
Neither is it allowable to the sun that it should overtake the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day; and all float on in their own orbits
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
It is not appropriate (or required) of the sun to catch up with the moon, and not the night to get ahead of the day, and each flow in an orbit.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
It is not permitted for the Sun to catch the Moon, nor can the night outstrip the day. Each swims along in its own orbit
Musharraf Hussain   
The sun can’t overtake the moon, nor the night outpace the day; all are floating in their fixed orbits.
Maududi   
Neither does it lie in the sun´s power to overtake the moon nor can the night outstrip the day. All glide along, each in its own orbit
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
The sun is not required to overtake the moon, nor will the night precede the day; each of them is swimming in its own orbit
Mohammad Shafi   
Neither is it possible for the sun to overtake the moon (for their paths are different), nor can the night take the place of the day. And all float on in orbit

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
It is not for the sun that it might catch the moon and nor the night may supercede the day. And each one is floating in an orbit.
Rashad Khalifa   
The sun is never to catch up with the moon - the night and the day never deviate - each of them is floating in its own orbit.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
The sun shall not outstrip the moon, nor shall the night outstrip the day. Each is floating in an orbit
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
Neither is it for the sun to overtake the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day. And all float on in an orbit
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
The sun should not (be) to it that it catches up/overtakes/reaches the moon, and nor the night (is) surpassing/preceding the daytime, and each (is) in (an) orbit/circuit floating
Bijan Moeinian   
God has put such an impeccable order in the nature that neither sun can overtake the moon nor the night to outstrip the day. Everything is gliding in its predetermined order in the universe
Faridul Haque   
It is not for the sun to catch up with the moon, nor does the night surpass the day; and each one of them floats in its orbit
Sher Ali   
It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day. All of them float smoothly in an orbit
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
Neither can the sun (deviate from its orbit and) overtake the moon, nor can the night precede the day, and all (the stars and planets) are moving in their respective orbits
Amatul Rahman Omar   
It is not given to the sun to attain to (the purpose ordained for) the moon, nor is it given to the night to outstrip the day. All of these (luminaries) go on floating smoothly in an orbit (of their own)
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor does the night outstrip the day. They all float, each in an orbit

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
It behoves not the sun to overtake the moon, neither does the night outstrip the day, each swimming in a sky
George Sale   
It is not expedient that the sun should overtake the moon in her course; neither doth the night outstrip the day: But each of these luminaries moveth in a peculiar orbit
Edward Henry Palmer   
Neither is it proper for it to catch up the moon, nor for the night to outstrip the day, but each one floats on in its sky
John Medows Rodwell   
To the Sun it is not given to overtake the Moon, nor doth the night outstrip the day; but each in its own sphere doth journey on
N J Dawood (2014)   
The sun is not to overtake the moon, nor does the night outpace the day. Each in its own orbit swims

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame   
It is not fitting for the sun to overtake the moon nor for the night to advance the day. And each swimming in an orbit.
Munir Mezyed   
It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor does the night outstrip the day. Each one is swimming in a sphere.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
It is not befitting for the sun to overtake the moon nor for the night to precede the day, and each travels in an orbit.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
The sun is not to overtake the moon, nor is the night to outpace the day, and each floats in an orbit.
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
The sun is not permitted to catch up with the moon. The night cannot interfere with the day. Each swims in orbit.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
The sun dare not overtake the moon nor does night outpace the day. Each floats along in its own orbit.
Samy Mahdy   
The sun should not reach the moon, nor is the night to outstrip the day. And all, in an orbit, are swimming.
Sayyid Qutb   
Neither the sun can overtake the moon, nor can the night outrun the day. Each floats in its own orbit.
Thomas Cleary   
The sun is not to overtake the moon, nor the night to outstrip the day; and each swims in an orbit.
Ahmed Hulusi   
Neither will the Sun overtake the Moon nor the night outpace the day! Each floats in its own orbit.
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli   
Neither is it expedient for the sun that it should overtake the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day; and each swims along in (its own) orbit.
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
The sun ought not gain impetus more than the limit designated so that it does not catch up the moon or overtake it in motion nor does the night outrun the day and each describes its own orbit
Mir Aneesuddin   
Neither it is possible for the sun to catch (up with) the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day and each moves fast in an orbit.

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
It is not permitted to the Sun to catch up the Moon, nor can the Night outstrip the Day: Each (just) swims along in (its own) orbit (according to Law)
OLD Literal Word for Word   
Not the sun is permitted for it - that it overtakes the moon, and not the night (can) outstrip the day, but all in an orbit they are floating
OLD Transliteration   
La alshshamsu yanbaghee laha an tudrika alqamara wala allaylu sabiqu alnnahari wakullun fee falakin yasbahoona