Surah An-Naĥl (The Bee) in English

1. وقال الذين أشركوا لو شاء الله ما عبدنا من دونه من شيء نحن ولا آباؤنا ولا حرمنا من دونه من شيء كذلك فعل الذين من قبلهم فهل على الرسل إلا البلاغ المبين

   35

   The polytheists say, ‘Had Allah wished, we would not have worshiped anything besides Him—neither we, nor our fathers—nor we would have forbidden anything without His sanction.’ Those who were before them had acted likewise. Is the apostles’ duty anything but to communicate in clear terms?

   wa-qāla lladhīna ʾashrakū law shāʾa llāhu mā ʿabadnā min dūnihī min shayʾin naḥnu wa-lā ʾābāʾunā wa-lā ḥarramnā min dūnihī min shayʾin ka-dhālika faʿala lladhīna min qablihim fa-hal ʿalā r-rusuli ʾillā l-balāghu l-mubīnu

2. ولقد بعثنا في كل أمة رسولا أن اعبدوا الله واجتنبوا الطاغوت فمنهم من هدى الله ومنهم من حقت عليه الضلالة فسيروا في الأرض فانظروا كيف كان عاقبة المكذبين

   36

   Certainly We raised an apostle in every nation [to preach:] ‘Worship Allah, and shun fake deities.’ Among them were some whom Allah guided, and among them were some who deserved to be in error. So travel over the land and observe how was the fate of the deniers.

   wa-la-qad baʿathnā fī kulli ʾummatin rasūlan ʾani ʿbudū llāha wa-jtanibū ṭ-ṭāghūta fa-minhum man hadā llāhu wa-minhum man ḥaqqat ʿalayhi ḍ-ḍalālatu fa-sīrū fī l-ʾarḍi fa-nẓurū kayfa kāna ʿāqibatu l-mukadhdhibīna

3. إن تحرص على هداهم فإن الله لا يهدي من يضل وما لهم من ناصرين

   37

   Even if you are eager for them to be guided, indeed Allah does not guide those who mislead [others], and they will have no helpers.

   ʾin taḥriṣ ʿalā hudāhum fa-ʾinna llāha lā yahdī man yuḍillu wa-mā lahum min nāṣirīna

4. وأقسموا بالله جهد أيمانهم لا يبعث الله من يموت بلى وعدا عليه حقا ولكن أكثر الناس لا يعلمون

   38

   They swear by Allah with solemn oaths that Allah will not resurrect those who die. Yes indeed [He will], it is a promise binding upon Him, but most people do not know,

   wa-ʾaqsamū bi-llāhi jahda ʾaymānihim lā yabʿathu llāhu man yamūtu balā waʿdan ʿalayhi ḥaqqan wa-lākinna ʾakthara n-nāsi lā yaʿlamūna

5. ليبين لهم الذي يختلفون فيه وليعلم الذين كفروا أنهم كانوا كاذبين

   39

   so that He may clarify for them what they differ about, and that the faithless may know that they were liars.

   li-yubayyina lahumu lladhī yakhtalifūna fīhi wa-li-yaʿlama lladhīna kafarū ʾannahum kānū kādhibīna

6. إنما قولنا لشيء إذا أردناه أن نقول له كن فيكون

   40

   All that We say to a thing, when We will it, is to say to it ‘Be!’ and it is.

   ʾinnamā qawlunā li-shayʾin ʾidhā ʾaradnāhu ʾan naqūla lahū kun fa-yakūnu

7. والذين هاجروا في الله من بعد ما ظلموا لنبوئنهم في الدنيا حسنة ولأجر الآخرة أكبر لو كانوا يعلمون

   41

   Those who migrate for the sake of Allah after they have been wronged, We will surely settle them in a good place in the world, and the reward of the Hereafter is surely greater, had they known

   wa-lladhīna hājarū fī llāhi min baʿdi mā ẓulimū la-nubawwiʾannahum fī d-dunyā ḥasanatan wa-la-ʾajru l-ʾākhirati ʾakbaru law kānū yaʿlamūna

8. الذين صبروا وعلى ربهم يتوكلون

   42

   —those who are patient and who put their trust in their Lord.

   alladhīna ṣabarū wa-ʿalā rabbihim yatawakkalūna