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←Prev   Ayah al-Anbiya` (The Prophets) 21:27   Next→ 

Popular and/or Featured Works
Muhammad Asad   
they speak not until He has spoken unto them, and [whenever they act,] they act at His behest
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
They do not outstrip Him in speech, and they do according to His Command
Safi Kaskas   
They do not speak before He does, and they act only on His command.

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
لَا یَسۡبِقُونَهُۥ بِٱلۡقَوۡلِ وَهُم بِأَمۡرِهِۦ یَعۡمَلُونَ ۝٢٧
Transliteration (2021)   
lā yasbiqūnahu bil-qawli wahum bi-amrihi yaʿmalūn
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more   
Not they (can) precede Him in word, and they by His command act.

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
they speak not until He has spoken unto them, and [whenever they act,] they act at His behest
M. M. Pickthall   
They speak not until He hath spoken, and they act by His command
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
They speak not before He speaks, and they act (in all things) by His Command
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
who do not speak until He has spoken, ˹only˺ acting at His command.
Safi Kaskas   
They do not speak before He does, and they act only on His command.
Wahiduddin Khan   
they do not try to speak ahead of Him, and they act at His command
Shakir   
They do not precede Him in speech and (only) according to His commandment do they act
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
They precede Him not in saying and they act by His command.
T.B.Irving   
they do not try to speak ahead of Him, while they act at His command.
Abdul Hye   
They don’t speak until He has spoken and they act on His Command.
The Study Quran   
They precede Him not in speech, and they act according to His Command
Talal Itani & AI (2024)   
They don’t precede Him in speech, and they act only upon His command.
Talal Itani (2012)   
They never speak before He has spoken, and they only act on His command
Dr. Kamal Omar   
They never override Him by uttering a statement (of their own), and they perform deeds under His Ordainment
M. Farook Malik   
They do not precede Him in speaking and they act according to His commandment
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
They do not outstrip Him in speech, and they do according to His Command
Muhammad Sarwar   
These servants do not speak before He speaks. They simply act according to His orders
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
They do not precede Him in speech, and only under His command they act
Shabbir Ahmed   
They exceed not what He has spoken to them, and they act by His Command
Dr. Munir Munshey   
They dare not initiate an audience with Him, and they diligently carry out His orders
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
They do not speak before He (Allah) speaks (to them), and they act (only) by His command
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
They cannot precede Him in word, and they act by His command
[The Monotheist Group] (2017 Edition)   
They do not speak ahead of Him, and on His command they act.
Abdel Haleem   
they do not speak before He speaks and they act by His command
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
They precede Him not in words, and by His command they work
Ahmed Ali   
They did not precede Him in their speech, and acted on His command
Aisha Bewley   
They do not precede Him in speech and they act on His command.
Ali Ünal   
They speak only what He has spoken to them and allows them to speak, and they act by His command
Ali Quli Qara'i   
They do not venture to speak ahead of Him, and they act by His command
Hamid S. Aziz   
They speak not until He speaks; and they act by His command (John30)
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
They (the angels) do not get ahead of Him in speech, and they do according to His commands.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
They do not speak before He speaks, and they act by His command
Musharraf Hussain   
who don’t speak before He speaks and obey His command.
Maududi   
They do not outstrip Him in speech and only act as He commands
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
They do not speak ahead of Him, and on His command they act.
Mohammad Shafi   
They do not speak ahead of Him and they act at His Command

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
They precede Him not in word, and they act only by His command.
Rashad Khalifa   
They never speak on their own, and they strictly follow His commands.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
who do not surpass Him in speech, and do as He commands
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
They speak not before He speaks, and according to his command they act
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
They do not precede/race Him with the saying/opinion and belief, and they are with His order/command doing/working
Bijan Moeinian   
His Prophets do not speak on their own, and follow what they are ordered
Faridul Haque   
They do not speak before He has, and they act only at His command
Sher Ali   
They speak not before HE speaks, and they only carry out HIS commands
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
They do not precede Him in (uttering) any word, and they remain engaged in carrying out only His command
Amatul Rahman Omar   
They do not precede Him in speech and they only carry out His biddings
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
They speak not until He has spoken, and they act on His Command

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
that outstrip Him not in speech, and perform as He commands
George Sale   
They prevent Him not in any thing which they say; and they execute his command
Edward Henry Palmer   
they do not speak until He speaks; but at His bidding do they act
John Medows Rodwell   
They speak not till He hath spoken; and they do His bidding
N J Dawood (2014)   
They do not speak till He has spoken: they act by His command

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame   
They do not go ahead of Him in speech and they work according to His command.
Munir Mezyed   
And they speak only when He allows them to do so and they act according to His Command.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
They do not precede Him in speech and carry out His command.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
who never speak before Him, and they only act on His command.
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
They do not speak before He speaks. They act by His command.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
they do not try to speak ahead of Him, while they act at His command.
Samy Mahdy   
And they said, “Al-Rahman (The Most Gracious) has taken a son.” Glorified is Him. Nay, but they are honored slaves.
Sayyid Qutb   
They do not speak until He has spoken, and they act at His behest.
Thomas Cleary   
they do not speak before God does, and they act by God's decree.
Ahmed Hulusi   
Their word does not get ahead of His command! They fulfill His command.
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli   
They do not precede Him in speech, and (only) according to His commandment do they act
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
Never do they speak before Him unless permitted or commanded to do so; similarly conditioned are their acts
Mir Aneesuddin   
And they say, “The Beneficent (Allah) has taken a son." Glorified be He. No, they are (His) honoured servants.
The Wise Quran   
They do not precede Him in the speech; and they, they work by His command.

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
They speak not before He speaks, and they act (in all things) by His Command
OLD Literal Word for Word   
Not they (can) precede Him in word, and they by His command act
OLD Transliteration   
La yasbiqoonahu bialqawli wahum bi-amrihi yaAAmaloona