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Popular and/or Featured Works
Muhammad Asad   
For [even] before thy time, [O Muhammad,] We never sent [as Our apostles] any but [mortal] men, whom We inspired - hence, [tell the deniers of the truth,] “If you do not know this, ask the followers of earlier revelation”
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
We did not send ˹messengers˺ before you ˹O Prophet˺ except mere men inspired by Us. If you ˹polytheists˺ do not know ˹this already˺, then ask those who have knowledge ˹of the Scriptures˺.
Safi Kaskas   
Those We have sent before you were only men whom We inspired. So, tell those who deny the truth: "if you do not know this, ask the people of earlier revelations."

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
وَمَاۤ أَرۡسَلۡنَا قَبۡلَكَ إِلَّا رِجَالࣰا نُّوحِیۤ إِلَیۡهِمۡۖ فَسۡءَلُوۤا۟ أَهۡلَ ٱلذِّكۡرِ إِن كُنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ ۝٧
Transliteration (2021)   
wamā arsalnā qablaka illā rijālan nūḥī ilayhim fasalū ahla l-dhik'ri in kuntum lā taʿlamūn
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
And not We sent before you except men, We revealed to them. So ask (the) people (of) the Reminder, if you (do) not know.

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
For [even] before thy time, [O Muhammad,] We never sent [as Our apostles] any but [mortal] men, whom We inspired - hence, [tell the deniers of the truth,] “If you do not know this, ask the followers of earlier revelation”
M. M. Pickthall   
And We sent not (as Our messengers) before thee other than men, whom We inspired. Ask the followers of the Reminder if ye know not
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
Before thee, also, the messengers We sent were but men, to whom We granted inspiration: If ye realise this not, ask of those who possess the Message
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
We did not send ˹messengers˺ before you ˹O Prophet˺ except mere men inspired by Us. If you ˹polytheists˺ do not know ˹this already˺, then ask those who have knowledge ˹of the Scriptures˺.
Safi Kaskas   
Those We have sent before you were only men whom We inspired. So, tell those who deny the truth: "if you do not know this, ask the people of earlier revelations."
Wahiduddin Khan   
The messengers We sent before you were but men whom We had sent revelations. Ask the People of the Book if you do not know thi
Shakir   
And We did not send before you any but men to whom We sent revelation, so ask the followers of the reminder if you do no
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
And We sent not before thee but men to whom We reveal. So ask the People of the Remembrance if you had not been knowing.
T.B.Irving   
Before you We have sent only men whom We inspired. Ask people with [long] memories if you do not know it already.
Abdul Hye   
And We did not send before you (O Muhammad) but human to whom We revealed. So you ask the people of the reminder (Scripture - the Torah and the Gospel) if you don’t know.
The Study Quran   
And We sent no messenger before thee, but that they were men unto whom We revealed. So ask the people of the Reminder, if you know not
Talal Itani & AI (2024)   
We sent before you only men to whom we revealed. Ask the people of the message, if you don’t know.
Talal Itani (2012)   
We did not send before you except men, whom We inspired. Ask the people of knowledge, if you do not know
Dr. Kamal Omar   
And We sent not before you but male-adults whom We send Revelation. So ask the possessors of Az-Zikr if you are (such, that) you do not know
M. Farook Malik   
The Messengers which We sent before you, O Muhammad, were also human to whom We sent revelation. If you, O objectors, do not know this, then ask the people of the reminder (Jews and Christians)
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
And in no way did We send before you except men to whom We revealed (the Message). So ask (This is addressed to the disbelievers) the Population of the Remembrance, in case you do not know
Muhammad Sarwar   
The messengers that We had sent before you were only men to whom We had given revelation. Ask the People of the Book if you do not know
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
And We did not send before you messengers except men whom We inspired with revelation. So, ask the people (having the knowledge) of the Message, if you do not know
Shabbir Ahmed   
(O Prophet) Before you We sent none but men to whom We granted Revelation. (Tell the deniers), "If you do not know this, ask the followers of previous Revelations." (16:43)
Dr. Munir Munshey   
We have always commissioned men (as messengers) and sent revelations to them, even before your time. Should you not know (this fact), ask the people of the scriptures
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
Also before you, the messengers we sent were only men, to whom We granted the Revelation: If you do not know this, ask those, the people of the Remainder [of the Scripture, the Torah and the Gospel)]
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
And We sent not before you, [O Muhammad], except men to whom We revealed [the message], so ask the people of the message if you do not know
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
And We did not send before you except men whom We inspired to. So ask the people of the remembrance if you do not know
Abdel Haleem   
And even before your time [Prophet], all the messengers We sent were only men We inspired–– if you [disbelievers] do not know, ask people who know the Scripture–&ndash
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
And We sent not before thee but men unto whom We revealed; so ask the people of the Admonition if ye know not
Ahmed Ali   
Never did We send a message before you but through a man, whom We inspired. If you do not know, then ask the keepers of the oracles of God
Aisha Bewley   
We have only ever sent before you men who were given Revelation. Ask the People of the Reminder if you do not know.
Ali Ünal   
We did not send as Messengers before you (O Muhammad), any but men to whom We revealed. So (O people) ask those who have special knowledge (of the Divine Revelations), if you do not know
Ali Quli Qara'i   
We did not send [any apostles] before you except as men, to whom We revealed. Ask the People of the Reminder if you do not know
Hamid S. Aziz   
Nor did We send before them any but men whom We inspired? Ask you the people of the Scriptures if you do not know
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
We did not send (any messenger/prophet) before you except men whom We revealed to them, so ask the people of the reminder (people of the book) if you do not know.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
Before you, those We sent were also only men to whom We granted inspiration. Ask those who have the message if you do not know
Musharraf Hussain   
We sent Revelation to communities in the past; if you don’t know this ask the people of the Scripture.
Maududi   
(O Muhammad), even before you We never sent any other than human beings as Messengers, and to them We sent revelation. Ask the People of the Book if you do not know
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
And We did not send before you except men whom We inspired to. So ask the people of the Reminder if you do not know.
Mohammad Shafi   
And We sent (as Prophets/Messengers for mankind), before you, none but men inspired with Our Revelation. Ask the people of the Reminder (divinely revealed Book) if you do not know

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
And We sent not before you but men whom We revealed then O people! Ask the men of knowledge if you have no knowledge.
Rashad Khalifa   
We did not send before you except men whom we inspired. Ask those who know the scripture, if you do not know.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
We never sent (anyone) before you except men to whom We revealed to them. 'Ask the people of the Remembrance if you do not know.
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
And We sent not before thee any but men to whom We sent revelation; so ask the followers of the Reminder if you know not
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
And We did not send before you except men, We inspire/transmit to them, so ask/question the reminder's/remembrance's people if you were not knowing
Bijan Moeinian   
Before you, I sent many human beings to them as My Messengers to whom I revealed My Revelations. If you do not know about them, ask those who have inherited the Scripture
Faridul Haque   
And We did not send (Prophets) before you except men, to whom We sent divine revelations - therefore, O people, ask the people of knowledge if you do not know
Sher Ali   
And WE sent none as Messengers before thee but men to whom WE sent revelations. So ask the people of the reminder, if you know not
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
And, (O Esteemed Beloved,) We sent only men (as Prophets) before you (also). We used to send them Revelations. So, (O people,) if you do not know (yourselves), ask the people of remembrance
Amatul Rahman Omar   
(Prophet!) We sent none (as Messengers) before you but (they were) men to whom We made Our revelations. Therefore (O disbelievers!) ask the followers of the Reminder if you do not know (this)
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
And We sent not before you (O Muhammad SAW) but men to whom We inspired, so ask the people of the Reminder (Scriptures - the Taurat (Torah), the Injeel (Gospel)) if you do not know

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
And We sent none before thee, but men to whom We made revelation -- question the People of the Remembrance, if you do not know -
George Sale   
We sent none as our apostles before thee, other than men, unto whom We revealed our will. Ask those who are acquainted with the scripture, if ye know not this
Edward Henry Palmer   
Nor did we send before them any but men whom we inspired? Ask ye the people of the Scriptures if ye do not know
John Medows Rodwell   
And we sent none, previous to thee, but men to whom we had revealed ourselves. Ask ye the people who are warned by Scriptures, if ye know it not
N J Dawood (2014)   
The apostles We sent before you were but men whom We inspired. Ask the People of the Book if you do not know this

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame   
We never sent before you except men whom We inspired. Therefore ask the people of remembrance if you do not know.
Munir Mezyed   
And We didn’t sent (Messengers) before you other than men whom We inspired. Now, therefore, ( go and) ask those who have spiritual knowledge of the previously revealed scriptures if you don’t know.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
And before you We only sent men to whom We gave revelation, so ask those who keep the reminder if you don´t know.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
And never did We send before yousg but men to whom We reveal, so ask the people of the Reminder if youpl do not know.
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
Before you [Prophet Muhammed], messengers We sent were mere men to whom We granted inspiration. If you doubt that, ask those [Jews] who remember [the Word].
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
Before you We have sent only men whom We inspired. Ask people with [long] memories if you do not know it already.
Samy Mahdy   
And We did not send before you except men, We revealed to them. So, ask the reminder’s people, if you do not know.
Sayyid Qutb   
Before your time, We never sent [as Our messengers] any but men whom We inspired. Hence, ask the followers of earlier revelations if you do not know this.
Thomas Cleary   
And We never sent before you any but men whom We inspired: so ask the people who have been reminded if you do not know.
Ahmed Hulusi   
And We did not disclose anyone to them with a revelation before you, other than men... If you do not know, then ask those who possess knowledge of the past.
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli   
And We sent none before you, but men to whom We made revelation. So ask the people of �Thikr� (the Reminder) if you do not know
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
We never sent and inspired before you O Muhammad but men chosen from among the town dwellers whose deeds were natural to man, therefore, you -infidels- may ask those who are well versed in the antecedent Scriptures -Jews and Christians- if indeed you do not know
Mir Aneesuddin   
No city which We destroyed before them believed, so will they believe?

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
Before thee, also, the apostles We sent were but men, to whom We granted inspiration: If ye realise this not, ask of those who possess the Message
OLD Literal Word for Word   
And not We sent before you except men, We revealed to them. So ask (the) people (of) the Reminder, if you (do) not know
OLD Transliteration   
Wama arsalna qablaka illa rijalan noohee ilayhim fais-aloo ahla alththikri in kuntum la taAAlamoona