Popular Translations
Muhammad Asad
Yet, withal, thy Sustainer would never destroy a community without having [first] raised in its midst an apostle who would convey unto them Our messages; and never would We destroy a community unless its people are wont to do wrong [to one another]
Arthur John Arberry
Yet thy Lord never destroyed the cities until He sent in their mother-city a Messenger, to recite Our signs unto them; and We never destroyed the cities, save that their inhabitants were evildoers
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
Nor was thy Lord the one to destroy a population until He had sent to its centre a messenger, rehearsing to them Our Signs; nor are We going to destroy a population except when its members practise iniquity
Arabic
وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ مُهۡلِكَ ٱلۡقُرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ یَبۡعَثَ فِیۤ أُمِّهَا رَسُولࣰا یَتۡلُوا۟ عَلَیۡهِمۡ ءَایَـٰتِنَاۚ وَمَا كُنَّا مُهۡلِكِی ٱلۡقُرَىٰۤ إِلَّا وَأَهۡلُهَا ظَـٰلِمُونَ ٥٩
Transliteration (2021)
wamā kāna rabbuka muh'lika l-qurā ḥattā yabʿatha fī ummihā rasūlan yatlū ʿalayhim āyātinā wamā kunnā muh'likī l-qurā illā wa-ahluhā ẓālimūn