Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad
[for,] had We willed to indulge in a pastime, We would indeed have produced it from within Ourselves - if such had been Our will at all
M. M. Pickthall
If We had wished to find a pastime, We could have found it in Our presence - if We ever did
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
If it had been Our wish to take (just) a pastime, We should surely have taken it from the things nearest to Us, if We would do (such a thing)
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab
Had We intended to take ˹some˺ amusement, We could have found it in Our presence, if that had been Our Will.
Safi Kaskas
had We wished for amusement, We could have found it within Ourselves- had We so willed.
Wahiduddin Khan
Had We wished to find a pastime, We would surely have found it in that which is with Us, if such had been Our will
Shakir
Had We wished to make a diversion, We would have made it from before Ourselves: by no means would We do (it)
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar
If We wanted We would have taken some diversion. We would take it to Ourselves from that which proceeds from Our Presence if We had been ones who do so.
T.B.Irving
If We had wanted to adopt it as a pastime, We would have adopted it within Our very presence, had We ever done so.
Abdul Hye
Had We intended to take a pastime, surely We could have taken it from Us, if We were going to do that.
The Study Quran
Had We desired to take up a diversion, We would surely have taken it from that which was with Us, were We to do so
Talal Itani & AI (2024)
If we had wanted to take a pastime, We could have taken it from with Us—if We were to do so.
Talal Itani (2012)
If We wanted amusement, We could have found it within Us, were We to do so
Dr. Kamal Omar
Had We intended to find (a pasttime in) jest and sport, We would surely have found it in what is with Us if We happened to be (out of) those who do (such an act)
Had We meant to make it a play ground, We would have done it by Ourself, without giving you discretion to do right and wrong, had We ever done so
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali
If We had taken to Us a diversion, We would indeed have taken it to Us from very close to Us, in case We are performing (that)
Muhammad Sarwar
Had We wanted to play games, We could have certainly done so with things at hand
Muhammad Taqi Usmani
Had We intended to have a pastime, We would have had it from Our own, if We were ever to do so
Shabbir Ahmed
If We had wished to find a pastime, We could have found it in Our Presence, if such had been Our Will at all
Dr. Munir Munshey
Had We wanted just to have fun, and if We were (given to) doing that, We would have done so all by Ourselves
Syed Vickar Ahamed
If it had been Our wish to make a game, we should surely have made it from the things nearest to Us, if We would do (such a thing)
Had We intended to take a diversion, We could have taken it from [what is] with Us - if [indeed] We were to do so
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)
If We wanted to be amused, We could have done so from what is already with Us, if that is what We wished to do
Abdel Haleem
If We had wished for a pastime, We could have found it within Us- if We had wished for any such thing
Abdul Majid Daryabadi
Had We intended that We should choose a sport, surely We would choose it from before Us--if We were ever going to do that
Ahmed Ali
If We had pleased to make a plaything We could have made it Ourself, if We had cared to do so
Aisha Bewley
If We had desired to have some amusement, We would have derived it from Our Presence, but We did not do that.
Ali Ünal
If We had willed to find a pastime (without creating the heavens and the earth with all that is in and between them), We would indeed have found it in Our Presence, if We were going to do so
Ali Quli Qara'i
Had We desired to take up some diversion We would have surely taken it up with Ourselves, were We to do [so]
Hamid S. Aziz
Had We wished to find a pastime, We could have found it in (or nearer) Our Presence, if We would do such a thing
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad
If We wanted to take a hobby, We would have taken it from what is with Us, if We were doers.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)
If it had been Our will to take a pastime, We could indeed have taken it from the things nearest to Us, if We would do such a thing
Musharraf Hussain
If We wanted a pastime then We would have found it within Us, were We to do such a frivolous thing.
Maududi
Had it been Our will to find a pastime, We would have found one near at hand; if at all We were inclined to do so
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)
If We wanted to be amused, We could have done so from what is already with Us, if that is what We wished to do.
Mohammad Shafi
Had We wished to have some amusement, We would have derived it from within Ourselves, if at all.h
Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)
If We had wished to take any amusement, then We would have taken from Ourselves; if at all, We were to do.
If we needed amusement, we could have initiated it without any of this, if that is what we wanted to do.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah
Had We wished to take to Us an amusement We would have taken it to Us from Ours had We done so
Maulana Muhammad Ali
Had We wished to take a pastime, We would have taken it from before Ourselves; by no means would We do (so)
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira
If We wanted that We take a plaything/an amusement , We would have taken it from at Us, if We were making/doing
Bijan Moeinian
If I wanted to have some fun, I would have done it otherwise (it is beneath the dignity of the Lord to let sensible creatures of his suffer just for fun.
Faridul Haque
If We willed to choose a pastime, We could have chosen it from Ourselves - if We wanted to
Sher Ali
Had WE wished to find a pastime, WE would, surely, have found it in what is with US, if at all WE were to do such a thing
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
If We intended to take up some sport, We would adopt it on Our own if at all We were to do (so)
Amatul Rahman Omar
If We had meant to make something vain and idle We would surely have made it so on Our part. (But) We were by no means to do (such a thing)
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali
Had We intended to take a pastime (i.e. a wife or a son, etc.), We could surely have taken it from Us, if We were going to do (that)
New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame
If it had been Our design to take unto Ourselves an idle leisure, We certainly would have taken it from Our presence if We were going to do so.
Munir Mezyed
If We had intended to find a pastime, We would surely have taken it from what is with US, if We were to do so!
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher
Had We wanted to find amusement, We could have found that with Ourselves if We were to do so.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation
If We wanted amusement, We could have obtained it from very close to Us, were We to do so.
Linda “iLHam” Barto
If it had been Our desire to indulge in fun, We would have done so on Our own, if We acted so.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab
If We had wanted to adopt it as a pastime (wife or companion), We would have adopted it within Our very presence (angels), had We ever done so.
Samy Mahdy
And We did not create the sky and the earth and what is between them as playing.
Sayyid Qutb
Had We willed to indulge in a pastime, We would indeed have found one near at hand; if ever We were to do so!
Thomas Cleary
Had We wished to take to sport. We would have made one from Our Own domain if We were to do so.
Ahmed Hulusi
If Our wish was to create games and entertainment, surely We would have done so from within Our Own ladun. But this isn’t what We do!
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli
Had We intended that We should take amusement we would certainly have taken it from before Ourselves, if We would do (such a thing)
Had We purposed to have fun or diversion We would have had recourse to what We have in Our heaven's realm if indeed We meant to do so
Mir Aneesuddin
And We did not create the sky and earth and that which is between these two, for sport.
The Wise Quran
Had We wished to take a diversion, surely We would have taken it from Ourselves; if We were doers.