Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad
But nay, they speak as the people of olden times did speak
M. M. Pickthall
Nay, but they say the like of that which said the men of old
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
On the contrary they say things similar to what the ancients said
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab
But they ˹just˺ say what their predecessors said.
Safi Kaskas
However, they are content to say what their ancestors said.
Wahiduddin Khan
But they say the same as the ancients said
Shakir
Nay, they say the like of what the ancients said
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar
Nay! They said the like of what the ancient ones said.
T.B.Irving
Instead they say the same thing as the first men said;
Abdul Hye
But they say just like what their forefathers said.
The Study Quran
Nay, but they say the like of that which was said by those of old
Talal Itani & AI (2024)
They merely repeat what was said by those before them.
Talal Itani (2012)
But they say the like of what the ancients said
Dr. Kamal Omar
Nay, they uttered the like of what said the earlier (misled) people
On the contrary they just say what their forefathers said before them
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali
No indeed, (but) they said the like of what the earliest (people) said
Muhammad Sarwar
They say exactly the same thing as the people who lived before
Muhammad Taqi Usmani
But they say as the earlier people had said
Shabbir Ahmed
Nay, they say what the people of the olden times used to say
Dr. Munir Munshey
But in fact, their remarks are identical to those of their forerunners _ (the unbelievers of earlier times)
Syed Vickar Ahamed
To the opposite (effect), they say things similar to what the olden (people) said
Rather, they say like what the former peoples said
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)
No, they have said the same as what the people of old had said
Abdel Haleem
But, like others before them
Abdul Majid Daryabadi
Aye! they say the like of that which said the ancients
Ahmed Ali
And talk as did the people of old
Aisha Bewley
However, they say the same as previous peoples said.
Ali Ünal
(Instead of using their reason), they only speak as the former (disbelieving) peoples spoke
Ali Quli Qara'i
Rather they say just like what the ancients said
Hamid S. Aziz
Nay, but they say the like of that which those of yore did say
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad
No, but they say the same as what the earlier ones said.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)
Instead, they say things similar to what the people in the past said
Musharraf Hussain
On the contrary, the Makkans say the same as their ancestors.
Maududi
Nay, but they say the like of what their predecessors of yore had said
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)
No,they have said the same as what the people of old had said
Mohammad Shafi
But they say the like of what the earlier peoples said
Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)
Nay, but they said what the former used to say.
They said what their ancestors said.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah
No, but they said what the ancients said before them
Maulana Muhammad Ali
Nay, they say the like of what the ancients said
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira
But they said similar/equal (to) what the first/beginners said
Bijan Moeinian
Their response (to the Lord’s invitation) is the same as their forefathers’ saying
Faridul Haque
On the contrary, they said the same as what the former people used to say
Sher Ali
But they say things similar to what the former people said
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
But these people (too) utter similar words that the former (disbelievers) used to utter
Amatul Rahman Omar
But (rather than trying to understand) they repeated what the former people had said
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali
Nay, but they say the like of what the men of old said
New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame
Rather they said the like of that which was said by people before them.
Munir Mezyed
Nay, but they say things similar to what the ancients said.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher
But they say things similar to what the earliest communities said.
Linda “iLHam” Barto
In contradiction, they say things similar to what the people of old said.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation
Rather, they said the like of what the ancients had said.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab
Instead they say the same thing as the first men said;
Samy Mahdy
Nay, but they said like, of what the formers said.
Sayyid Qutb
But they say like the people of old times used to say.
Ahmed Hulusi
But they said what those before them said.
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli
Nay, but they say the like of what the ancients said
No. they express their thoughts in words identical with those uttered by their ancestors
Mir Aneesuddin
And He it is Who gives life and causes death and the alternation of the night and the day is due to Him. Will you not then understand?
The Wise Quran
Nay, they say like what the former people said.