Popular Translations
Muhammad Asad
And [once again]: Why do you not say, whenever you hear such [a rumour], “It does not behove us to speak of this, O Thou who art limitless in Thy glory: this is an awesome calumny”
Arthur John Arberry
And why, when you heard it, did you not say, 'It is not for us to speak about this; glory be to Thee! This is a mighty calumny'
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
And why did ye not, when ye heard it, say? - "It is not right of us to speak of this: Glory to Allah! this is a most serious slander!"
Arabic
وَلَوۡلَاۤ إِذۡ سَمِعۡتُمُوهُ قُلۡتُم مَّا یَكُونُ لَنَاۤ أَن نَّتَكَلَّمَ بِهَـٰذَا سُبۡحَـٰنَكَ هَـٰذَا بُهۡتَـٰنٌ عَظِیمࣱ ١٦
Transliteration (2021)
walawlā idh samiʿ'tumūhu qul'tum mā yakūnu lanā an natakallama bihādhā sub'ḥānaka hādhā buh'tānun ʿaẓīmu