←Prev   Ayah al-Furqan (The Criterion, The Standard) 25:20   Next→ 

Popular and/or Featured Works
Muhammad Asad   
AND [even] before thee, [O Muhammad,] We never sent as Our message-bearers any but [mortal men] who indeed ate food [like other human beings] and went about in the market places: for [it is thus that] We cause you [human beings] to be a means of testing one another. Are you able to endure [this test] with patience? For [remember, O man,] thy Sustainer is truly all-seeing
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
We never sent any messenger before you ˹O Prophet˺, who did not eat food and go about in market-places. We have made some of you a trial for others. Will you ˹not then˺ be patient? And your Lord is All-Seeing.
Safi Kaskas   
[Prophet] Every messenger we ever sent before you ate food and walked in the markets. But We have made some of you a test for others to see if you will be steadfast? For your Lord is ever insightful.

Listen: 
Did you notice?

 You can SEARCH IslamAwakened: 

Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
وَمَاۤ أَرۡسَلۡنَا قَبۡلَكَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِینَ إِلَّاۤ إِنَّهُمۡ لَیَأۡكُلُونَ ٱلطَّعَامَ وَیَمۡشُونَ فِی ٱلۡأَسۡوَاقِۗ وَجَعَلۡنَا بَعۡضَكُمۡ لِبَعۡضࣲ فِتۡنَةً أَتَصۡبِرُونَۗ وَكَانَ رَبُّكَ بَصِیرࣰا ۝٢٠
Transliteration (2021)   
wamā arsalnā qablaka mina l-mur'salīna illā innahum layakulūna l-ṭaʿāma wayamshūna fī l-aswāqi wajaʿalnā baʿḍakum libaʿḍin fit'natan ataṣbirūna wakāna rabbuka baṣīra
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
And not We sent before you any Messengers but indeed, they [surely] ate food and walked in the markets. And We have made some of you for others a trial, will you have patience? And is your Lord All-Seer.

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
AND [even] before thee, [O Muhammad,] We never sent as Our message-bearers any but [mortal men] who indeed ate food [like other human beings] and went about in the market places: for [it is thus that] We cause you [human beings] to be a means of testing one another. Are you able to endure [this test] with patience? For [remember, O man,] thy Sustainer is truly all-seeing
M. M. Pickthall   
We never sent before thee any messengers but lo! they verily ate food and walked in the markets. And We have appointed some of you a test for others: Will ye be steadfast? And thy Lord is ever Seer
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
And the messengers whom We sent before thee were all (men) who ate food and walked through the streets: We have made some of you as a trial for others: will ye have patience? for Allah is One Who sees (all things)
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
We never sent any messenger before you ˹O Prophet˺, who did not eat food and go about in market-places. We have made some of you a trial for others. Will you ˹not then˺ be patient? And your Lord is All-Seeing.
Safi Kaskas   
[Prophet] Every messenger we ever sent before you ate food and walked in the markets. But We have made some of you a test for others to see if you will be steadfast? For your Lord is ever insightful.
Wahiduddin Khan   
We never sent any messengers before you who did not eat food and walk in the market-place. We make some of you a means of trial for others, to see whether you are steadfast. Your Lord is all seeing
Shakir   
And We have not sent before you any messengers but they most surely ate food and went about in the markets; and We have made some of you a trial for others; will you bear patiently? And your Lord is ever Seeing
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
And We sent not before thee any ones who are sent but that, truly, they eat food and walk in the markets. And We made some of you as a test for some others. Will you endure patiently, and thy Lord had been Seeing.
T.B.Irving   
We have never sent any emissaries before you unless they ate food and walked around the markets. We have placed some of them as a trial for others. Will you be patient while your Lord is Observant?
Abdul Hye   
And We have never sent before you (O Muhammad) any of the Messengers but surely, they ate food and walked in the markets. And We have made some of you as a trial for others. Now, will you have patience? Your Lord is All-Seer of everything.
The Study Quran   
And We sent not any messengers before thee but that they ate food and walked in the markets. And We made some of you a trial for others; will you be patient? And thy Lord is Seeing
Talal Itani & AI (2024)   
We never sent messengers before you who didn’t eat food and walk in the markets. We test you through each other—will you have patience? Your Lord is ever Watchful.
Talal Itani (2012)   
We never sent any messengers before you, but they ate food and walked in the marketplaces. And We made some of you tempters for one another—will you be patient? Your Lord is always Observing
Dr. Kamal Omar   
And We did not send before you, out of Messengers, but verily, they eat food and they walk on the roads. And We have made some of you as a test and trial for some (others). Will you have patience? And your Nourisher-Sustainer is Ever All-Seer
M. Farook Malik   
We have sent no Messenger before you, who did not eat or walk through the streets. In fact, We test you by means of one another. Now, will you show patience, for your Lord is Ever Observant
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
indeed ate food and walked in the markets. And We have made some of you to be a temptation for (some) others. "Will you (endure) patiently?" And your Lord has been Ever-Beholding
Muhammad Sarwar   
All the Messengerss whom We sent before, certainly, ate food and walked through the streets. We have made some of you (people) a trial for the others. Would you then exercise patience? Your Lord is All-aware
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
We did not send any messengers before you (O prophet,) but all of them used to eat food and walk in the markets. And We have made some of you a test for some others. Would you observe patience? And your Lord is Ever-seeing
Shabbir Ahmed   
And the Messengers whom We sent before you (O Prophet) were all mortals who indeed ate food and went about in the market-places. It is thus that We cause you human beings to be a means of testing one another. Are you able to pass this test with patience? For, your Sustainer is All Seeing. (Human beings are expected to evaluate the Message by way of REASON, and not by way of miracles and supernatural phenomena (12:108))
Dr. Munir Munshey   
(Oh messenger)! Prior to you, too, every messenger We ever sent consumed food and moved about in the bazaars. We designed each of you to be a test for others. So, won´t you be patient? Your Lord is ever alert and watchful
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
And the messengers whom We had sent before you, (they) were all (men) who ate food, and walked through the streets: We have made some of you like a trial for others: Will you have patience? And your Lord is All Seeing (Baseer)
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
And We did not send before you, [O Muhammad], any of the messengers except that they ate food and walked in the markets. And We have made some of you [people] as trial for others - will you have patience? And ever is your Lord, Seeing
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
And We have not sent before you any messengers except that they ate the food and walked in the market places. And We have made some of you as a trial for others to see if you will have patience. And your Lord was ever seeing
Abdel Haleem   
No messenger have We sent before you [Muhammad] who did not eat food and walk about in the marketplace. But We have made some of you a means of testing others- will you stand fast? Your Lord is always watching
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
And We have not sent before thee ony of the sent ones but verily they ate food and walked about in the market places. And We have made some of you unto some others a temptation; will ye have patience! And thy Lord is ever a Beholder. pART XI
Ahmed Ali   
We never sent before you apostles who did not eat food and walk the market places. We make some of you the means of trying the others. So will you persevere? Your Lord is always watching
Aisha Bewley   
We never sent any Messengers before you who did not eat food and walk in the market-place. But We have made some of you a trial for others to see if you will be steadfast? Your Lord sees everything.
Ali Ünal   
(O Messenger!) We never sent any Messengers before you but they surely ate food and went about in the market-places (to meet their needs). We cause you (O humankind) to be a means of testing for one another. Will you show good patience and perseverance (in the face of Our decrees and remain steadfast in Our way)? Your Lord is All-Seeing
Ali Quli Qara'i   
We did not send any apostles before you but that they indeed ate food and walked in marketplaces. We have made you a trial for one another, [to see] if you will be patient, and your Lord is all-seeing
Hamid S. Aziz   
We have not sent before you any messengers, but lo! They ate food and walked in the markets; but We have made some of you a test for others: will you be steadfast? your Lord is ever Seer
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
And We did not send any of the messengers before you unless they ate food and walked in the markets, and We have made some of you a test for the others, will you persevere? And your Lord sees all.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
And the messengers whom We sent before you, were all people who ate food and walked through the streets. We have made some of you as a trial for the others. Will you have patience? For God is One who sees all things. 20 (End of Part 18
Musharraf Hussain   
Never before you, Muhammad, have We sent any messenger who didn’t eat food and walk about in the markets. We made some of you a test for others to see how patient you will be. Your Lord is Seeing.
Maududi   
O Muhammad, all the Messengers whom We sent before you also ate food and moved about in the streets. In fact, We have made you all a means of test for one another. Will you show patience? for your Lord sees everything
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
AndWe have not sent before you any messengers except that they ate the food and walked in the market places. And We have made some of you as a test for others to see if you will have patience. And your Lord was ever seeing
Mohammad Shafi   
We had not sent any Messengers before you who did not eat food and roam the market- places. We test some of you with others, whether you exercise patience. And your Lord monitors all things

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
And as many Messengers We sent before you, they were all the same, they ate food and walked about in the markets. And We have made one of you a test for the other, and O, people! Will you have patience, and O beloved! Your Lord is seeing.
Rashad Khalifa   
We did not send any messengers before you who did not eat food and walk in the markets. We thus test you by each other; will you steadfastly persevere? Your Lord is Seer.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
We did not send Messengers before you but that they ate food and walked about in the markets, We have appointed some of you to be a trial for others. Will you endure? Your Lord is the Seer
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
And We did not send before thee any messengers but they surely ate food and went about in the markets. And We make some of you a trial for others. Will you bear patiently? And thy Lord is ever Seeing
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
And We did not send from before you from the messengers except that they truly eat (E) the food and they walk in the markets, and We made/put some of you to some (as) a test/seduction , would you be patient? And your Lord was/is seeing/knowing
Bijan Moeinian   
The previous Prophets also ate food and walked in the streets. In fact, I am testing you by the means of each other. Be patient as your Lord is watching
Faridul Haque   
And all the Noble Messengers We sent before you were like this – eating food and walking in the markets; and We have made some of you a test for others; so will you, O people, patiently endure? And O dear Prophet, your Lord is All Seeing
Sher Ali   
And WE did not send any Messengers before thee but surely they ate food and walked in the streets. And WE make some of you a trial for others to see whether you are steadfast. And thy Lord is All-Seeing
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
And We did not send Messengers before you but (that) they certainly ate food and also walked about in the marketplaces (as needed). And We have made you a trial for one another. Will you observe patience (in trial)? And your Lord is All-Seeing
Amatul Rahman Omar   
And We sent no Messengers before you but they surely ate food and walked in the market-places (and were human models for you to follow in every walk of life). And We try you one with another (to show) if you will (then) patiently persevere. And your Lord is ever All-Seeing
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
And We never sent before you (O Muhammad SAW) any of the Messengers but verily, they ate food and walked in the markets. And We have made some of you as a trial for others: will you have patience? And your Lord is Ever All-Seer (of everything)

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
And We sent not before thee any Envoys, but that they ate food, and went in the markets; and We appointed some of you to be a trial for others: 'Will you endure?' Thy Lord is ever All-seeing
George Sale   
We have sent no messengers before thee, but they ate food, and walked through the streets: And We make some of you an occasion of trial unto others. Will ye persevere with patience? since your Lord regardeth your perseverance
Edward Henry Palmer   
We have not sent before thee any messengers but that they ate food and walked in the markets; but we have made some of you a trial to others: will ye be patient? thy Lord doth ever look
John Medows Rodwell   
Never have we sent Apostles before thee who ate not common food, and walked not the streets. And we test you by means of each other. Will ye be steadfast? Thy Lord is looking on
N J Dawood (2014)   
And We have sent no apostles before you who did not eat food or walk about the market-squares. We test you by means of one another. Will you not have patience? Surely your Lord observes all

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame   
We have not sent before you from the messengers except that they indeed ate food and walked in the markets and We have made you a trial for one another, so will you be patient? And truly Your Lord is All-seeing.
Munir Mezyed   
And We didn't send before you any Messengers but that they ate food and went about in the marketplaces. We have made some of you a trial for others. Will you then endure patiently? Verily, Your Lord is Ever All-Seer.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
And whenever We sent messengers before you they ate food and walked in the markets, and We made some of you a test for others as to whether you are patient, and your Lord is watching.
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
The messengers that We sent before you were people who certainly ate food and walked among the markets. We have made some of you a trial for others. Will you have patience? Your Lord is the All-seeing.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
And never did We send any emissaries before yousg but they used to eat food and walk in the marketplaces. And We made some of you a means of trial for others—will you be patient? And your Lord has always been All-Seeing.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
We have never sent any emissaries before you unless they ate food and walked around the markets. We have placed some of them as a trial for others. Will you be patient while your Lord is Observant?
Samy Mahdy   
And We did not send before you, among the messengers except that they were eating the food and walking in the markets. And We set up some of you for some others, an infatuation - will you be patient? And your Lord is ever, Seer.
Sayyid Qutb   
Even before you, We never sent messengers other than [men] who indeed ate food and went about in the market-places. We have made some of you a means of testing others. Are you able to endure with patience? Surely your Lord sees all.
Ahmed Hulusi   
The Rasuls We disclosed before you also ate food and walked about in the markets! We have made you objects of trial for one another... Will you be patient? Your Rabb is the Basir.
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli   
And We never sent any messengers before you but they certainly ate food and walked in the markets; and We have made some of you a trial for the others: will you bear patiently? And your Lord is Ever-Seeing
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
We never sent Messengers before you O Muhammad but were human who ate food and could not survive without alimentation and they moved about from place to place on foot. We also tested the people by exposing opposites -contrary in nature, character, tendency, status, wealth- to each other and those with thoughts of sedition in one toward another. Therefore, will you people -who have conformed to Islam- be persistent, constant and unwearied in the face of difficulties and hindrances and exercise patience! Your Creator is Bassirun (Omnipresent Whose constant vigilance has always been extended to all His creatures.
Mir Aneesuddin   
(It will be said), "So they have denied you regarding that which you say," then you will neither be able to turn away (the punishment) nor (will you get any) help, and whoever among you is unjust, We will make him taste a great punishment.
The Wise Quran   
We have not sent before you any messengers but indeed they surely ate food and walked in the markets. And We have made some of you a trial to some, will you be patient? Your Lord sees.

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
And the apostles whom We sent before thee were all (men) who ate food and walked through the streets: We have made some of you as a trial for others: will ye have patience? for God is One Who sees (all things)
OLD Literal Word for Word   
And not We sent before you any Messengers but indeed, they [surely] ate food and walked in the markets. And We have made some of you for others a trial, will you have patience? And is your Lord All-Seer
OLD Transliteration   
Wama arsalna qablaka mina almursaleena illa innahum laya/kuloona alttaAAama wayamshoona fee al-aswaqi wajaAAalna baAAdakum libaAAdin fitnatan atasbiroona wakana rabbuka baseeran