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Popular and/or Featured Works
Muhammad Asad   
and neither are equal the living and the dead [of heart]. Behold, [O Muhammad,] God can make hear whomever He wills, whereas thou canst not make hear such as are [dead of heart like the dead] in their graves
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
Nor are the dead and the living equal. Indeed, Allah ˹alone˺ makes whoever He wills hear, but you ˹O Prophet˺ can never make those in the graves hear ˹your call˺.
Safi Kaskas   
nor are the living and the dead alike. God can make anyone He will hear, but you cannot make those in the grave hear.

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
وَمَا یَسۡتَوِی ٱلۡأَحۡیَاۤءُ وَلَا ٱلۡأَمۡوَ ٰتُۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ یُسۡمِعُ مَن یَشَاۤءُۖ وَمَاۤ أَنتَ بِمُسۡمِعࣲ مَّن فِی ٱلۡقُبُورِ ۝٢٢
Transliteration (2021)   
wamā yastawī l-aḥyāu walā l-amwātu inna l-laha yus'miʿu man yashāu wamā anta bimus'miʿin man fī l-qubūr
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
And not equal (are) the living and not the dead. Indeed, Allah causes to hear whom He wills, and not you can make hear (those) who (are) in the graves.

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
and neither are equal the living and the dead [of heart]. Behold, [O Muhammad,] God can make hear whomever He wills, whereas thou canst not make hear such as are [dead of heart like the dead] in their graves
M. M. Pickthall   
Nor are the living equal with the dead. Lo! Allah maketh whom He will to hear. Thou canst not reach those who are in the graves
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
Nor are alike those that are living and those that are dead. Allah can make any that He wills to hear; but thou canst not make those to hear who are (buried) in graves
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
Nor are the dead and the living equal. Indeed, Allah ˹alone˺ makes whoever He wills hear, but you ˹O Prophet˺ can never make those in the graves hear ˹your call˺.
Safi Kaskas   
nor are the living and the dead alike. God can make anyone He will hear, but you cannot make those in the grave hear.
Wahiduddin Khan   
nor are the living and the dead. God causes whom He will to hear Him, but you cannot make those who are in their graves hear you
Shakir   
Neither are the living and the dead alike. Surely Allah makes whom He pleases hear, and you cannot make those hear who are in the graves
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
Nor are the living and the lifeless on the same level. Truly, God causes to hear whom He wills. And thou art not one who causes to hear whoever is in graves.
T.B.Irving   
The living and the dead are not alike. God lets anyone He wishes listen, while you will not make those in their graves hear.
Abdul Hye   
nor the living and the dead. Surely, Allah can make hear whom He wills, but you (O Muhammad) cannot make those hear who are in graves.
The Study Quran   
Not equal are the living and the dead. Truly God causes whomsoever He will to hear, but thou canst not cause those in graves to hear
Talal Itani & AI (2024)   
Likewise, the living and the dead aren’t the same. God makes whomever He wills hear, and you can’t make those in the graves hear.
Talal Itani (2012)   
Nor are equal the living and the dead. God causes whomever He wills to hear, but you cannot make those in the graves hear
Dr. Kamal Omar   
And do not become equal the (different categories of) living ones, and nor the (different categories of) dead ones. Verily, Allah makes (him) hear whom He thinks proper. And you are not ‘one who makes one hear’ unto that who are in graves
M. Farook Malik   
nor the living and the dead. Certainly Allah can make anyone hear if He so wills; but, O Prophet, you cannot make those who are in the graves hear you
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
And in no way are the living and the dead equal. Surely Allah makes to hear whomever He decides; and in no way can you ever make (the ones) in the tombs to hear
Muhammad Sarwar   
nor are the living and the dead. God makes to listen whomever He wants. (Muhammad), you cannot make people in the graves to listen
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
And the living and the dead are not alike. Allah makes to hear whomsoever He wills. And you cannot make to hear those who are in the graves
Shabbir Ahmed   
Nor are the living equal with the dead. Behold, Allah makes him hear who wants to hear. You cannot make hear the dead of heart like those who are in the graves
Dr. Munir Munshey   
The dead and the living are not equal. Of course Allah can make anyone He wants hear (anything He wants). But, you cannot make people lying in their graves hear anything
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
Neither are the same, those who are living and those who are dead. Verily, Allah can make any whom He wills to hear; And you cannot make those who are (buried) in graves to hear
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
And not equal are the living and the dead. Indeed, Allah causes to hear whom He wills, but you cannot make hear those in the graves
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
Nor equal are the living and the dead; God causes whomever He wills to hear. And you cannot make those who are in the graves hear
Abdel Haleem   
nor are the living and the dead. God makes anyone He wills hear [His message]: you cannot make those in their graves hear
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
Nor alike are the living and the dead. Verily Allah maketh whomsoever He listeth to hear and thou canst not make them hear who are in the graves
Ahmed Ali   
Equal are not the living and the dead. Verily God makes those He will to listen; but you cannot make those hear who are in their graves
Aisha Bewley   
The living and dead are not the same. Allah makes anyone He wills hear but you cannot make those in the grave hear.
Ali Ünal   
And nor are equal the living and the dead. Surely God makes hear whomever He wills; and you are not one to make hear those who are in the graves
Ali Quli Qara'i   
nor are the living equal to the dead. Indeed Allah makes whomever He wishes to hear, and you cannot make those who are in the graves hear
Hamid S. Aziz   
Neither are the living and the dead alike. Surely Allah makes whom He pleases hear, and you cannot make those hear who are in the graves
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
And the living and the dead are not equal. Indeed, God makes anyone He wants listen. And you cannot make those who are in the graves listen.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
Nor are those alike that are living and those who are dead. God can make any hear whom He wills to hear, but you cannot make those to hear who are in graves
Musharraf Hussain   
The living and the dead are not the same either. Allah lets him hear, who wants to hear; messenger, the one who is in the grave, you cannot make him hear.
Maududi   
nor are the living and the dead alike. Allah makes to hear whomsoever He wishes, but you, (O Prophet), cannot cause to hear those who are in their graves
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
Nor equal are the living and the dead; God causes whoever He wills to hear; and you cannot make those who are in the graves hear.
Mohammad Shafi   
And the living and the dead are not alike. Allah does indeed make one hear whom He wills. And you cannot make those ones hear who are in the graves.

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
And equal are not the living and the dead. Undoubtedly, Allah causes him to hear whom He pleases; and you are not to make those who are lying in their graves to hear.
Rashad Khalifa   
Nor are the living and the dead; GOD causes whomever He wills to hear. You cannot make hearers out of those in the graves.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
nor are the living and the dead equal. Allah makes to hear whosoever He will, but you cannot make those who are in their graves hear
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
Neither are the living and the dead alike. Surely Allah makes whom He pleases hear, and thou canst not make those hear who are in the graves
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
And (they) do not become equal/alike, the alive and nor the deads, that truly God makes whom He wills/wants hear/listen , and you are not with making whom (are) in the graves/burial places hear/listen
Bijan Moeinian   
The living [the believer who is attached to the source of life] and the dead [the zombie whose living is reduced only to physical activities] are not equal. God makes those who are willing to hear, to grasp the reality. However, you cannot make a dead person to hear in his grave
Faridul Haque   
And not equal are the living and the dead! Indeed Allah causes them to listen *, whomever He wills; and you cannot make those who are in the graves ** listen. (* Listen to guidance **The disbelievers are referred to as dead, whose fates are sealed.
Sher Ali   
Nor alike are the living and the dead. Surely, ALLAH causes him to hear whom HE pleases; and thou canst not make those hear who are in the graves
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
Nor can the living and the dead be alike. Surely, Allah makes whom He wills hear, and it is not your responsibility to make those hear who are (like those buried) in the graves* (i.e., you are not responsible to make the disbelievers accept what you say)
Amatul Rahman Omar   
The (spiritually) living and the (spiritually) dead are not alike. Allah causes to hear whom He will. But you cannot make those hear who are (lying buried) in the graves (of ignorance and prejudice)
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
Nor are (alike) the living (believers) and the dead (disbelievers). Verily, Allah makes whom He will hear, but you cannot make hear those who are in graves

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
not equal are the living and the dead. God makes to hear whomsoever He will; thou canst not make those in their tombs to hear
George Sale   
Neither shall the living and the dead be held equal. God shall cause him to hear whom He pleaseth: But thou shalt not make those to hear who are in their graves
Edward Henry Palmer   
nor are the living equal with the dead; verily, God causes whom He pleases to hear, and thou canst not make those who are in their graves hear
John Medows Rodwell   
Nor are the living and the dead the same thing! God indeed shall make whom He will to hearken, but thou shalt not make those who are in their graves to hearken
N J Dawood (2014)   
nor are the living and the dead. God can cause whom He will to hear Him, but you cannot make those who are in their graves hear you

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame   
Nor are equal the living and the dead and truly Allah makes hear whom He pleases and you are not going to be able to make them hear those that are in the graves.
Munir Mezyed   
Not equal are the living ones and the dead. Indeed, Allâh makes whom He wills to hear. But you cannot make those who are in the tombs to hear.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
Nor are the living and the dead the same, for Allah makes whom He pleases listen, and you cannot make those in the graves listen.
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
Not alike are the living and the dead. Allah can certainly make anyone [dead or alive] to hear if He wants, but you cannot make those in the graves hear you.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
nor equal are the living and the dead. Indeed, Allah causes whomever He wills to hear, but yousg cannot make those in the graves hear.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
The living and the dead are not alike. Allah (God) lets anyone He wishes listen, while you will not make those in their graves hear.
Samy Mahdy   
And not are equal the living and the dead. Surely Allah causes to hear whoever He wills, and you cannot cause to hear who in the graves
Sayyid Qutb   
and neither are equal the living and the dead. God can make hear whoever He wills, whereas you cannot make those who are in their graves hear you.
Ahmed Hulusi   
And not equal are the living (through the knowledge of the reality) and the dead (those who think they will become inexistent with death)! Indeed, Allah will enable whom He wills to hear... But you do not have the function to make hear those who are in their graves (cocoons – those who are living in the world projected by their brain)!
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli   
Neither are the living and the dead alike. Verily Allah makes whom He pleases hear, and you cannot make those hear who are in the graves.
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
Nor do the living -a life deserving the name- and the dead physically or spiritually compare. Allah's voice reaches whom He will but your voice O Muhammad shall never reach those deposited in the graves
Mir Aneesuddin   
And the living and the dead are not equal. Allah certainly makes to listen, whom He wills and you cannot make to listen, those who are in the graves.
The Wise Quran   
And not equal are the living and the dead. Indeed, God causes whom He wills to hear, and you cannot make those who are in the graves hear;

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
Nor are alike those that are living and those that are dead. God can make any that He wills to hear; but thou canst not make those to hear who are (buried) in graves
OLD Literal Word for Word   
And not equal (are) the living and not the dead. Indeed, Allah causes to hear whom He wills, and not you can make hear (those) who (are) in the graves
OLD Transliteration   
Wama yastawee al-ahyao wala al-amwatu inna Allaha yusmiAAu man yashao wama anta bimusmiAAin man fee alquboori