←Prev   Ayah az-Zumar (The Troops, Throngs, The Companies) 39:55   Next→ 

Popular and/or Featured Works
Muhammad Asad   
And ere that suffering comes upon you of a sudden, without your being aware [of its approach], follow the most goodly [teaching] that has been revealed unto you by your Sustainer
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
Follow ˹the Quran,˺ the best of what has been revealed to you from your Lord, before the punishment takes you by surprise while you are unaware,
Safi Kaskas   
Follow the best teaching sent down to you from your Lord before the punishment comes upon you suddenly, when you are not expecting it,

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
وَٱتَّبِعُوۤا۟ أَحۡسَنَ مَاۤ أُنزِلَ إِلَیۡكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُم مِّن قَبۡلِ أَن یَأۡتِیَكُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُ بَغۡتَةࣰ وَأَنتُمۡ لَا تَشۡعُرُونَ ۝٥٥
Transliteration (2021)   
wa-ittabiʿū aḥsana mā unzila ilaykum min rabbikum min qabli an yatiyakumu l-ʿadhābu baghtatan wa-antum lā tashʿurūn
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
And follow (the) best (of) what is revealed to you from your Lord from before [that] comes to you the punishment suddenly, while you (do) not perceive,

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
And ere that suffering comes upon you of a sudden, without your being aware [of its approach], follow the most goodly [teaching] that has been revealed unto you by your Sustainer
M. M. Pickthall   
And follow the better (guidance) of that which is revealed unto you from your Lord, before the doom cometh on you suddenly when ye know not
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
"And follow the best of (the courses) revealed to you from your Lord, before the Penalty comes on you - of a sudden while ye perceive not!
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
Follow ˹the Quran,˺ the best of what has been revealed to you from your Lord, before the punishment takes you by surprise while you are unaware,
Safi Kaskas   
Follow the best teaching sent down to you from your Lord before the punishment comes upon you suddenly, when you are not expecting it,
Wahiduddin Khan   
Follow the best aspect of what is sent down to you from your Lord, before the scourge comes upon you unawares
Shakir   
And follow the best that has been revealed to you from your Lord before there comes to you the punishment all of a sudden while you do not even perceive
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
And follow the fairer of what was caused to descend to you from your Lord before the punishment approaches you suddenly while you are not aware
T.B.Irving   
Follow the finest part of whatever has been sent down to you from your Lord before torment comes upon you suddenly while you do not notice it,
Abdul Hye   
Follow the best way which is sent down (the Qur’an) to you from your Lord before the punishment comes on you suddenly while you don’t perceive!
The Study Quran   
And follow the most beautiful of that which has been sent down unto you from your Lord, before the punishment comes suddenly upon you while you are unaware,
Talal Itani & AI (2024)   
Adhere to the best of what was revealed to you from your Lord, before the punishment engulfs you unexpectedly.
Talal Itani (2012)   
And follow the best of what was revealed to you from your Lord, before the punishment comes upon you suddenly, while you are unaware
Dr. Kamal Omar   
And follow the better one of that which has been sent down to you from your Nourisher-Sustainer before (the stage) that the torment comes on you out of a sudden while you perceive (it) not —
M. Farook Malik   
Follow the best way that is revealed to you by your Lord before the scourge comes to you all of a sudden while you do not even perceive it
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
And closely follow the fairest of what has been sent down to you from your Lord even before the torment comes up to you suddenly while (Literally: and) you are not aware
Muhammad Sarwar   
Follow the best of what is revealed to you from your Lord before the torment suddenly approaches you and you will not realize how it came about
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
And follow the best of what has been sent down to you from your Lord before the punishment comes to you suddenly when you do not even expect
Shabbir Ahmed   
And follow the best teaching (the Qur'an) that has been revealed for you by your Lord before the doom comes upon you suddenly without your perceiving of the why, how and whence of it. (39:18). (I have rendered: revealed 'for' you instead of 'to' you since the addressee in the verse is plural)
Dr. Munir Munshey   
Follow the excellent advice revealed to you by your Lord before the time (arrives) when the punishment will creep up on you stealthily and you would not realize
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
"And follow the best (of the paths) revealed to you from your Lord, before the penalty comes upon you— All of a sudden, when you are not aware!"&mdash
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
And follow the best of what was revealed to you from your Lord before the punishment comes upon you suddenly while you do not perceive
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
And follow the best of what has been sent down to you from your Lord, before the retribution comes to you suddenly when you least expect it
Abdel Haleem   
Follow the best teaching sent down to you from your Lord, before the punishment suddenly takes you, unawares
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
And follow the best of that which hath been sent down Unto you from your Lord there cometh on you torment of a sudden, while ye perceive not
Ahmed Ali   
Follow the best of what has been revealed to you by your Lord before the punishment overtakes you suddenly and you are caught unawares
Aisha Bewley   
Follow the best that has been sent down to you from your Lord before the punishment comes upon you suddenly when you are not expecting it;
Ali Ünal   
Follow in the best way possible what has been sent down to you from your Lord, before the punishment comes upon you all of a sudden, without your being aware (of its coming)
Ali Quli Qara'i   
And follow the best of what has been sent down to you from your Lord, before the punishment overtakes you suddenly while you are unaware.’
Hamid S. Aziz   
And follow the best of that which has been revealed to you from your Lord before the punishment comes suddenly while you do not even perceive
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
Follow the best of what has been sent down to you from your Lord (the instructions of Quran) before the punishment comes to you suddenly while you do not realize,
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
“And adhere to the best of what is revealed to you from your Guardian Evolver, before the penalty comes on you all of a sudden, while you perceive it not
Musharraf Hussain   
And follow the best teachings sent down to you by your Lord before the unexpected punishment overtakes you when you are unaware
Maududi   
Follow the best of what has been revealed to you from your Lord before the chastisement suddenly comes upon you without you even being aware of it."
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
And follow the best of what has been sent down to you from your Lord, before the retribution comes to you suddenly when you least expect it.
Mohammad Shafi   
"Follow the good admonition that has been sent down for you from your Lord before the punishment catches you unawares."

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
And follow the best, which has been sent to you from your Lord, before the torment overtakes you suddenly when you know not.
Rashad Khalifa   
And follow the best path that is pointed out for you by your Lord, before the retribution overtakes you suddenly when you least expect it.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
Follow the best of what has been sent down from your Lord before the punishment overtakes you suddenly, while you are unaware.
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
And follow the best that has been revealed to you from your Lord before chastisement comes to you all of a sudden, while you perceive not -
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
And follow best (of) what was descended to you from your Lord from before that the torture comes to you suddenly/unexpectedly, and (while) you do not know/feel/sense
Bijan Moeinian   
Follow the best path indicated by your Lord before unexpectedly, and not knowingly, being exposed to the disaster
Faridul Haque   
“And follow this, the best among all, which has been sent down towards you from your Lord, before the punishment comes suddenly upon you whilst you are unaware.”
Sher Ali   
And follow the best Teaching that has been revealed to you from your Lord, before the punishment comes upon you suddenly, while you perceive not.
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
And follow the Excellent (Book) that has been revealed to you by your Lord before the torment suddenly comes upon you and you are simply unaware
Amatul Rahman Omar   
And follow the best (teaching suiting your condition) that has been revealed to you from your Lord before you receive the punishment which will come upon you all of a sudden and take you unawares
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
"And follow the best of that which is sent down to you from your Lord (i.e. this Quran, do what it orders you to do and keep away from what it forbids), before the torment comes on you suddenly while you perceive not!"

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
And follow the fairest of what has been sent down to you from your Lord, ere the chastisement comes upon you suddenly while you are unaware
George Sale   
And follow the most excellent instructions which have been sent down unto you from your Lord, before the punishment come suddenly upon you, and ye perceive not the approach thereof
Edward Henry Palmer   
and follow the best of what has been sent down to you from your Lord, before there come on you the torment suddenly, ere ye can perceive
John Medows Rodwell   
And follow that most excellent thing which hath been sent down to you from your Lord, ere the punishment come on you suddenly, and when ye look not for it
N J Dawood (2014)   
Follow the best of what is revealed to you by your Lord before the scourge suddenly smites you, when you are unaware

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame   
And follow the best of that which has been sent down unto you from your Lord before the punishment comes upon you suddenly while you are not aware.
Munir Mezyed   
And yield to the best of that which is sent down to you from your Lord before the punishment unexpectedly comes on you while you are totally heedless of (its arrival ).
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
And follow the best of what has been revealed to you from your Lord before the punishment reaches you suddenly when you are unaware.
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
“Follow the best of what has been revealed from your Lord before the penalty comes upon you suddenly before you know what’s happening.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
And follow the best of what was sent down to youpl from your Lord before the punishment comes upon you suddenly while you are unaware.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
Follow the finest part of whatever has been sent down to you from your Lord before torment comes upon you suddenly while you do not notice it,
Samy Mahdy   
And follow the best of what was sent down to you from your Lord, before the torment comes to you unexpectedly, while you do not feel.
Sayyid Qutb   
Follow the best that has been revealed to you by your Lord before the suffering comes upon you of a sudden, without your being aware of it,
Ahmed Hulusi   
Before the suffering (death) comes to you suddenly while you are not aware, follow the best of what has been revealed to your from your Rabb!
Mir Aneesuddin   
And follow the best which is sent down to you from your Fosterer before the punishment comes to you suddenly while you do not perceive,
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
And follow the best course best discoursed by Allah, your Creator, in the Quran which rounds off all precepts in all aspects; before you are suddenly confronted with the retributive punishment; you will neither know how it happened nor whence it came

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
"And follow the best of (the courses) revealed to you from your Lord, before the Penalty comes on you - of a sudden while ye perceive not!
OLD Literal Word for Word   
And follow (the) best (of) what is revealed to you from your Lord before [that] comes to you the punishment suddenly, while you (do) not perceive
OLD Transliteration   
WaittabiAAoo ahsana ma onzila ilaykum min rabbikum min qabli an ya/tiyakumu alAAathabu baghtatan waantum la tashAAuroona