Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad
O YOU who have attained to faith! If any iniquitous person comes to you with a [slanderous] tale, use your discernment, lest you hurt people unwittingly and afterwards be filled with remorse for what you have done
M. M. Pickthall
O ye who believe! If an evil-liver bring you tidings, verify it, lest ye smite some folk in ignorance and afterward repent of what ye did
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
O ye who believe! If a wicked person comes to you with any news, ascertain the truth, lest ye harm people unwittingly, and afterwards become full of repentance for what ye have done
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab
O believers, if an evildoer brings you any news, verify ˹it˺ so you do not harm people unknowingly, becoming regretful for what you have done.
Safi Kaskas
Believers, if a known disobedient iniquitous brings you news, investigate, to avoid harming people out of ignorance and later regret what you have done.
Wahiduddin Khan
Believers, if an evil-doer brings you news, ascertain the correctness of the report fully, lest you unwittingly harm others, and then regret what you have done
Shakir
O you who believe! if an evil-doer comes to you with a report, look carefully into it, lest you harm a people in ignorance, then be sorry for what you have done
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar
O those who believed! If one who disobeys drew near to you with a tiding, then, be clear so that you not light on a folk out of ignorance. Then, you would become ones who are remorseful for what you accomplished.
T.B.Irving
You who believe, if some scoundrel should come up to you with some piece of news, clear up the facts lest you afflict some folk out of ignorance, and some morning feel regretful for what you may have done.
Abdul Hye
O you who believe! If a rebellious evil person comes to you with news, verify it, lest you should harm people in ignorance and afterwards you become regretful for what you have done.
The Study Quran
you who believe! If an iniquitous person comes to you with tidings, then be discerning, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become remorseful over that which you have done
Talal Itani & AI (2024)
O you who believe, if a sinner brings you information, investigate it, lest you harm people out of ignorance and later regret your actions.
Talal Itani (2012)
O you who believe! If a troublemaker brings you any news, investigate, lest you harm people out of ignorance, and you become regretful for what you have done
Dr. Kamal Omar
O you who have Believed! If a Fasiq (one who is disobedient) approached you people with a news, then properly verify (the news) lest you behave with a nation in ignorance (and) afterwards you become regretful over what you have done
O believers, if an evildoer comes to you with some news, verify it (investigate to ascertain the truth), lest you should harm others unwittingly and then regret what you have done
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali
O you who have believed, in case an immoral (person) comes to you with a tiding, then (ascertain) the evidence, for that you may afflict a people in ignorance, (and) then you become remorseful for what you have performed
Muhammad Sarwar
Believers, if one who publicly commits sins brings you any news, ascertain its truthfulness carefully, lest you harm people through ignorance and then regret what you have done
Muhammad Taqi Usmani
O you who believe, if a sinful person brings you a report, verify its correctness, lest you should harm a people out of ignorance, and then become remorseful on what you did
Shabbir Ahmed
O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! If a person, who is known to drift away from Moral Values, comes to you with any news, verify it, lest you hurt some folk in ignorance and then regret what you have done
Dr. Munir Munshey
Oh those of you who believe, if someone wicked brings you a report, investigate (and ascertain the facts). Else, you might attack a people out of ignorance, and later get to regret your actions
Syed Vickar Ahamed
O you who believe! If an ungodly person comes to you with any news, (first), verify the truth, in case that you may harm people unwittingly (unwillingly or unknowingly), and afterward have to be regretful for what you have done
O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)
O you who believe, if a wicked person comes to you with any news, then you shall investigate it. Lest you harm a people out of ignorance, then you will become regretful over what you have done
Abdel Haleem
Believers, if a troublemaker brings you news, check it first, in case you wrong others unwittingly and later regret what you have done
Abdul Majid Daryabadi
ye who believe! if an evil-doer Came Unto you with a report, then inquire strictly, lest ye hurt a people in ignorance and repent thereafter of that which ye have done
Ahmed Ali
O you who believe, if a dissolute person brings some news, verify it first lest you attack a people ignorantly and later regret what you had done
Aisha Bewley
You who have iman! if a deviator brings you a report, scrutinize it carefully in case you attack people in ignorance and so come to greatly regret what you have done.
Ali Ünal
O you who believe! If some transgressor brings you news (that requires taking action), verify it carefully (before you believe and act upon it), lest you harm a people in ignorance and then become regretful for what you have done
Ali Quli Qara'i
O you who have faith! If a profligate [person] should bring you some news, verify it, lest you should visit [harm] on some people out of ignorance, and then become regretful for what you have done
Hamid S. Aziz
O you who believe! If an evil-doer comes to you with a report, look carefully into it (do not ignore it because he is evil), lest you harm a people in ignorance, then be sorry for what you have done
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad
You who believe, if a disobedient one comes to you with any news, then clarify it so that you do not harm some people ignorantly, and you become sorry about what you did.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)
O you who believe, if a questionable person comes to you with any information, investigate it, or you may harm people unknowingly, and afterwards become full of guilt for what you have done
Musharraf Hussain
Believers, if a discredited person brings you news, then check it in case you cause harm to others ignorantly, and then later regret what you did.
Maududi
Believers, when an ungodly person brings to you a piece of news, carefully ascertain its truth, lest you should hurt a people unwittingly and thereafter repent at what you did
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)
O you who believe, if a wicked person comes to you with any news, then you shall investigate it. Lest you harm a people out of ignorance, then you will become regretful over what you have done
Mohammad Shafi
O you who believe! Should a depraved person bring you news, examine it critically, lest you harm a people in ignorance, and then be sorry for what you did
Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)
'O believers! If any disobedient comes to you with any news make a strict inquiry lest you may hurt any people improperly then remain repenting on what you have done.
O you who believe, if a wicked person brings any news to you, you shall first investigate, lest you commit injustice towards some people, out of ignorance, then become sorry and remorseful for what you have done.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah
Believers, if an evildoer brings you a piece of news, inquire first, in case you should unwittingly wrong others and then repent of what you have done
Maulana Muhammad Ali
O you who believe, if an unrighteous man brings you news, look carefully into it, lest you harm a people in ignorance, then be sorry for what you did
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira
You, you those who believed, if a debaucher came to you with news/information, so seek clarification/explanation that (E) you strike/hit a nation with ignorance/foolishness, so you become/become in the morning on what you made/did regretful/remorseful
Bijan Moeinian
The Muslims should be more careful about the source of the news that they receive and should not react immediately to what they hear. It is better to take advantage of the benefit of the doubt
Faridul Haque
O People who Believe! If any miscreant brings you some tidings, verify it, lest you unknowingly cause suffering to some people, and then remain repenting for what you did
Sher Ali
O ye who believe ! if an unrighteous person brings you any news, investigate it fully, lest you harm a people in ignorance, and then you repent of what you did
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
O believers! If some wicked person brings you any news, inquire thoroughly into its truth (lest) you should cause (undue) harm to a people unknowingly, and later feel regret for what you have done
Amatul Rahman Omar
O you who believe! if a wicked person brings you any news, examine it carefully, lest you should harm some people in ignorance and afterwards you may have to repent for what you did
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali
O you who believe! If a rebellious evil person comes to you with a news, verify it, lest you harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful to what you have done
New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame
O you who believe! If a renegade comes to you with a news, then do investigate lest you harm a people out of ignorance and then you become regretful about that which you had done.
Munir Mezyed
O' you who live by Faith! if the son of dissonance came to you with a piece of news, you should verify it (first), lest you harm people in ignorance and afterwards you become remorseful over what you have done.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher
Oh you believers, if a sinner comes to you with information, verify it before you afflict people in ignorance and then regret what you have done.
Linda “iLHam” Barto
O Believers, if a wicked person brings you any news, ascertain the truth. Otherwise, you may harm people unwittingly, and afterwards be sorry for what you have done.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation
O you who have attained faith, if an ungodly person brings you any news, ascertain (the truth) , lest you harm a people out of ignorance and thus become regretful for what you have done.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab
You who believe, if some scoundrel should come up to you with some piece of news, clear up the facts lest you afflict some folk out of ignorance, and some morning feel regretful for what you may have done.
Samy Mahdy
O you who have believed, if there comes to you a debauchee with news, so demonstrate, lest you inflict a kinfolk with ignorance, so you become regretful upon what you have done.
Ahmed Hulusi
O believers... If someone with corrupt faith brings information to you, investigate it well... Lest you maltreat a people without knowing the truth of the matter and then become regretful over what you have done!
Mir Aneesuddin
O you who believe ! if a transgressor comes to you with (some) news, then verify it, lest you harm a people in ignorance then become sorry for what you did.
O you whose hearts reflect the image of religious and spiritual Virtues and their deeds wisdom and piety: If ever there comes to you someone known to be immoral or potentially harmful, pernicious, malicious or mischievous, and relates to you a message or an event, an incident or something he heard, then be objectively certain of the truth to preclude risk of error and the consequence of wrong action and of injuring the reputation of a people or defaming them in ignorance, and later be pitifully regretful for what you have done
The Wise Quran
O those who believed! If a disobedient one comes to you with information, then investigate, lest you harm people in ignorance then you become repentant over what you did.