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Muhammad Asad   
And whomsoever God wills to guide, his bosom He opens wide with willingness towards self-surrender [unto Him]; and whomsoever He wills to let go astray, his bosom He causes to be tight and constricted, as if he were climbing unto the skies: it is thus that God inflicts horror upon those who will not believe
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
Whoever Allah wills to guide, He opens their heart to Islam. But whoever He wills to leave astray, He makes their chest tight and constricted as if they were climbing up into the sky. This is how Allah dooms those who disbelieve.
Safi Kaskas   
When God wishes to guide someone, He opens his heart to surrender to Him [Islam]. And whomever He wills to let go astray, He tightens and constricts his chest as if he were ascending to the sky. This is how God inflicts horror upon those who will not believe.

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
فَمَن یُرِدِ ٱللَّهُ أَن یَهۡدِیَهُۥ یَشۡرَحۡ صَدۡرَهُۥ لِلۡإِسۡلَـٰمِۖ وَمَن یُرِدۡ أَن یُضِلَّهُۥ یَجۡعَلۡ صَدۡرَهُۥ ضَیِّقًا حَرَجࣰا كَأَنَّمَا یَصَّعَّدُ فِی ٱلسَّمَاۤءِۚ كَذَ ٰلِكَ یَجۡعَلُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلرِّجۡسَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِینَ لَا یُؤۡمِنُونَ ۝١٢٥
Transliteration (2021)   
faman yuridi l-lahu an yahdiyahu yashraḥ ṣadrahu lil'is'lāmi waman yurid an yuḍillahu yajʿal ṣadrahu ḍayyiqan ḥarajan ka-annamā yaṣṣaʿʿadu fī l-samāi kadhālika yajʿalu l-lahu l-rij'sa ʿalā alladhīna lā yu'minūn
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
So whoever wants Allah that He guides him - He expands his breast to Islam; and whoever He wants that He lets him go astray He makes his breast tight and constricted as though he (were) climbing into the sky. Thus places Allah the filth on those who (do) not believe.

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
And whomsoever God wills to guide, his bosom He opens wide with willingness towards self-surrender [unto Him]; and whomsoever He wills to let go astray, his bosom He causes to be tight and constricted, as if he were climbing unto the skies: it is thus that God inflicts horror upon those who will not believe
M. M. Pickthall   
And whomsoever it is Allah's will to guide, He expandeth his bosom unto the Surrender, and whomsoever it is His Will to send astray, He maketh his bosom close and narrow as if he were engaged in sheer ascent. Thus Allah layeth ignominy upon those who believe not
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
Those whom Allah (in His plan) willeth to guide,- He openeth their breast to Islam; those whom He willeth to leave straying,- He maketh their breast close and constricted, as if they had to climb up to the skies: thus doth Allah (heap) the penalty on those who refuse to believe
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
Whoever Allah wills to guide, He opens their heart to Islam. But whoever He wills to leave astray, He makes their chest tight and constricted as if they were climbing up into the sky. This is how Allah dooms those who disbelieve.
Safi Kaskas   
When God wishes to guide someone, He opens his heart to surrender to Him [Islam]. And whomever He wills to let go astray, He tightens and constricts his chest as if he were ascending to the sky. This is how God inflicts horror upon those who will not believe.
Wahiduddin Khan   
When God desires to guide someone, He opens his breast to Islam; and whoever He wills to let go astray, He causes his breast to be constricted as if he had to climb up to the skies. That is how God heaps ignominy upon those who refuse to believe
Shakir   
Therefore (for) whomsoever Allah intends that He would guide him aright, He expands his breast for Islam, and (for) whomsoever He intends that He should cause him to err, He makes his breast strait and narrow as though he were ascending upwards; thus does Allah lay uncleanness on those who do not believe
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
And whomever God wants, He guides him. He expands his breast for The Submission to One God. And whomever He wants to cause to go astray, He makes his breast tight, troubling, as if he had been climbing up a difficult ascent. Thus, God assigns disgrace on those who believe not.
T.B.Irving   
God lays anyone´s breast open to Islam whom He wants to guide, while He makes the breast of anyone He wants to be led astray seem cramped, tight, just as if he were climbing up to Heaven. Thus God places a blight on those who do not believe.
Abdul Hye   
Whomever Allah wills to guide, He opens heart to Islam, and whomever He wills to let go astray, He makes heart closed, constricted, as if the soul is climbing to the sky. Thus Allah sets the wrath over those who don’t believe,
The Study Quran   
Whomsoever God wishes to guide, He expands his breast for submission. And whomsoever He wishes to lead astray, He makes his breast narrow and constricted, as if he were climbing to the sky. Thus does God heap defilement upon those who do not believe
Talal Itani & AI (2024)   
Whomever God wills to guide, He expands his heart to submission. And whomever He wills to misguide, He makes his heart tight and constricted, as if he were ascending into the sky. In this way, God lays defilement on those who don’t believe.
Talal Itani (2012)   
Whomever God desires to guide, He spreads open his heart to Islam; and whomever He desires to misguide, He makes his heart narrow, constricted, as though he were climbing up the sky. God thus lays defilement upon those who do not believe
Dr. Kamal Omar   
So whomsoever Allah intends that He may guide him He releases his chest (i.e., He unlocks his heart) for (the understanding, acceptance and adoption of) Islam. And whosoever He intends that He may send him astray, He will make his chest constricted and heavy as if he is rising towards the sky. Thus Allah imposes Ar-Rijs on those who do not Believe (in Islam — in accordance with the teachings in Al-Kitab)
M. Farook Malik   
Whomever Allah wills to guide, He opens his chest to Islam and whomever He intends to confound, He makes his chest narrow and squeezes so tight that, at the very idea of Islam, he feels as if his soul is going to climb up towards the sky. That is how Allah places a blight on those who do not believe
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
So, whomever Allah wills to guide, He expands his breast to Islam; and whomever He wills to lead into error, He makes his breast straitened, restricted, as if he were laboriously climbing up in the heaven. Thus Allah sets (Literally: makes) abomination upon (the ones) who do not believe
Muhammad Sarwar   
God will open the hearts of whomever He wants to guide to Islam, but He will tighten the chest of one whom He has led astray, as though he was climbing high up into the sky. Thus, God places wickedness on those who do not accept the faith
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
So, whomsoever Allah wills to guide, He makes his heart wide open for Islam, and whomsoever He wills to let go astray, He makes his heart strait and constricted, (and he feels embracing Islam as difficult) as if he were climbing to the sky. In this way, Allah lays abomination on those who do not believe
Shabbir Ahmed   
Whoever follows Allah's Law of Guidance, He expands his chest wide open to submission. And whoever violates Allah's Law of Guidance, feels his chest tight and narrowed as if he were climbing to the sky. Thus Allah's Law appoints disgrace for those who continue to reject the Truth
Dr. Munir Munshey   
Allah unlocks and exposes to Islam the heart of the one whom He wishes to guide. (Conversely) He constricts and squeezes the heart of the one whom He wishes to mislead _ squeezes it so hard, he feels as if he was surging up in the sky. Thus, Allah lobs filth upon those who do not believe
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
Those to whom Allah (in His Plan) wills to guide— He opens his breast (heart) to Islam; Those whom He wills to leave wandering— He makes his breast (heart) narrow and tight, as if he had to climb up to the sky (through his own heart): Thus does Allah (place) the penalty on those who refuse to believe
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
So whoever Allah wants to guide - He expands his breast to [contain] Islam; and whoever He wants to misguide - He makes his breast tight and constricted as though he were climbing into the sky. Thus does Allah place defilement upon those who do not believe
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
Whoever God wishes to guide, He will open his chest towards surrender; and whoever He wishes to misguide, He will make his chest tight and constricted, as one who is climbing towards the sky. It is such that God afflicts those who do not believe
Abdel Haleem   
When God wishes to guide someone, He opens their breast to islam; when He wishes to lead them astray, He closes and constricts their breast as if they were climbing up to the skies. That is how God makes the foulness of those who do not believe rebound against them
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
So whomsoever Allah willeth that he shall guide, He expoundeth his breast for Islam; and whomsoever He willeth that he shall send astray, He maketh his breast strait, narrow, as if he were mounting up into the sky, thus Allah layeth the abomination on those who believe not
Ahmed Ali   
Thus God guides whomsoever He please by opening wide his breast to surrender; and Straitens the breasts of those He allows to go astray, (who feel suffocated) as if they were ascending the skies. Thus will God punish those who do not believe
Aisha Bewley   
When Allah desires to guide someone, He expands his breast to Islam. When He desires to misguide someone, He makes his breast narrow and constricted as if he were climbing up into the sky. That is how Allah defiles those who have no iman
Ali Ünal   
Thus, whomever God wills to guide, He expands his breast to Islam, and whomever He wills to lead astray, He causes his breast to become tight and constricted, as if he were climbing towards the heaven. Thus God lays ignominy upon those who do not believe (despite many signs and evidences)
Ali Quli Qara'i   
Whomever Allah desires to guide, He opens his breast to Islam, and whomever He desires to lead astray, He makes his breast narrow and straitened as if he were climbing to a height. Thus does Allah lay [spiritual] defilement on those who do not have faith
Hamid S. Aziz   
Whomever Allah wishes to guide, He expands His breast unto the Surrender (Islam); but whomever He wishes to lead astray, He tightens and constricts his breast as though he were climbing steeply into heaven. Thus does Allah set dishonour on those who do n
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
Whomever God wants to guide him, He opens his chest to submission, and whomever He wants to misguide him, He makes his chest tightly closed as if he climbs up to the sky. This is how God puts filth on those who do not believe.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
Those whom God wills to guide, He opens their heart to Al-Islam. Those whom He wills to leave straying, He makes their heart closed and constricted, as if they had to climb up to the skies. And God heaps punishment on those who refuse to believe
Musharraf Hussain   
The person Allah wishes to guide, He opens his mind to surrender to Allah; and anyone He allows to go astray, He closes his mind, as if he were struggling to climb skywards: by such means Allah allows evil to come about on those who do not believe
Maududi   
Thus, (it is a fact that) whomsoever Allah wills to guide, He opens his breast for Islam; and whomsoever He wills to let go astray, He causes his breast to become strait and constricted, as if he were climbing towards the heaven. Thus Allah lays the abomination (of flight from and hatred of Islam) on those who do not believ
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
Whoever God wishes to guide, He will comfort his chest to submission; and whoever He wishes to misguide, He will make his chest tight and constricted, as one who is ascending towards the heaven. It is such that God lets taint those who do not believe.
Mohammad Shafi   
And whomsoever Allah wills to guide, He opens his mind for Islam, and whomsoever He wills to send astray, He makes his mind narrow and restricted as though he were ascending up into the sky. Thus does Allah lay disgrace on those who do not believe

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
And whomsoever Allah wishes to show the way, He opens his breast for Islam, and whomsoever wishes to lose his way, He makes his breast narrow, straitened well as if he is climbing up into the sky forced by some one else And thus Allah inflicts Punishment on those who believe not.
Rashad Khalifa   
Whomever GOD wills to guide, He renders his chest wide open to Submission. And whomever He wills to send astray, He renders his chest intolerant and straitened, like one who climbs towards the sky. GOD thus places a curse upon those who refuse to believe.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
Whomsoever Allah desires to guide, He expands his chest to Islam (submission). Whomsoever He desires to lead astray, He makes his chest narrow, tight, as though he were climbing to heaven. As such Allah lays the scourge on the unbelievers
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
So whomsoever Allah intends to guide, He expands his breast for Islam, and whomsoever He intends to leave in error, he makes his breast strait (and) narrow as though he were ascending upwards. Thus does Allah lay uncleanness on those who believe not
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
So who God wants/wills that He guides him, He expands his chest to the Islam/submission (to God), and who He wants/wills that He misguides him, He makes his chest narrow/tight , a tightness/strain/sin , as if (he) ascends in the sky/space, like that God makes/puts the obscenity/punishment and torture on those who do not believe
Bijan Moeinian   
God makes whoever He wills [and deserves] to receive His guidance, conscious of Islam (submission to God.) On the contrary, whoever God wills will be so resentful of submission to Him that his soul will fly away to the skies as soon as the subject of belief is brought up. Thus God turns the disbelievers into the "Impure" subjects
Faridul Haque   
And whomever Allah wills to guide, He opens his bosom for Islam; and whomever He wills to send astray, He makes his bosom narrow and firmly bound as if he were being forced by someone to climb the skies; this is how Allah places the punishment on those who do not believe
Sher Ali   
So, whomsoever ALLAH intends to guide, HE expands his bosom for the acceptance of Islam; and whomsoever HE intends that he should go astray, HE makes his bosom narrow and close, as though he was mounting up into the skies. Thus does ALLAH inflict punishment on those who do not believe
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
So he whom Allah intends to give guidance (by way of bounty), He broadens his breast for Islam, and he for whom He wills persistence in error (which he has purchased) He, (by way of justice,) tightens his breast with (such a) fierce constriction as if he were ascending up hard into the sky (i.e., height). In the same way, Allah sends the torment (of disgrace) upon those who do not come to believe
Amatul Rahman Omar   
But as to whom Allah intends to guide He opens his bosom to Islam and as to him whom He allows to go astray He makes his bosom close and constricted, so that he feels as though he were climbing up the heights. Just as Allah does this He lays ignominy on those who do not believe
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
And whomsoever Allah wills to guide, He opens his breast to Islam, and whomsoever He wills to send astray, He makes his breast closed and constricted, as if he is climbing up to the sky. Thus Allah puts the wrath on those who believe not

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
Whomsoever God desires to guide, He expands his breast to Islam; whomsoever He desires to lead astray, He makes his breast narrow, tight, as if he were climbing to heaven. So God lays abomination upon those who believe not
George Sale   
And whomsoever God shall please to direct, He will open his breast to receive the faith of Islam: But whomsoever He shall please to lead into error, He will render his breast strait and narrow, as though he were climbing up to heaven. Thus doth God inflict a terrible punishment on those who believe not
Edward Henry Palmer   
Whomsoever God wishes to guide, He expands his breast to Islam; but whomsoever He wishes to lead astray, He makes his breast tight and straight, as though he would mount up into heaven; thus does God set His horror on those who do not believe
John Medows Rodwell   
And whom God shall please to guide, that man's breast will He open to Islam; but whom He shall please to mislead, strait and narrow will He make his breast, as though he were mounting up into the very Heavens! Thus doth God inflict dire punishment on those who believe not
N J Dawood (2014)   
If God intends to guide a man, He opens his bosom to Islam; and if He pleases to confound him, He makes his bosom small and narrow as though he were climbing up to the sky. Thus shall God lay the abomination on the unbelievers

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame   
And whoever Allah wills to guide, his bosom He expands wide with willingness towards self-surrender [Tasleem]; and whoever He wills to let go astray, his bosom He causes to be tight and constricted, as if he were climbing into the space; it is thus that Allah inflicts the opprobrium upon those who do not believe.
Munir Mezyed   
Whomsoever Allâh desires to guide (into all the truth), He expands his breast to (embrace) Islam. But whomsoever He desires to let go away form the Faith, He makes his breast tight and constricted, as though he would mount up into the sky. This is how Allâh lets abomination befall upon those who have no tendency to live by Faith.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
And whom Allah wills to guide, He expands his chest towards submission (Islam), and whom He wills to let go astray, He tightens his chest severely as if he were rising up into the sky; this is how Allah places disgrace on those who do not believe.
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
For those whom Allah wants to guide, He opens their hearts to Islam. For those whom He wants to leave astray, He closes and constricts their hearts as if they were climbing to the sky. This is the way Allah lays penalty upon those who refuse to believe.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
Whomever Allah wants to guide, He expands his chest to (accept) Islam; and whomever He wants to lead astray, He makes his chest tight, constricted, as though he were gradually ascending in the sky. Allah thus lays abomination upon those who do not believe.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
Allah (God) lays anyone's heart open to Islam whom He wants to guide, while He makes the heart of anyone He wants to be led astray seem cramped, tight, just as if he were climbing up to Heaven. Thus Allah (God) places a blight on those who do not believe.
Samy Mahdy   
So, whoever Allah wants to guide him, He enraptured his chest for Islam; and whoever He wants to astray him, He sets up his chest constricted, critical, as though he was ascending in the sky. Thus, Allah makes abominations upon those who are not believing.
Sayyid Qutb   
Whomever God wills to guide, He makes his bosom open wide with willingness towards self- surrender (to Him); and whomever He wills to let go astray, He causes his bosom to be tight and constricted, as if he were climbing up into the skies. Thus does God lay the scourge on the unbelievers.
Ahmed Hulusi   
And whomsoever Allah wills the realization of his essential reality, He opens his breast (his innermost comprehension) to Islam (to the consciousness of his submission) and whomsoever He wills to lead astray, He makes his breast tight and constricted, as though he were laboriously climbing into the sky! Thus Allah debases those who do not believe!
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli   
Therefore, whomever Allah intends that He should guide him aright, He opens his breast to Islam; and whomever He intends that He should cause him to send astray, He makes his breast narrow and straitened as if he were ascending upwards into the sky. Thus does Allah lay abomination on those who do not believe
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
Nonetheless, he whom Allah wills to guide to His path of righteousness, He comforts him with strange and mystical feelings and makes his breast -the seat of affections and emotions - amenable and responsive to the joyful thought of conforming to Islam. But he whom Allah decides to leave to his evil thoughts, He tightens his reins in despair and tightens his chest so as to be rendered impervious to a breath of spiritual knowledge; a feeling similar to that he experiences if he were climbing skywards to high altitudes*. Thus does Allah afflict those who deny Him with the torment laid on the damned
Mir Aneesuddin   
So, (for) whomsoever Allah intends that He should guide him, He opens his bosom for Islam, and (for) whomsoever He intends that He should leave him straying, He makes his bosom close and narrow as if he were ascending in the sky (when one gets suffocated due to lack of oxygen). Thus Allah lays uncleanliness on those who do not believe.
The Wise Quran   
So whomsoever God wishes to guide, He expands his breast to the submission; and whomsoever He wishes to lead astray, He makes his breast narrow, straitened, as if he were ascending into the sky; thus God places the uncleanness on those who do not believe.

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
Those whom God (in His plan) willeth to guide,- He openeth their breast to Islam; those whom He willeth to leave straying,- He maketh their breast close and constricted, as if they had to climb up to the skies: thus doth God (heap) the penalty on those who refuse to believe
OLD Literal Word for Word   
So whoever Allah wants that He guides him - He expands his breast to submission/Islam; and whoever He wants that He lets him go astray He makes his breast tight and constricted as though he (were) climbing into the sky. Thus Allah places the filth on those who (do) not believe
OLD Transliteration   
Faman yuridi Allahu an yahdiyahu yashrah sadrahu lil-islami waman yurid an yudillahu yajAAal sadrahu dayyiqan harajan kaannama yassaAAAAadu fee alssama-i kathalika yajAAalu Allahu alrrijsa AAala allatheena la yu/minoona