Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad
As for them it is all the same whether thou dost pray that they be forgiven or dost not pray for them: God will nor forgive them - for, behold, God does not bestow His guidance upon such iniquitous folk
M. M. Pickthall
Whether thou ask forgiveness for them or ask not forgiveness for them is all one for them; Allah will not forgive them. Lo! Allah guideth not the evil-living folk
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
It is equal to them whether thou pray for their forgiveness or not. Allah will not forgive them. Truly Allah guides not rebellious transgressors
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab
It is the same whether you pray for their forgiveness or not, Allah will not forgive them. Surely Allah does not guide the rebellious people.
Safi Kaskas
It is all the same for them whether you ask forgiveness for them or does not ask forgiveness for them; God will not forgive them. God does not guide such disobedient people.
Wahiduddin Khan
It makes no difference whether you ask forgiveness for them or not. God will not forgive them: God does not guide such rebellious people
Shakir
It is alike to them whether you beg forgiveness for them or do not beg forgiveness for them; Allah will never forgive them; surely Allah does not guide the transgressing people
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar
It is the same to them whether thou hadst asked for forgiveness for them or thou hadst not asked for forgiveness for them. God will never forgive them. Truly, God guides not the folk, the ones who disobey.
T.B.Irving
It is the same for them whether you seek forgiveness for them or do not seek forgiveness for them; God will never forgive them! God does not guide such immoral folk.
Abdul Hye
It is equal to them whether you (Muhammad) ask forgiveness for them or don’t ask forgiveness for them. Allah will not forgive them. Surely, Allah does not guide the people who are disobedient.
The Study Quran
It is the same for them whether thou askest forgiveness for them or thou askest forgiveness for them not; God will never forgive them. Truly God guides not iniquitous people
Talal Itani & AI (2024)
Whether you pray for their forgiveness or not, God won’t forgive them. God doesn’t guide the rebellious people.
Talal Itani (2012)
It is the same for them, whether you ask forgiveness for them, or do not ask forgiveness for them; God will not forgive them. God does not guide the sinful people
Dr. Kamal Omar
(It is) equal for them whether you asked forgiveness for them or you do not seek forgiveness for them; Allah never forgives them. Verily, Allah does not guide the nation of Al-Fasiqun
It is the same, whether you pray for their forgiveness or not, Allah is not going to forgive them. Surely Allah does not guide the transgressors
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali
Equal it is for them whether you ask forgiveness for them or you do not ask forgiveness for them, Allah will never forgive them; surely Allah does not guide the immoral people
Muhammad Sarwar
It is all the same whether you seek forgiveness for them or not; God will never forgive them. God does not guide the evil-doing people
Muhammad Taqi Usmani
It is equal in their case, whether you (O prophet,) pray for their forgiveness or do not pray, Allah will never forgive them. Indeed Allah does not guide the sinning people
Shabbir Ahmed
It is the same for them whether you pray for their forgiveness, or not pray for their forgiveness. Allah will not forgive them. For, behold, Allah does not guide those who keep drifting away from reason
Dr. Munir Munshey
It makes no difference whether you seek forgiveness for them or not. Allah will never forgive them. Indeed Allah never guides the nation of evildoers
Syed Vickar Ahamed
It is equal (all the same) for them whether you (O Prophet!) pray for their forgiveness or pray not for their forgiveness; Allah will not forgive them. Truly Allah guides not those who rebel and transgress
It is all the same for them whether you ask forgiveness for them or do not ask forgiveness for them; never will Allah forgive them. Indeed, Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)
It is the same for them, whether you ask for their forgiveness, or do not ask for their forgiveness; God will not forgive them. For God does not guide the wicked people
Abdel Haleem
It makes no difference whether you ask forgiveness for them or not, God will not forgive them: God does not guide such treacherous people
Abdul Majid Daryabadi
Equal it is Unto them: whether thou askest forgiveness for them or askest not forgiveness for them, Allah shall forgive them not. Verily Allah guideth not a transgressing people
Ahmed Ali
Whether you ask forgiveness for them or do not ask, it is all the same; God will not forgive them. Surely God does not show a disobedient people the way
Aisha Bewley
In their case it makes no difference whether you ask forgiveness for them or do not ask forgiveness for them. Allah will never forgive them. Allah does not guide deviant people.
Ali Ünal
It is alike for them whether you ask forgiveness for them or do not ask forgiveness for them: God will never forgive them (so that they may return to guidance and hope for happiness in both worlds). God surely does not guide transgressors (whose hearts are infected with irremediable hypocrisy)
Ali Quli Qara'i
It is the same for them whether you plead for forgiveness for them, or do not plead for forgiveness for them: Allah will never forgive them. Indeed Allah does not guide the transgressing lot
Hamid S. Aziz
It is alike to them whether you beg forgiveness for them or do not beg forgiveness for them; Allah will never forgive them; surely Allah does not guide the transgressing people
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad
It is the same for them whether you ask forgiveness for them or you do not ask forgiveness for them. God will never forgive them. Indeed, God does not guide the disobedient people.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)
It is the same for them whether you pray for their forgiveness or not, God will not forgive them. Truly God does not guide rebellious transgressors
Musharraf Hussain
Whether you seek forgiveness for them or not it is the same; Allah will not forgive them. Indeed, Allah does not guide disobedient people.
Maududi
It is all the same for them whether you ask forgiveness for them or not; for Allah shall never forgive them. Surely Allah does not direct the transgressing folk to the Right Way
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)
It is the same for them,whether you ask for their forgiveness, or do not ask for their forgiveness; God will not forgive them. For God does not guide the wicked people.
Mohammad Shafi
It is all the same for them whether you pray that they be forgiven or you do not pray; Allah will not forgive them! Allah does indeed not give guidance to the transgressors
Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)
Equal it is for them whether you ask forgiveness for them or not, Allah will never forgive them. Undoubtedly, Allah guides not the disobedients
It is the same for them, whether you pray for their forgiveness, or not pray for their forgiveness; GOD will not forgive them. For GOD does not guide the wicked people.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah
It is equal for them whether you ask for their forgiveness or you do not ask for their forgiveness, Allah will not forgive them. Allah does not guide the evildoers
Maulana Muhammad Ali
It is alike to them whether thou ask forgiveness for them or ask not forgiveness for them -- Allah will never forgive them. Surely Allah guides not the transgressing people
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira
(It is) equal/alike on (for) them (if) you asked for forgiveness for them, or you did not ask for forgiveness for them, God will never/not forgive for them, that truly God does not guide the nation, the debauchers
Bijan Moeinian
They do not care whether you pray for them or not. As a matter of fact, God will never forgive them since your Lord does not guide wicked people
Faridul Haque
It is the same for them, whether you seek forgiveness for them or do not seek forgiveness for them; Allah will never forgive them; indeed Allah does not guide the sinning people
Sher Ali
For them it is equal whether thou ask forgiveness for them, or ask not forgiveness for them. ALLAH will never forgive them. Surely, ALLAH guides not the rebellious people
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
It is all the same for these (evil-fated denigrators of the Holy Prophet [blessings and peace be upon him]) whether you seek for them forgiveness or do not seek for them forgiveness, Allah will never forgive them (because they mock you and show you dislike and arrogance). Surely, Allah does not provide guidance to the disobedient community
Amatul Rahman Omar
It makes no difference to them whether you ask forgiveness for them or do not ask, Allah will not forgive them. Indeed, Allah will guide no transgressing people to success
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali
It is equal to them whether you (Muhammad SAW) ask forgiveness or ask not forgiveness for them. Verily, Allah guides not the people who are the Fasiqeen (rebellious, disobedient to Allah)
New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame
It is all the same for them whether you seek forgiveness for them or you do not seek forgiveness for them. Allah will never forgive them. Truly Allah does not guide the people who are the renegades.
Munir Mezyed
It is the same for them whether you pray for their forgiveness or not. Allâh will not forgive them. Surely Allâh holds back the light of His inspiration from a people who indulge in personal disobedience extensively without repentance.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher
It is the same for them whether you ask forgiveness for them or don´t ask forgiveness for them - Allah will not forgive them, for Allah does not guide sinful people.
Linda “iLHam” Barto
It makes no difference whether you pray for their forgiveness or not; Allah will not forgive them [unless they repent]. Allah does not guide sinners!
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation
It is the same for them whether yousg ask forgiveness for them or do not ask forgiveness for them—Allah will not forgive them; indeed, Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab
It is the same for them whether you seek forgiveness for them or do not seek forgiveness for them; Allah (God) will never forgive them! Allah (God) does not guide such immoral folk.
Samy Mahdy
It is the same upon them, whether you asked forgiveness for them, or did not ask forgiveness for them; Allah will not forgive them. Surely Allah does not guide the debauchees' kinfolk.
Ahmed Hulusi
It is all the same whether you ask forgiveness for them or not! Allah will never forgive them! Indeed, Allah does not guide the corrupt in faith to the reality.
Mir Aneesuddin
It is equal for them, whether you seek protective forgiveness for them or do not seek protective forgiveness for them, Allah will never forgive them. Allah certainly does not guide the transgressing people.
The conclusion of all this is one and the same viz: whether you invoke on their behalf Allah's forgiveness or you do not, Allah shall not forgive them. He does not impress piety on the hearts of the wicked
The Wise Quran
Equal on them whether you seek forgiveness for them or you do not seek forgiveness for them. God will not forgive them; indeed, God does not guide the disobedient people.