Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad
on the Day when man's very being shall be bared to the bone, and when they [who now deny the truth] shall be called upon to prostrate themselves [before God], and shall be unable to do so
M. M. Pickthall
On the day when it befalleth in earnest, and they are ordered to prostrate themselves but are not able
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
The Day that the shin shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to bow in adoration, but they shall not be able,
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab
˹Beware of˺ the Day the Shin ˹of Allah˺ will be bared, and the wicked will be asked to prostrate, but they will not be able to do so,
Safi Kaskas
On the Day when legs are bared, they will be called to bow down, but will not be able.
Wahiduddin Khan
On the Day when the truth shall be laid bare, they will be called upon to prostrate themselves, but they will not be able to do so
Shakir
On the day when there shall be a severe affliction, and they shall be called upon to make obeisance, but they shall not be able
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar
On a Day the great calamity will be uncovered and they will be called to prostration, then, they will not be able to do so .
T.B.Irving
Some day when their shinbone will be laid bare and they will be called upon to bow down on their knees, and they will not manage to;
Abdul Hye
(Remember) the Day (of Judgment) when the events shall be unfolded and they shall be called to prostrate (to Allah), but they shall not be able to do so.
The Study Quran
On the Day when the shank is laid bare and they are called to prostrate, yet are not able
Talal Itani & AI (2024)
On the day the truth will be laid bare, they will be called upon to prostrate, but they won’t be able to.
Talal Itani (2012)
On the Day when the Shin will be exposed, and they will be called to bow down, but they will be unable
Dr. Kamal Omar
The Day the covering is removed from the shin (i.e., a terror and anxiety is created in a person) and they are called towards prostrations (to Allah alone), but they do not have the capacity
On the Day of Judgment, when the dreadful events shall be unfolded, and they shall be asked to prostrate themselves, they shall not be able to do so
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali
On the Day when the shank will be bared and they will be called to prostrate themselves, yet they are unable to
Muhammad Sarwar
On the day when the terrible torment approaches, they will be told (in a mocking way) to prostrate themselves, but they will not be able to do it
Muhammad Taqi Usmani
On the Day when the Shin will be exposed, and they will be called upon to prostrate themselves, they will not be able to
Shabbir Ahmed
On the Day when they are confronted with the stark reality and they are summoned to prostrate, they shall not be able to prostrate. (It will be too late to submit)
Dr. Munir Munshey
They would be asked to prostrate (before Allah) on that day when the reality is laid bare. But (that day), they shall find themselves unable (to prostrate)
Syed Vickar Ahamed
The Day that when the Shin (Allah’s Divine Self) shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to prostrate themselves but they (the hypocrites) shall not be able to do so—
The Day the shin will be uncovered and they are invited to prostration but the disbelievers will not be able
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)
The Day will come when they will be exposed, and they will be required to prostrate, but they will be unable to
Abdel Haleem
On the Day when matters become dire, they will be invited to prostrate themselves but will be prevented from doing so
Abdul Majid Daryabadi
Remember the Day whereon the shank shall be bared and they shall be called upon to Prostrate themselves, but they shall not be able
Ahmed Ali
On the day the great calamity befalls, and they are called to bow in homage, they will not be able to do so
Aisha Bewley
On the Day when legs are bared and they are called on to prostrate, they will not be able to do so.
Ali Ünal
On the Day when the truth will be manifest and they are in trouble, and being called to prostrate, they will be incapable of it
Ali Quli Qara'i
The day when the catastrophe occurs, and they are summoned to prostrate themselves, they will not be able [to do it]
Hamid S. Aziz
On the day when the Shin (the Hidden Mystery or Truth) shall be laid bare, and they shall be called upon to make obeisance, but they shall not be able
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad
On a day when the leg is bared (and the deeds are exposed) and they are called to prostration but they cannot,
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)
The day that the leg will be laid bare, and they will be summoned to bow in adoration, though they will not be able
Musharraf Hussain
The Day things will be extremely difficult, they will be invited to prostrate, but they won’t be able to do so,
Maududi
On the Day when the dreadful calamity will unfold, when people will be summoned to prostrate themselves, and yet they will not be able to prostrate
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)
The Day will come when they will be exposed, and they will be required to prostrate, but they will be unable to.
Mohammad Shafi
The Day the shin is laid bare, they will be called upon to prostrate themselves, but they will not be able to do so
Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)
The day when a leg shall be exposed (the meaning is known to Allah) and they will be called upon to prostrate themselves, they will not be able to do so.
The day will come when they will be exposed, and they will be required to fall prostrate, but they will be unable to.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah
On the Day when the leg shall be bared, and they are ordered to prostrate themselves, they will be unable
Maulana Muhammad Ali
On the day when thee is a severe affliction, and they are called upon to prostrate themselves, but they are not able -
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira
A day/time being uncovered/(relieved) of (a) shin/leg, and they be/are being called repeatedly to the prostration, so they are not able
Bijan Moeinian
The Day surely will come when their deeds will publicly be displayed. They will ask to prostrate but they will be so overcome that they can not even fall down
Faridul Haque
On the day when the Shin will be exposed and they will be called to prostrate themselves, they will be unable
Sher Ali
On the day when the truth shall be laid bare and they will be called upon to prostrate themselves, they will not be able to do so
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
The Day when the ‘shin’ (i.e., the terrifying fierceness of the Hour of Rising) will be laid bare, and (the disobedient) people will be called to prostrate themselves, but they will not be able to do so (i.e., to prostrate themselves)
Amatul Rahman Omar
On the day when there is severe affliction and the truth is laid bare and they will be called upon to prostrate (themselves), but they will not be able to do so
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali
(Remember) the Day when the Shin shall be laid bare (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) and they shall be called to prostrate (to Allah), but they (hypocrites) shall not be able to do so
New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame
The day when the veil from Saaq [Allah’s radiance] will be removed and they will be called to the prostration but they will not be able to do it.
Munir Mezyed
On the Day of Judgement, Allâh will uncover His Shin, and the Ungodly Sinners will be ordered to prostrate themselves, but they will not be able.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher
On the day He will manifest Himself and they will be called to prostrate but can´t do it.
Linda “iLHam” Barto
On the day that the shin will be exposed, they [the unforgiven sinners] will be summoned to prostrate [before the Lord], but they will not be able to do so.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation
On the day when the shin is exposed and they are called to prostrate themselves, but they are unable to.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab
Some day when their shinbone will be laid bare and they will be called upon to bow down on their knees, and they will not manage to;
Samy Mahdy
On a Day when it will uncover a leg and they will be called to the prostration, so they will not be capable.
Ahmed Hulusi
The time when the reality becomes manifest and they are invited to prostrate (confess the nonexistence of their assumed separate existence) they will be unable to do so!
Mir Aneesuddin
On the day (the covering) will be removed from the ankle (there being a calamity), and they will be called for prostrations, but they will not be able to (prostrate),
Wait, a Day shall come when the truth comes to light and their records are exposed, and distress, horror and crushing sorrow are imposed and now they are called to prostrate before their Creator but they cannot
The Wise Quran
On the day shank shall be uncovered; and they will be called to the prostration and they will not be able;