Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad
On the Day when they behold it, [it will seem to them] as if they had tarried [in this world] no longer than one evening or [one night, ending with] its morn
M. M. Pickthall
On the day when they behold it, it will be as if they had but tarried for an evening or the morn thereof
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
The Day they see it, (It will be) as if they had tarried but a single evening, or (at most till) the following morn
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab
On the Day they see it, it will be as if they had stayed ˹in the world˺ no more than one evening or its morning.
Safi Kaskas
On the Day they see it, it will seem as though they only stayed an evening or a morning.
Wahiduddin Khan
On the Day when they see it, they will feel as if they had tarried in this world for only one evening or one morning
Shakir
On the day that they see it, it will be as though they had not tarried but the latter part of a day or the early part of it
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar
It will be as though a Day they see it, they linger not in expectation but an evening or a forenoon.
T.B.Irving
just as some day they shall see they have hung around for only an evening, or its morning glow.
Abdul Hye
On that Day, when they will see it, it will be as if they had not stayed (in this world) only an afternoon or one morning.
The Study Quran
The Day they see it, it will be as if they had tarried but an evening or the morning thereof
Talal Itani & AI (2024)
On the day they see it, it will be as though they had only lingered for an evening or a morning.
Talal Itani (2012)
On the Day when they witness it—as though they only stayed an evening, or its morning
Dr. Kamal Omar
(It is) like this — that they have not stayed except one evening or one forenoon thereof — the day they come across it
On that Day when they shall see it, they shall feel as if they had stayed in this world only one evening or one morning
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali
It will be as if, on the Day they see it, they have not lingered except for a nightfall or its forenoon
Muhammad Sarwar
On the day when they see it, it will seem to them as though they had only lived in the world for a morning and an afternoon
Muhammad Taqi Usmani
The day they will see it, it will seem to them as if they did not live (in the world) but only for one afternoon or for the morning thereof
Shabbir Ahmed
On the Day when they see it, it will be as if they had lived no longer than an evening or its morning
Dr. Munir Munshey
When they see that day, it will actually be like they have lived (in this world) for just one morning, or a single afternoon
Syed Vickar Ahamed
The Day when they see it, (it will be) as if they had waited for it a single evening, or the following morning
It will be, on the Day they see it, as though they had not remained [in the world] except for an afternoon or a morning thereof
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)
For the Day they see it, it will be as if they had remained one evening or half a day
Abdel Haleem
On the Day they see it, it will seem they lingered [in this life] an evening [at most,] or its morning
Abdul Majid Daryabadi
On the Day whereon they behold it, it will appear to them as though they had not tarried save an evening or the morn thereof
Ahmed Ali
The day they see it, it will seem they had stayed in the world but only an evening or its turning into dawn
Aisha Bewley
On the Day they see it, it will be as if they had only lingered for the evening or the morning of a single day.
Ali Ünal
It will be, on the Day they see it, as if they had remained (in the world) but for the afternoon (of a day) or its morning
Ali Quli Qara'i
The day they see it, it shall be as if they had not stayed [in the world] except for an evening or forenoon
Hamid S. Aziz
On the day that they behold it, it will be as though they had not tarried but an evening or the morning
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad
The day when they see it, it is as if they stayed an evening or its morning.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)
The day they see it, it will be as if they had stayed but a single evening, or until the following morn
Musharraf Hussain
The Day they see it, they’ll realise, the worldly life was only an evening, or a morning
Maududi
On the Day they see it, they will feel as though they had stayed (in the grave) no more than one evening or one morning
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)
For the Day they see it, it will be as if they had remained an evening or half a day
Mohammad Shafi
The Day they see it [the Hereafter], they will feel as if they had stayed for only one evening or one morning thereof.
Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)
It shall be as if, on the day when they will see it, they had not tarried in the world but an evening or the rising of the sun
The day they see it, they will feel as if they lasted one evening or half a day
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah
On the Day when they behold it, it will be as if they had lingered but an evening, or, a morning
Maulana Muhammad Ali
On the day when they see it, it will be as if they had but tarried for an evening or a morning
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira
As if they are, a day/time they see it, they did not stay/remain/wait (in their graves) except an evening or its daybreak/forenoo
Bijan Moeinian
When the dooms day take place, man will think that it was only a few hours ago that he was enjoying his daily life on earth
Faridul Haque
The day when they will see it, it will seem as if they had not stayed on earth except for an evening or its morning
Sher Ali
On the day when they see it, it will be as if they had not tarried in the world but an evening or a morn thereof
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
So the Day when they will see it, they (will feel as if they) did not tarry (in the world) but for one evening or one morning
Amatul Rahman Omar
The day they witness it (-the Hour, they will feel) as if they had stayed (in the world and the grave) for an afternoon or a (short) forenoon thereof
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali
The Day they see it, (it will be) as if they had not tarried (in this world) except an afternoon or a mornin
New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame
The day they will see it as though they had not remained [in this world] except a single hour of the night or of the day.
Munir Mezyed
On the day when it is made manifest to them, it will be as if they had but tarried for an evening or its morn.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher
On the day they see it, it will be as if they had only stayed an evening or a morning.
Linda “iLHam” Barto
The day they see it, it will seem like they had tarried only a single evening or overnight.
Samy Mahdy
On a Day when they see it as like they were not tarried except its evening, or its mid-morning.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab
just as some day they shall see they have hung around for only an evening, or its morning glow.
Sayyid Qutb
On the day when they see that hour, it will seem to them that their life on earth had spanned only one evening, or one morning.
Ahmed Hulusi
The day they see it, it will be as though they had not remained (in the world), except for a time of sunset or twilight.
Torres Al Haneef (partial translation)
"On the Day that they see it, it will seem as if they had only lived for an evening, or (at the most) until the next morning!"
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli
It shall seem to them on the day when they behold it, as though they tarried not (in their graves) but an evening or a forenoon
On the day they eye-witness the Event, it appears to them in retrospect as if it were only an afternoon or a forenoon that they actually spent
Mir Aneesuddin
The day they see it, for them it will be as if they had not stayed (in their graves or this world) except for an evening or a morning of it.
The Wise Quran
On the day they see it, as though they had not tarried except an afternoon (Noon to mid-afternoon) or its forenoon (Mid-morning to noon).