Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad
IT IS NOT for those who ascribe divinity to aught beside God to visit or tend God's houses of worship, the while [by their beliefs] they bear witness against themselves that they are denying the truth. It is they whose works shall come to nought, and they who in the fire shall abid
M. M. Pickthall
It is not for the idolaters to tend Allah's sanctuaries, bearing witness against themselves of disbelief. As for such, their works are vain and in the Fire they will abide
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
It is not for such as join gods with Allah, to visit or maintain the mosques of Allah while they witness against their own souls to infidelity. The works of such bear no fruit: In Fire shall they dwell
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab
It is not for the polytheists to maintain the mosques of Allah while they openly profess disbelief. Their deeds are void, and they will be in the Fire forever.
Safi Kaskas
It is not for the idolaters to visit or tend to God’s places of worship while they testify that they deny the truth. Their deeds will come to nothing, and they will be eternally in the fire.
Wahiduddin Khan
It is not right that the polytheists should frequent God's places of worship while they are self-confessed unbelievers. It is they whose works shall come to nothing and they shall abide in Hell
Shakir
The idolaters have no right to visit the mosques of Allah while bearing witness to unbelief against themselves, these it is whose doings are null, and in the fire shall they abide
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar
It had not been for the ones who are polytheists to frequent the places of prostration to God while they are ones who bear witness against themselves of their ingratitude. Those, their actions were fruitless. They are ones who will dwell in the fire forever!
T.B.Irving
Associators must not frequent God´s mosques since they act as witnesses for their own disbelief. Those [people will find] their actions will miscarry and they will remain forever in the Fire.
Abdul Hye
It is not for the polytheists to maintain the Masjids of Allah while they witness against their own selves of disbelief. Their works are in vain and they shall abide in fire forever.
The Study Quran
It is not for the idolaters to maintain the mosques of God, bearing witness of disbelief against themselves. They are those whose deeds have come to naught, and in the Fire shall they abide
Talal Itani & AI (2024)
The polytheists, steadfast in their disbelief, are not fit to maintain God’s sanctuaries. Their deeds have become worthless, and they will reside eternally in the Fire.
Talal Itani (2012)
It is not for the polytheists to attend God's places of worship while professing their disbelief. These—their works are in vain, and in the Fire they will abide
Dr. Kamal Omar
It is not (suitable) for Mushrikun that they should visit or maintain the Mosques of Allah (being) witnesses against their own selves exhibiting disbelief. Those people: their deeds went in vain and in the Fire they (become) dwellers
It is not for the pagans to maintain the mosques of Allah while they bear witness against themselves about their unbelief. It is they whose deeds are in vain and in the hellfire shall they live forever
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali
In no way should the associators (Those who associate others with Allah) tend the mosques of Allah, witnessing against themselves disbelief; those, their deeds are frustrated, and in the Fire they are eternally (abiding (.
Muhammad Sarwar
The pagans do not have any right to establish (and patronize) the mosque of God while they testify against their souls to its disbelief. Their deeds are devoid of all virtue and they will live forever in hell fire
Muhammad Taqi Usmani
It is not for the Mushriks to build up the mosques of Allah while they are witnesses of their own infidelity. Those are the ones whose deeds have gone to waste; and in the Fire they shall remain forever
Shabbir Ahmed
Those who associate others with Allah whether idols, religious leaders or temporal leaders, shall not administer Masjids, the Centers of the Divine System. Nor shall those who choose for themselves sects in religion (9:107), (30:31), (72:18). They are bearing witness against themselves in their disbelief (of the Qur'an). All their works are vain and they will abide eternally in the Fire
Dr. Munir Munshey
It is not (right) for the idolaters to act as the caretakers of the House of Allah. For they are the witnesses to their own disbelief (and rejection of faith). The (good) deeds of such people would come to naught. They shall be in the fire for eternity
Syed Vickar Ahamed
It is not for those who join gods with Allah, to visit maintain the mosques of Allah while they witness against their own souls as faithless. The works of such (people) have no reward: And in fire they shall live
It is not for the polytheists to maintain the mosques of Allah [while] witnessing against themselves with disbelief. [For] those, their deeds have become worthless, and in the Fire they will abide eternally
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)
It was not for those who have set up partners to maintain God's temples while they bear witness over their own rejection. For these, their works have fallen, and in the Fire they will abide
Abdel Haleem
It is not right for the idolaters to tend God’s places of worship while testifying to their own disbelief: the deeds of such people will come to nothing and they will abide in Hell
Abdul Majid Daryabadi
It is not for the associators that they shall tend Allah's mosques, while giving evidence of infidelity against themselves. Those! vain shall be their works, and in the Fire they shall be abiders
Ahmed Ali
The idolaters have no right to visit the mosques of God while bearing testimony to their disbelief. Meaningless will be their acts, and in Hell they will bide for ever
Aisha Bewley
It is not for the idolaters to frequent the mosques of Allah, bearing witness against themselves of their kufr. They are the ones whose actions will come to nothing. They will be in the Fire timelessly, for ever.
Ali Ünal
It is not for those who associate partners with God to maintain God’s houses of worship while they are witnesses against themselves of unbelief (and do not worship God in those houses of worship). They are those whose works have been wasted, and they will abide in the Fire
Ali Quli Qara'i
The polytheists may not maintain Allah’s mosques while they are witness to their own unfaith. Their works have failed, and they shall remain in the Fire [forever]
Hamid S. Aziz
It is not for idolaters to tend the mosques of Allah, while bearing witness against the infidelity of their own souls; for such their works are vain, and in the Fire shall they dwell
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad
It is not for the idolaters to maintain (and improve) God’s places of worship while they are witnesses against themselves in disbelief. Their works are useless, and they will reside in the fire forever.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)
It is not for those who join gods with God to visit or maintain the places of worship of God, while witnessing against their own selves to unbelief. The works of such people bear no fruit, and they will dwell in fire
Musharraf Hussain
It isn’t right for the idolaters to be caretakers of Allah’s Mosques while they are witnesses of their disbelief. Their deeds are worthless, and they will live in the Fire forever
Maududi
It does not become those who associate others with Allah in His Divinity to visit and tend Allah´s mosques while they bear witness of unbelief against themselves. All their works have gone to waste. They shall abide in the Fire
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)
It was not for the polytheists to maintain the temples of God while they bear witness over their own rejection. For these, their works have fallen, and in the Fire they will abide.
Mohammad Shafi
The idolaters cannot be maintainers of the places for worshipping Allah while bearing witness against themselves to suppression of the Truth. These it is who have nullified their deeds, and in the Fire shall they abide
Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)
It is not for the associators that they should inhabit the mosque of Allah, bearing witnesses of infidelity against themselves. Their entire works are destroyed, and they shall abide in the Fire.
The idol worshipers are not to frequent the masjids of GOD, while confessing their disbelief. These have nullified their works, and they will abide forever in Hell.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah
Idolaters should not inhabit the mosques of Allah bearing witness against themselves with disbelief. Those, their deeds have been annulled, and in the Fire they shall live for ever
Maulana Muhammad Ali
The idolaters have no right to maintain the mosques of Allah, while bearing witness to disbelief against themselves. These it is whose works are vain; and in the Fire will they abide
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira
(It) was not to the sharers/takers of partners (with God) that they inhabit/tend to/visit God's mosques/places of worshipping God, (while) witnessing/testifying on themselves with the disbelief, those, their deeds (are) wasted, and in the fire they are immortally/eternally
Bijan Moeinian
It is not proper that the disbelievers assume the guardianship of the houses [ such as Masjid-Al-Haram which was built by Abraham and Ishmael] devoted to the sole purpose of worshiping the Lord. After all, they bear witness that they do not believe! [Therefore, how can they become the guardians of houses built for worshiping what they do not believe in?] Indeed all their deeds are nullified and they have to live by the Fire forever
Faridul Haque
It does not befit the polytheists to assemble in Allah’s mosques after themselves bearing witness of their disbelief; in fact all their deeds are wasted; and they will remain in the fire forever
Sher Ali
It is not for the idolaters to maintain the Mosques of ALLAH while they bear witness against themselves to disbelief. It is they whose works shall be vain, and in the Fire shall they abide forever
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
It is not for the polytheists to maintain and frequent the mosques of Allah, whereas they themselves bear witness to their disbelief. All their deeds have become void and in Hell they shall dwell forever
Amatul Rahman Omar
It is not for the polytheists to keep the mosques of Allah in a good and flourishing state while they bear witness to their own disbelief. It is these whose deeds have all gone in vain and in the Fire they shall abide
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali
It is not for the Mushrikoon (polytheists, idolaters, pagans, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah), to maintain the Mosques of Allah (i.e. to pray and worship Allah therein, to look after their cleanliness and their building, etc.), while they witness against their ownselves of disbelief. The works of such are in vain and in Fire shall they abide
New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame
It is not the right of those who ascribe partners to Allah to upkeep the mosques of Allah while they testify in disbelief against their own souls. Those are the ones whose deeds have come to naught and in the fire they will abide forever.
Munir Mezyed
It is not for the Polytheists to maintain the Mosques of Allâh while they voluntarily and consciously refuse to Yield to the Truth. They are the ones whose deeds have been nullified; and in the Fire of Hell shall they abide.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher
It is not befitting for the idolaters to visit the mosques of Allah bearing witness against themselves of rejection; their deeds are wasted and they will remain in the fire forever.
Linda “iLHam” Barto
The idolaters should not visit the mosques of Allah while they witness against themselves in unbelief. Their deeds are worthless. They will dwell in fire.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation
Never was it befitting for the polytheists to attend Allah’s mosques while professing their denial. Those—their deeds were nullified, and in the Fire they abide.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab
Associators must not frequent Allah (God)'s mosques since they testify for their own disbelief. Those [people will find] their actions will miscarry and they will remain forever in the Fire.
Samy Mahdy
It was not for the polytheists to populate Allah’s mosques, witnessing against themselves with infidelity. Those were their works inhibited, and in the Fire, they were immortals.
Sayyid Qutb
It is not for the idolaters to visit or tend God's houses of worship; for they are self- confessed unbelievers. Vain shall be their actions and they shall abide in the fire.
Ahmed Hulusi
It is not possible for the dualists, who are witnesses of their own denial, to maintain the places of prostration to Allah... All of their deeds have gone in vain... In fire (Naar; radiation) they will remain forever!
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli
It is not for the polytheists to maintain the mosques of Allah, while they bear witness to unbelief against themselves. These it is whose deeds are null, and in the Fire shall they abide forever
It is never becoming nor is it consistent for the idolaters to attend the mosques of Allah bearing witness within themselves of their infidelity and the denial of Allah. These are they whose hopes shall be doomed to disappointment and their deeds to worthlessness here and Hereafter, and in Hell shall they have passed through nature to eternal suffering
Mir Aneesuddin
It does not befit the polytheists that they should visit the mosques of Allah, being witnesses against themselves of (their) infidelity. Those are the persons whose deeds are fruitless and they will stay in the fire.
The Wise Quran
It is not for idolaters to repair to the mosques of God, bearing witness against themselves of disbelief; those, their works are void, and in the fire they will abide forever.