20 Sura Taha

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:



وَلَوْ أَنَّا أَهْلَكْنَاهُم بِعَذَابٍ مِّن قَبْلِهِ لَقَالُوا...

20: 134. And if We had inflicted on them a Penalty before this, they would have said:

C2659. If the Sign mentioned in the last note did not convince them, it would mean that they were not true to their own faith. They were not straight with themselves. In justice they should have been punished for their falsehood. But they were given further respite.

Or they would again have argued in a circle, and said: "If only Allah had sent us a living messenger we should have believed!"

The living messenger they flout because they want a Sign. The Sign they wish to ignore, because they want a living messenger!

...رَبَّنَا لَوْلَا أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولًا فَنَتَّبِعَ آيَاتِكَ مِن قَبْلِ أَن نَّذِلَّ وَنَخْزَى ﴿١٣٤﴾

"Our Lord! if only Thou hadst sent us a Messenger, we should certainly have followed Thy Signs before we were humbled and put to shame."


Others version:




20:134



Walaw anna ahlaknahum biAAathabin min qablihi laqaloo rabbana lawla arsalta ilayna rasoolan fanattabiAAa ayatika min qabli an nathilla wanakhza

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Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning

Muhammad Asad

 

For [thus it is:] had We destroyed them by means of a chastisement ere this [divine writ was revealed], they would indeed [be justified to] say [on Judgment Day]: "O our Sustainer! If only Thou hadst sent an apostle unto us, we would have followed Thy messages rather than be humiliated and disgraced [in the hereafter]!"

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M. M. Pickthall

 

And if we had destroyed them with some punishment before it, they would assuredly have said: Our Lord! If only Thou hadst sent unto us a messenger, so that we might have followed Thy revelations before we were (thus) humbled and disgraced!

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Shakir

 

And had We destroyed them with chastisement before this, they would certainly have said: O our Lord! why didst Thou not send to us a messenger, for then we should have followed Thy communications before that we met disgrace and shame.

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Yusuf Ali

 

And if We had inflicted on them a penalty before this, they would have said: "Our Lord! If only Thou hadst sent us a messenger, we should certainly have followed Thy Signs before we were humbled and put to shame."

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Wahiduddin Khan

 

If We had destroyed them with a punishment before this, they would have surely said, ‘Our Lord, why did you not send to us a messenger so that we might have followed Your commandment before we were humiliated and disgraced?’

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[Al-Muntakhab]

 

If We had reduced them to a useless form before this Book -the Quran- was revealed, they would have said: "O Allah, our Creator, if only You had sent to us a Messenger with the spirit of truth guiding into all truth we would have acknowledged Your revelations and authoritative signs and followed Your path of righteousness before We were humbled and put to shame!"

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[Progressive Muslims]

 

And if We had destroyed them with retribution before this, they would have said: "Our Lord, if only You had sent us a messenger so we could follow Your revelations before we are humiliated and shamed!"