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وَمَا يَسْتَوِي الْاَحْيَٓاءُ وَلَا الْاَمْوَاتُۜ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يُسْمِــعُ مَنْ يَشَٓاءُۚ وَمَٓا اَنْتَ بِمُسْمِــعٍ مَنْ فِي الْقُبُورِ

Wama yastawee al-ahyaowala al-amwatu inna Allaha yusmiAAu man yashaowama anta bimusmiAAin man fee alquboor

The living and dead are not the same. Allah makes anyone He wills hear but you cannot make those in the grave hear.

  • Progressive Muslims

    Nor equal are the living and the dead; God causes whomever He wills to hear. And you cannot make those who are in the graves hear.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    Nor are the living equal with the dead. Behold, Allah makes him hear who wants to hear. You cannot make hear the dead of heart like those who are in the graves.

  • Sam Gerrans

    And not equal are the living and the dead. God makes hear whom He wills; and thou canst not make hear those in the graves —

  • The Monotheist Group

    Nor equal are the living and the dead; God causes whoever He wills to hear; and you cannot make those who are in the graves hear.

  • Edip-Layth

    Nor equal are the living and the dead; God causes whomever He wills to hear. You cannot make those who are in the graves hear.

  • Aisha Bewley

    The living and dead are not the same. Allah makes anyone He wills hear but you cannot make those in the grave hear.

  • Rashad Khalifa

    Nor are the living and the dead; GOD causes whomever He wills to hear. You cannot make hearers out of those in the graves.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    Equal are not the living and the dead. Verily God makes those He will to listen; but you cannot make those hear who are in their graves.

  • Sahih International

    And not equal are the living and the dead. Indeed, Allah causes to hear whom He wills, but you cannot make hear those in the graves.

  • Muhammad Asad

    and neither are equal the living and the dead [of heart]. Behold, [O Muhammad,] God can make hear whomever He wills, whereas thou canst not make hear such as are [dead of heart like the dead] in their graves:

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    Nor are the living equal with the dead. Lo! Allah maketh whom He will to hear. Thou canst not reach those who are in the graves.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat

    Nor do the living -a life deserving the name- and the dead physically or spiritually compare. Allah's voice reaches whom He will but your voice O Muhammad shall never reach those deposited in the graves.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    The living [the believer who is attached to the source of life] and the dead [the zombie whose living is reduced only to physical activities] are not equal. God makes those who are willing to hear, to grasp the reality. However, you cannot make a dead person to hear in his grave.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    Nor are (alike) the living (i.e. the believers) and the dead (i.e. the disbelievers). Verily, Allâh makes whom He wills to hear, but you cannot make hear those who are in graves.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    Nor are alike those that are living and those that are dead. Allah can make any that He wills to hear; but thou canst not make those to hear who are (buried) in graves.

  • Mustafa Khattab

    Nor are the dead and the living equal. Indeed, Allah ˹alone˺ makes whoever He wills hear, but you ˹O Prophet˺ can never make those in the graves hear ˹your call˺.

  • Taqi Usmani

    And the living and the dead are not alike. Allah makes to hear whomsoever He wills. And you cannot make to hear those who are in the graves.

  • Abdul Haleem

    nor are the living and the dead. God makes anyone He wills hear [His message]: you cannot make those in their graves hear.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    not equal are the living and the dead. God makes to hear whomsoever He will; thou canst not make those in their tombs to hear -

  • E. Henry Palmer

    nor are the living equal with the dead; verily, God causes whom He pleases to hear, and thou canst not make those who are in their graves hear;

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    Nor the shade and the heat,

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And in no way are the living and the dead equal. Surely Allah makes to hear whomever He decides; and in no way can you ever make (the ones) in the tombs to hear.

  • George Sale

    Neither shall the living and the dead be held equal. God shall cause him to hear whom He pleaseth: But thou shalt not make those to hear who are in their graves.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    Neither are the same, those who are living and those who are dead. Verily, Allah can make any whom He wills to hear; And you cannot make those who are (buried) in graves to hear.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    The (spiritually) living and the (spiritually) dead are not alike. Allâh causes to hear whom He will. But you cannot make those hear who are (lying buried) in the graves (of ignorance and prejudice).

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    nor are the living equal to the dead. Indeed Allah makes whomever He wishes to hear, and you cannot make those who are in the graves hear.