24. Surah An-Nur, Verse 39
وَالَّذ۪ينَ كَفَرُٓوا اَعْمَالُهُمْ كَسَرَابٍ بِق۪يعَةٍ يَحْسَبُهُ الظَّمْاٰنُ مَٓاءًۜ حَتّٰٓى اِذَا جَٓاءَهُ لَمْ يَجِدْهُ شَيْـٔاً وَوَجَدَ اللّٰهَ عِنْدَهُ فَوَفّٰيهُ حِسَابَهُۜ وَاللّٰهُ سَر۪يعُ الْحِسَابِۙ
Wallatheena kafaroo aAAmaluhumkasarabin biqeeAAatin yahsabuhu aththam-anumaan hatta itha jaahu lamyajidhu shay-an wawajada Allaha AAindahu fawaffahu hisabahuwallahu sareeAAu alhisab
But the actions of those who are kafir are like a mirage in the desert. A thirsty man thinks it is water but when he reaches it, he finds it to be nothing at all, but he finds Allah there. He will pay him his account in full. Allah is swift at reckoning.
- Progressive Muslims
As for those who reject, their works are like a mirage in the desert. A thirsty person thinks it is water, until he reaches it, he finds it is nothing; and he finds God there and He pays him his due, and God is swift in judgment.
- Shabbir Ahmed
But as for those who reject the Message, their deeds are like a mirage in the desert. The thirsty one supposes it to be water till he comes unto it and finds nothing. However, he does meet Allah's Law of Requital to compensate for his deeds. And Allah is Swift at taking account.
- Sam Gerrans
And those who ignore warning, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert: the thirsty one thinks it water; when he has come to it, he finds it nothing, but finds God with him, and He pays his account in full — and God is swift in reckoning —
- The Monotheist Group
As for those who reject, their works are like a mirage in the desert. A thirsty person thinks it is water, until he reaches it, he finds it is nothing; and he finds God there and He pays him his due, and God is swift in judgment.
- Edip-Layth
As for those who reject, their works are like a mirage in the desert. A thirsty person thinks it is water, until he reaches it, he finds it is nothing; he finds God there and He pays him his due, and God is swift in judgment.
- Aisha Bewley
But the actions of those who are kafir are like a mirage in the desert. A thirsty man thinks it is water but when he reaches it, he finds it to be nothing at all, but he finds Allah there. He will pay him his account in full. Allah is swift at reckoning.
- Rashad Khalifa
As for those who disbelieve, their works are like a mirage in the desert. A thirsty person thinks that it is water. But when he reaches it, he finds that it is nothing, and he finds GOD there instead, to requite him fully for his works. GOD is the most efficient reckoner.
- Mohamed Ahmed - Samira
As for those who disbelieve, their deeds are like a mirage in the desert which the thirsty takes for water till he reaches it to find that there was nothing, and finds God with him who settles his account, for God is swift at the reckoning.
- Sahih International
But those who disbelieved - their deeds are like a mirage in a lowland which a thirsty one thinks is water until, when he comes to it, he finds it is nothing but finds Allah before Him, and He will pay him in full his due; and Allah is swift in account.
- Muhammad Asad
But as for those who are bent on denying the truth, their [good] deeds are like a mirage in the desert, which the thirsty supposes to be water – until, when he approaches it, he finds that it was nothing: instead, he finds [that] God [has always been present] with him, and [that] He will pay him his account in full - for God is swift in reckoning!
- Marmaduke Pickthall
As for those who disbelieve, their deeds are as a mirage in a desert. The thirsty one supposeth it to be water till he cometh unto it and findeth it naught, and findeth, in the place thereof, Allah Who payeth him his due; and Allah is swift at reckoning.
- Abdel Khalek Himmat
As for those who deny Allah and do not acknowledge His Messengers' missions, their hopes shall be doomed to disappointment. Their deeds shall avail them nothing but the frustration or non-fulfillment of expectation, a situation standing similitude exact of a mirage* falsely viewed by the parched and thirsty traveler as water, and when he reaches the spot in question his hopes are doomed to disappointment. He finds what is known to be at variance with fact, an optical illusion. But he finds Allah, the Omnipresent, the truth personified, Who requites him with what is commensurate with his deeds, and Allah is swift indeed in putting the law in execution.
- Bijan Moeinian
As for those who rejected (this Qur’an, ) their deeds are like a mirage. It gives them the allusion of water in a desert; but when they reach there, instead of water, they will find the Lord ready to question the figures in their accounts. God is the Most Efficient in Accounting.
- Al-Hilali & Khan
As for those who disbelieve, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert. The thirsty one thinks it to be water, until he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing; but he finds Allâh with him, Who will pay him his due (Hell). And Allâh is Swift in taking account.[1]
- Abdullah Yusuf Ali
But the Unbelievers,- their deeds are like a mirage in sandy deserts, which the man parched with thirst mistakes for water; until when he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing: But he finds Allah (ever) with him, and Allah will pay him his account: and Allah is swift in taking account.
- Mustafa Khattab
As for the disbelievers, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert, which the thirsty perceive as water, but when they approach it, they find it to be nothing. Instead, they find Allah there ˹in the Hereafter, ready˺ to settle their account. And Allah is swift in reckoning.
- Taqi Usmani
As for those who disbelieve, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert plain, which a thirsty person deems to be water, until when he comes to it, he finds it nothing, and finds (the decree of) Allah with him, so He pays him his account in full. Allah is swift at reckoning.
- Abdul Haleem
But the deeds of those who disbelieve are like a mirage in a desert: the thirsty person thinks there will be water but, when he gets there, he finds only God, who pays him his account in full- God is swift in reckoning.
- Arthur John Arberry
And as for the unbelievers, their works are as a mirage in a spacious plain which the man athirst supposes to be water, till, when he comes to it, he finds it is nothing; there indeed he finds God, and He pays him his account in full; (and God is swift at the reckoning. )
- E. Henry Palmer
But those who misbelieve, their works are like the mirage in a plain, the thirsty counts it water till when he comes to it he finds nothing, but he finds that God is with him; and He will pay him his account, for God is quick to take account.
- Hamid S. Aziz
That Allah may reward them for the best of that which they have done, and give them increase of His bounty; for Allah gives blessings without stint to whom He will.
- Mahmoud Ghali
And the ones who have disbelieved, their deeds are as a mirage in a low land, which the man all-athirst reckons to be water, till when he comes to it, he finds it nothing, and at it he finds Allah. Then He pays him his reckoning in full; and Allah is swift at the reckoning.
- George Sale
But as to the unbelievers, their works are like the vapour in a plain, which the thirsty traveller thinketh to be water, until, when he cometh thereto, he findeth it to be nothing; but he findeth God with him, and he will fully pay him his account; and God is swift in taking an account:
- Syed Vickar Ahamed
As for those who disbelieved (in this life)— Their deeds are like a mirage in sandy deserts, which a thirsty one mistakes it to be water; And when he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing: But (instead) he finds Allah (always) with him, and Allah will pay him his account that is due: And Allah is swift in taking account (Hasib).
- Amatul Rahman Omar
And (as to) those who disbelieve, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert, the thirsty man assumes it to be water until he comes up to it and finds it is nothing at all. And (instead of water by his side) he finds (that) Allâh (has always been present) with him, and He then pays him his account in full, and Allâh is Swift at reckoning.
- Ali Quli Qarai
As for the faithless, their works are like a mirage in a plain, which the thirsty man supposes to be water. When he comes to it, he finds it to be nothing; but there he finds Allah, who will pay him his full account, and Allah is swift at reckoning.