38. Surah Sad, Verse 26

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يَا دَاوُ۫دُ اِنَّا جَعَلْنَاكَ خَل۪يفَةً فِي الْاَرْضِ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا تَتَّبِعِ الْهَوٰى فَيُضِلَّكَ عَنْ سَب۪يلِ اللّٰهِۜ اِنَّ الَّذ۪ينَ يَضِلُّونَ عَنْ سَب۪يلِ اللّٰهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَد۪يدٌ بِمَا نَسُوا يَوْمَ الْحِسَابِ۟

Ya dawoodu inna jaAAalnakakhaleefatan fee al-ardi fahkum bayna annasibilhaqqi wala tattabiAAi alhawa fayudillakaAAan sabeeli Allahi inna allatheena yadilloonaAAan sabeeli Allahi lahum AAathabun shadeedun bimanasoo yawma alhisab

‘Dawud! We have made you a khalif on the earth, so judge between people with truth and do not follow your own desires, letting them misguide you from the Way of Allah. Those who are misguided from the Way of Allah will receive a harsh punishment because they forgot the Day of Reckoning.’

  • Progressive Muslims

    O David, We have made you a successor on Earth. Therefore, you shall judge among the people with truth, and do not follow desire, lest it diverts you from the path of God. Indeed, those who stray off the path of God will have a severe retribution for forgetting the Day of Reckoning.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    (We said to him), "O David! We have made you a ruler in the earth, therefore, establish the System of justice and equity for people. Never let your judgment be swayed by personal whims causing you to deviate from the Path of Allah. For those who wander from the Path of Allah, is a strict retribution for having forgotten the Day of Account."

  • Sam Gerrans

    “O David: We have appointed thee a successor in the earth; so judge thou between men with justice; and follow thou not vain desire lest it cause thee to stray from the path of God.” Those who stray from the path of God will have a severe punishment because they forgot the Day of Reckoning.

  • The Monotheist Group

    O David, We have made you a successor on the earth. Therefore, you shall judge among the people with the truth, and do not follow desire, lest it diverts you from the path of God. Indeed, those who stray off the path of God will have a severe retribution for forgetting the Day of Reckoning.

  • Edip-Layth

    O David, We have made you a successor on earth. Therefore, you shall judge among the people with truth, and do not follow desire, lest it diverts you from the path of God. Indeed, those who stray off the path of God will have a severe retribution for forgetting the day of Reckoning.

  • Aisha Bewley

    ‘Dawud! We have made you a khalif on the earth, so judge between people with truth and do not follow your own desires, letting them misguide you from the Way of Allah. Those who are misguided from the Way of Allah will receive a harsh punishment because they forgot the Day of Reckoning.’

  • Rashad Khalifa

    O David, we have made you a ruler on earth. Therefore, you shall judge among the people equitably, and do not follow your personal opinion, lest it diverts you from the way of GOD. Surely, those who stray off the way of GOD incur severe retribution for forgetting the Day of Reckoning.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    "O David, We have made you trustee on the earth. So judge between men equitably, and do not follow your lust lest it should lead you astray from the way of God. Surely for those who go astray from the way of God, is severe punishment, for having forgotten the Day of Reckoning.

  • Sahih International

    [We said], "O David, indeed We have made you a successor upon the earth, so judge between the people in truth and do not follow [your own] desire, as it will lead you astray from the way of Allah. " Indeed, those who go astray from the way of Allah will have a severe punishment for having forgotten the Day of Account.

  • Muhammad Asad

    [And We said:] "O David! Behold, We have made thee a [prophet and, thus, Our] vicegerent on earth: judge, then, between men with justice, and do not follow vain desire, lest it lead thee astray from the path of God: verily, for those who go astray from the path of God there is suffering severe in store for having forgotten the Day of Reckoning!"

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    (And it was said unto him): O David! Lo! We have set thee as a viceroy in the earth; therefor judge aright between mankind, and follow not desire that it beguile thee from the way of Allah. Lo! those who wander from the way of Allah have an awful doom, forasmuch as they forgot the Day of Reckoning.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat

    And We advised him, thus: "O Dawud, We inducted you a vicegerent on earth, therefore, judge between people with equity and justice and do not follow a vain desire, nor yield to an overpowering emotion to let passion conquer reason. Such an attitude takes you away from the path of righteousness, the path of Allah. Those who deviate from His path shall suffer the torment laid upon those who have been neglectful of the Day of Judgement".

  • Bijan Moeinian

    [Then his Lord commanded:] " O David, I have made you My representative in the earth, so rule among the people with justice and do not follow your lust, for it will deviate you from the path of God. " For those who deviate from the path of God, there is an awful punishment because they did not take the Day of judgment seriously.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    O Dâwûd (David)! Verily! We have placed you as a successor on the earth; so judge you between men in truth (and justice) and follow not your desire - for it will mislead you from the Path of Allâh. Verily, those who wander astray from the Path of Allâh (shall) have a severe torment, because they forgot the Day of Reckoning.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    O David! We did indeed make thee a vicegerent on earth: so judge thou between men in truth (and justice): Nor follow thou the lusts (of thy heart), for they will mislead thee from the Path of Allah: for those who wander astray from the Path of Allah, is a Penalty Grievous, for that they forget the Day of Account.

  • Mustafa Khattab

    ˹We instructed him:˺ "O David! We have surely made you an authority in the land, so judge between people with truth. And do not follow ˹your˺ desires or they will lead you astray from Allah’s Way. Surely those who go astray from Allah’s Way will suffer a severe punishment for neglecting the Day of Reckoning."

  • Taqi Usmani

    O Dawūd, We have made you a vicegerent on earth, so judge between people with truth, and do not follow the selfish desire, lest it should lead you astray from Allah’s path. Surely those who go astray from Allah’s path will have a severe punishment, because they had forgotten the Day of Reckoning.

  • Abdul Haleem

    ‘David, We have given you mastery over the land. Judge fairly between people. Do not follow your desires, lest they divert you from God’s path: those who wander from His path will have a painful torment because they ignore the Day of Reckoning.’

  • Arthur John Arberry

    'David, behold, We have appointed thee a viceroy in the earth; therefore judge between men justly, and follow not caprice, lest it lead thee astray from the way of God. Surely those who go astray from the way of God -- there awaits them a terrible chastisement, for that they have forgotten the Day of Reckoning.'

  • E. Henry Palmer

    O David! verily, we have made thee a vicegerent, judge then between men with truth and follow not lust, for it will lead thee astray from the path of god. Verily, those who go astray from the path of God, for them is keen torment, for that they did forget the day of reckoning!

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    "O David! Surely We have made you a Vicegerent in the land; so judge between men with justice and follow not desire, lest it should lead you astray from the path of Allah. Lo! Those who go astray from the path of Allah, they shall surely have a severe punishment because they forgot the Day of Reckoning."

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    O Dawûd, surely We have made you a succeeding (Literally: Caliph) (Messenger) in the earth, so judge among mankind with the truth, and do not ever follow prejudice that it may make you err from the way of Allah. Surely the ones who err from the way of Allah will have a strict torment for that they have forgotten the Day of Reckoning.

  • George Sale

    O David, verily We have appointed thee a sovereign prince in the earth: Judge therefore between men with truth; and follow not thy own lust, lest it cause thee to err from the way of God: For those who err from the way of God, shall suffer a severe punishment, because they have forgotten the day of account.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    Oh Dawood (David)! Verily, We truly made you a successor and leader on earth: So you judge between men in truth (and justice): And do not follow the (idle) desires (of your heart), for they will take you away from the Path of Allah: Verily, those who go away from the Path of Allah, (there) is a painful penalty, because they forget the Day of Reckoning (and Account).

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    (We said, ) `O David! verily We have made you the ruler in this land. So rule among the people according to (the tenants of) justice, and do not follow their vain desires, (for if you do) it will lead you astray from the path leading to Allâh. Behold! a severe punishment awaits those who go astray from Allâh's way, because they have forgotten the Day of Reckoning.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    ‘O David! Indeed We have made you a vicegerent on the earth. So judge between people with justice, and do not follow desire, or it will lead you astray from the way of Allah. Indeed those who stray from the way of Allah —there is a severe punishment for them because of their forgetting the Day of Reckoning.’