4. Surah An-Nisa, Verse 97
اِنَّ الَّذ۪ينَ تَوَفّٰيهُمُ الْمَلٰٓئِكَةُ ظَالِم۪ٓي اَنْفُسِهِمْ قَالُوا ف۪يمَ كُنْتُمْۜ قَالُوا كُنَّا مُسْتَضْعَف۪ينَ فِي الْاَرْضِۜ قَالُٓوا اَلَمْ تَكُنْ اَرْضُ اللّٰهِ وَاسِعَةً فَتُهَاجِرُوا ف۪يهَاۜ فَاُو۬لٰٓئِكَ مَأْوٰيهُمْ جَهَنَّمُۜ وَسَٓاءَتْ مَص۪يراًۙ
Inna allatheena tawaffahumualmala-ikatu thalimee anfusihim qaloofeema kuntum qaloo kunna mustadAAafeena feeal-ardi qaloo alam takun ardu AllahiwasiAAatan fatuhajiroo feeha faola-ikama/wahum jahannamu wasaat maseera
The angels ask those they take while they are wronging themselves, ‘What were your circumstances?’ They reply, ‘We were oppressed on earth. ’ They say, ‘Was Allah’s earth not wide enough for you to have made hijra elsewhere in it?’ The shelter of such people will be Hell. What an evil destination!
- Progressive Muslims
Those whom the Angels take, while they had wronged their souls; they said: "What situation were you in", they said: "We were oppressed on Earth. " They said: "Was God's Earth not wide enough that you could emigrate in it" To these their abode will be Hell; what a miserable destiny!
- Shabbir Ahmed
As for those who wrong their own "Self" by not striving until the angels (the Universal Laws of death) approach them, they are asked, "What kept you occupied?" They say, "We were weak and oppressed in the land. " The angels say, " Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to migrate?" As for such, their habitation will be Hell, a miserable destination.
- Sam Gerrans
Those whom the angels take wronging their souls — they say: “In what condition were you?” Say they: “We were oppressed in the land.” They say: “Was not God’s earth spacious for you to emigrate therein?” — those: their shelter is Gehenna; and evil is it as a journey’s end;
- The Monotheist Group
Those whose lives are terminated by the angels, while they had wronged themselves; they said: "What situation were you in?" They said: "We were oppressed on the earth." They said: "Was the earth of God not wide enough that you could emigrate in it?" To these their abode will be Hell; what a miserable destiny!
- Edip-Layth
Those whom the controllers take, while they had wronged themselves; were asked, "What situation were you in?" They responded, "We were oppressed on earth." They asked, "Was God's earth not wide enough that you could emigrate in it?" To these their abode will be hell; what a miserable destiny;
- Aisha Bewley
The angels ask those they take while they are wronging themselves, ‘What were your circumstances?’ They reply, ‘We were oppressed on earth. ’ They say, ‘Was Allah’s earth not wide enough for you to have made hijra elsewhere in it?’ The shelter of such people will be Hell. What an evil destination!
- Rashad Khalifa
Those whose lives are terminated by the angels, while in a state of wronging their souls, the angels will ask them, "What was the matter with you?" They will say, "We were oppressed on earth." They will say, "Was GOD's earth not spacious enough for you to emigrate therein?" For these, the final abode is Hell, and a miserable destiny.
- Mohamed Ahmed - Samira
As for those whose souls are taken by the angels (at death) while in a state of unbelief, they will be asked by the angels: "What (state) were you in?" They will answer: "We were oppressed in the land. " And the angels will say: "Was not God's earth large enough for you to migrate?" Their abode will be Hell, and what an evil destination!
- Sahih International
Indeed, those whom the angels take [in death] while wronging themselves - [the angels] will say, "In what [condition] were you?" They will say, "We were oppressed in the land. " The angels will say, "Was not the earth of Allah spacious [enough] for you to emigrate therein?" For those, their refuge is Hell - and evil it is as a destination.
- Muhammad Asad
Behold, those whom the angels gather in death while they are still sinning against themselves, [the angels] will ask, "What was wrong with you?'' They will answer: "We were too weak on earth. " [The angels] will say: "Was, then, God's earth not wide enough for you to forsake the domain of evil?" For such, then, the goal is hell - and how evil a journey's end!
- Marmaduke Pickthall
Lo! as for those whom the angels take (in death) while they wrong themselves, (the angels) will ask: In what were ye engaged? They will say: We were oppressed in the land. (The angels) will say: Was not Allah's earth spacious that ye could have migrated therein? As for such, their habitation will be hell, an evil journey's end;
- Abdel Khalek Himmat
Those who are caught in the Jaws of death discrediting themselves with wrongful actions shall be questioned by the angels of death who disembody their souls, thus: "What has become of you, and what was your reaction to oppression and humiliation?" "The powerful citizens, oppressed the weak by tyrannical exercise of power" answer the wrongful "Was Allah's earth not extensive enough, to migrate into another country and come to settle therein!" ask the angels. Such persons are destined to Hell, and evil indeed is the intended end.
- Bijan Moeinian
When the angles take the should of those who [had compromised and in consequence] were unjust to their own souls, they will ask why did you do this to your own should. They will reply: "We did not have any other choice as we were under oppression." The angles will reply: “Was the Lord’s earth not big enough to migrate and find another place [to live in accordance with the Lord’s laws?] Hell is where they will end up; what a terrible place to live in.
- Al-Hilali & Khan
Verily! As for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves (as they stayed among the disbelievers even though emigration was obligatory for them), they (angels) say (to them): "In what (condition) were you?" They reply: "We were weak and oppressed on the earth." They (angels) say: "Was not the earth of Allâh spacious enough for you to emigrate therein?" Such men will find their abode in Hell - What an evil destination![1]
- Abdullah Yusuf Ali
When angels take the souls of those who die in sin against their souls, they say: "In what (plight) Were ye?" They reply: "Weak and oppressed Were we in the earth." They say: "Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to move yourselves away (From evil)?" Such men will find their abode in Hell,- What an evil refuge! -
- Mustafa Khattab
When the angels seize the souls of those who have wronged themselves[1]—scolding them, "What was wrong with you?" they will reply, “We were oppressed in the land.” The angels will respond, “Was Allah’s earth not spacious enough for you to emigrate?” It is they who will have Hell as their home—what an evil destination!
- Taqi Usmani
Those whose souls the angels take while they had wronged themselves, the angels say (to them), "In what business were you (involved)?" They say, “We were oppressed in the earth.” They say, “Was not the earth of Allah wide enough for you to emigrate to it?” Those people are such that their refuge is Jahannam . It is an evil place to return;
- Abdul Haleem
When the angels take the souls of those who have wronged themselves, they ask them, ‘What circumstances were you in?’ They reply, ‘We were oppressed in this land,’ and the angels say, ‘But was God’s earth not spacious enough for you to migrate to some other place?’ These people will have Hell as their refuge, an evil destination,
- Arthur John Arberry
And those the angels take, while still they are wronging themselves -- the angels will say, 'In what circumstances were you?' They will say, 'We were abased in the earth. ' The angels will say, 'But was not God's earth wide, so that you might have emigrated in it?' Such men, their refuge shall be Gehenna -- an evil homecoming! --
- E. Henry Palmer
Verily, the angels when they took the souls of those who had wronged themselves, said, 'What state were ye in?' they say, 'We were but weak in the earth;' they said, 'Was not God's earth wide enough for you to flee away therein?' These are those whose resort is hell, and a bad journey shall it be!
- Hamid S. Aziz
Verily, the angels when they take the souls of those who had wronged themselves, they say, "What state were you in?" They say, "We were but weak (and oppressed) in the earth;" They say, "Was not Allah's earth wide enough for you to flee (migrate) away?" These are those whose resort is hell, an evil journey's end!
- Mahmoud Ghali
Surely the ones whom the Angels take up, (while) they are unjust to themselves- (to them) (the Angels) say, "In what (condition) were you?" (i. e., In what circumstances were you? Of what religion were you?) They say, "We were deemed weak in the earth." They (the Angels) say, "Was not the earth of Allah wide so that you (could) have emigrated in it?" So, the abode for those (men) is Hell, and what an odious Destiny!
- George Sale
Moreover unto those whom the angels put to death, having injured their own souls, the angels said, of what religion were ye? They answered, we were weak in the earth. The angels replied, was not God's earth wide enough, that ye might fly therein to a place of refuge? Therefore their habitation shall be hell; and an evil journey shall it be thither:
- Syed Vickar Ahamed
Verily, as for those, when angels take the souls of those who die in sin against their souls, they (angels) say: "What (condition) were you in?" They reply: "We were weak and oppressed in the earth. " They say: "Was the earth of Allah not spacious enough for you to move yourselves away (from evil)?" Such men will find their home in Hell— What an evil refuge!
- Amatul Rahman Omar
Surely, the angels will ask those whom they cause to die while they were acting unjustly towards themselves (by prolonging their stay in the land of the disbelievers and thus transgressing against their own souls), `What circumstances were you in (that you did not avow Islâm openly)?' They will reply, `We were treated as weak in the country (to express our belief). ' They (- the angels) will say, `Was not Allâh's earth spacious enough for you to have emigrated therein?' It is these whose abode shall be Gehenna and an evil destination it is!
- Ali Quli Qarai
Indeed, those whom the angels take away while they are wronging themselves, they ask, ‘What state were you in?’ They reply, ‘We were abased in the land. ’ They say, ‘Was not Allah’s earth vast enough so that you might migrate in it?’ The refuge of such shall be hell, and it is an evil destination.