9. Surah At-Tawbah, Verse 109
اَفَمَنْ اَسَّسَ بُنْيَانَهُ عَلٰى تَقْوٰى مِنَ اللّٰهِ وَرِضْوَانٍ خَيْرٌ اَمْ مَنْ اَسَّسَ بُنْيَانَهُ عَلٰى شَفَا جُرُفٍ هَارٍ فَانْهَارَ بِه۪ ف۪ي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَۜ وَاللّٰهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِم۪ينَ
Afaman assasa bunyanahu AAalataqwa mina Allahi waridwanin khayrunam man assasa bunyanahu AAala shafa jurufinharin fanhara bihi fee narijahannama wallahu la yahdee alqawma aththalimeen
Who is better: someone who founds his building on taqwa of Allah and His good pleasure, or someone who founds his building on the brink of a crumbling precipice so that it collapses with him into the Fire of Hell? Allah does not love wrongdoers.
- Progressive Muslims
Is one who lays his foundation on obtaining righteousness from God and His acceptance better, or one who lays his foundation on the edge of a cliff which is about to crumble, so that it crumbled with him into the fires of Hell God does not guide the wicked people.
- Shabbir Ahmed
Is he who founded his building on the Secure Way of Allah and His goodly Acceptance better, or he who founded his building on the crumbling cliff of "Shirk" that topples down with him into the fire of Hell? Allah does not intervene to guide a folk who displace right with wrong.
- Sam Gerrans
Is then he who founded his building on prudent fear of God and His approval better, or he who founded his building on the edge of a collapsing cliff, so it collapsed with him into the fire of Gehenna? And God guides not the wrongdoing people.
- The Monotheist Group
Is he who founds his building on obtaining righteousness from God and His acceptance better, or he who founds his building on the edge of a cliff which is about to crumble, so that it crumbled with him into the fires of Hell? And God does not guide the wicked people.
- Edip-Layth
Is one who lays his foundation on obtaining awareness from God and His acceptance better, or one who lays his foundation on the edge of a cliff which is about to crumble, so that it crumbled with him into the fires of hell? God does not guide the wicked people.
- Aisha Bewley
Who is better: someone who founds his building on taqwa of Allah and His good pleasure, or someone who founds his building on the brink of a crumbling precipice so that it collapses with him into the Fire of Hell? Allah does not love wrongdoers.
- Rashad Khalifa
Is one who establishes his building on the basis of reverencing GOD and to gain His approval better, or one who establishes his building on the brink of a crumbling cliff, that falls down with him into the fire of Hell? GOD does not guide the transgressing people.
- Mohamed Ahmed - Samira
Is the man who lays the foundations of his sanctum on his allegiance to God and the wish to seek His favour, better, or he who lays the foundations of his building on the edge of a bank eroded by water, which will collapse with him into the fire of Hell? But God does not guide the people who are wilfully unjust.
- Sahih International
Then is one who laid the foundation of his building on righteousness [with fear] from Allah and [seeking] His approval better or one who laid the foundation of his building on the edge of a bank about to collapse, so it collapsed with him into the fire of Hell? And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.
- Muhammad Asad
Which. then, is the better: he who has founded his building on God-consciousness and [a desire for] His goodly acceptance-or he who has founded his building on the edge of a water-worn, crumbling river-bank, so that it [is bound to] tumble down with him into the fire of hell? For, God does not grace with His guidance people who [deliberately] do wrong:
- Marmaduke Pickthall
Is he who founded his building upon duty to Allah and His good pleasure better; or he who founded his building on the brink of a crumbling, overhanging precipice so that it toppled with him into the fire of hell? Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk.
- Abdel Khalek Himmat
Is he who has built his structure on a foundation of piety and the gratification of Allah better or the one who has built his structure on a foundation of impiety featured by a building founded on an undermined sandcliff which collapses and crumbles away in the fire of Hell! And Allah does not guide to His path of righteousness the wrongful of actions.
- Bijan Moeinian
Is the one who has built his place of worship on the basis of the piety and the Lord’s approval better or the one who establishes his building on the brink of a crumbling cliff, that is going to fall down with him in the Fire of Hell. God indeed does not guide the unjust people.
- Al-Hilali & Khan
Is it then he who laid the foundation of his building on piety to Allâh and His Good Pleasure better, or he who laid the foundation of his building on the brink of an undetermined precipice ready to crumble down, so that it crumbled to pieces with him into the Fire of Hell. And Allâh guides not the people who are the Zâlimûn (cruel, violent, proud, polytheist and wrong-doer).
- Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Which then is best? - he that layeth his foundation on piety to Allah and His good pleasure? - or he that layeth his foundation on an undermined sand-cliff ready to crumble to pieces? and it doth crumble to pieces with him, into the fire of Hell. And Allah guideth not people that do wrong.
- Mustafa Khattab
Which is better: those who laid the foundation of their building on the fear and pleasure of Allah, or those who did so on the edge of a crumbling cliff that tumbled down with them into the Fire of Hell? And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.
- Taqi Usmani
Then tell me, which one is better, whether the one who has founded his building on fear of Allah and on search of His pleasure, or the one who has founded his building on the edge of an abyss that is about to collapse, then it did collapse with him into the fire of Jahannam ? Allah does not give guidance to the unjust people.
- Abdul Haleem
Which is better, the person who founds his building on consciousness of God and desire for His good pleasure, or the person who founds his building on the brink of a crumbling precipice that will tumble down into the Fire of Hell, taking him with it? God does not guide the evildoers:
- Arthur John Arberry
Why, is he better who founded his building upon the fear of God and His good pleasure, or he who founded his building upon the brink of a crumbling bank that has tumbled with him into the fire of Gehenna? And God guides not the people of the evildoers.
- E. Henry Palmer
Is he who has laid his foundation upon the fear of God and of His good-will better, or he who has laid his foundation upon a crumbling wall of sand, which crumbles away with him into the fire of hell?- but God guides not a people who do wrong.
- Hamid S. Aziz
Is he who has laid his foundation upon the fear of (duty to) Allah and of His good pleasure better, or he who has laid his foundation upon a crumbling undermined sand cliff, which crumbles away with him into the fire of hell? Allah guides not a people who do wrong.
- Mahmoud Ghali
So, is he who founded his structure upon piety to Allah and all-blessed Satisfaction more charitable, or he who founded his structure upon the brink of a toppling precipice, (and) so it has toppled down with him in the fire of Hell? And Allah does not guide the unjust people.
- George Sale
Whether therefore is he better, who hath founded his building on the fear of God and his good will; or he who hath founded his building on the brink of a bank of earth which is washed away by waters, so that it falleth with him into the fire of hell? God directeth not the ungodly people.
- Syed Vickar Ahamed
Then, who is best? He (the one) who lays the foundation of his building (home) on devotion to Allah and His Good Pleasure? or he who lays the foundation of his building on a weak sand-hill ready to break to pieces? And it (the mosque) does break to pieces with him, into the fire of Hell. And Allah does not guide people who do wrong.
- Amatul Rahman Omar
Is he, who founded his edifice on taking Allâh as a shield and (on) His good pleasure, better or he who founded his edifice on the brink of a hollowed and crumbling water-worn bank so that it toppled along with him into the Fire of Gehenna? And Allâh guides not the wrong doing people (to the ways of success).
- Ali Quli Qarai
Is he who founds his building on Godwariness and [the pursuit of Allah’s] pleasure better-off or he who founds his building on the brink of a collapsing bank which collapses with him into the fire of hell? And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing lot.