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Muhammad Asad   
But their attaining to faith after they had beheld Our punishment could not possibly benefit them such being the way of God that has always obtained for His creatures -: and so, then and there, lost were they who had denied the truth
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
But their faith was of no benefit to them when they saw Our torment. This has ˹always˺ been Allah’s way ˹of dealing˺ with His ˹wicked˺ servants. Then and there the disbelievers were in ˹total˺ loss.
Safi Kaskas   
But believing after seeing Our might did not help them at all. This has been God's way of dealing with His worshipers, and those who denied the truth were lost, then and there.

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
فَلَمۡ یَكُ یَنفَعُهُمۡ إِیمَـٰنُهُمۡ لَمَّا رَأَوۡا۟ بَأۡسَنَاۖ سُنَّتَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّتِی قَدۡ خَلَتۡ فِی عِبَادِهِۦۖ وَخَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرُونَ ۝٨٥
Transliteration (2021)   
falam yaku yanfaʿuhum īmānuhum lammā ra-aw basanā sunnata l-lahi allatī qad khalat fī ʿibādihi wakhasira hunālika l-kāfirūn
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
But not did benefit them their faith when they saw Our punishment. (Such is the) Way (of) Allah which (has) indeed preceded among His slaves. And are lost there the disbelievers.

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
But their attaining to faith after they had beheld Our punishment could not possibly benefit them such being the way of God that has always obtained for His creatures -: and so, then and there, lost were they who had denied the truth
M. M. Pickthall   
But their faith could not avail them when they saw Our doom. This is Allah's law which hath ever taken course for His bondmen. And then the disbelievers will be ruined
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
But their professing the Faith when they (actually) saw Our Punishment was not going to profit them. (Such has been) Allah's Way of dealing with His Servants (from the most ancient times). And even thus did the Rejecters of Allah perish (utterly)
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
But their faith was of no benefit to them when they saw Our torment. This has ˹always˺ been Allah’s way ˹of dealing˺ with His ˹wicked˺ servants. Then and there the disbelievers were in ˹total˺ loss.
Safi Kaskas   
But believing after seeing Our might did not help them at all. This has been God's way of dealing with His worshipers, and those who denied the truth were lost, then and there.
Wahiduddin Khan   
but believing after seeing Our punishment did not benefit them at all: this is the law of God to deal with His creatures, and thus the disbelievers were the losers
Shakir   
But their belief was not going to profit them when they had seen Our punishment; (this is) Allah's law, which has indeed obtained in the matter of His servants, and there the unbelievers are lost
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
But their belief be not what profits them once they saw Our might. This is a custom of God which was, surely, in force among His servants. And lost here are the ones who are ungrateful.
T.B.Irving   
Their [sudden] faith did not benefit them once they saw Our might; [such is] God´s practice which He has already used with His servants. The disbelievers lost out right there!
Abdul Hye   
But their faith (in Islam) could not avail them when they saw Our punishment. Such was the Way of Allah which were established in (dealing with) His servants. Thus the disbelievers were lost.
The Study Quran   
But their believing benefited them not when they saw Our Might. [That is] the wont of God which has passed among His servants; and the disbelievers were then lost
Talal Itani & AI (2024)   
But their faith didn’t benefit them when they saw Our punishment. Such has been the established way of God with His beings. And there, the unbelievers lost utterly.
Talal Itani (2012)   
But their faith could not help them once they witnessed Our might. This has been God's way of dealing with His servants. And there and then the disbelievers lost
Dr. Kamal Omar   
Then (at such a stage) does not become their faith that it will give them (any) benefit when they have already sensed Our torment. This is the Sunnah of Allah which has definitely functioned amongst His Ibad. And then and there the disbelievers lost utterly
M. Farook Malik   
But after seeing Our scourge, their professing the faith (Islam) was of no use to them; such was the practice of Allah in dealing with His servants in the past, and thus the disbelievers were lost
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
Yet their belief did not in the least profit them as soon as they saw Our violence, the enactment of Allah, which has passed on His bondmen; and there over the disbelievers los
Muhammad Sarwar   
Their faith proved to be of no benefit to them when they became subject to Our torment. Such was God's prevailing tradition among His servants in the past. Thus were the unbelievers destroyed
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
But, their profession of faith was not (competent) to benefit them, once they had seen Our punishment – a customary practice of Allah that has been there all along in the matter of His servants – and hence, the disbelievers became the losers
Shabbir Ahmed   
But their proclamation of Faith could not help them, once they saw Our Blow. This is the Law of Allah that has always applied to His servants. And so, there and then, lost were the rejecters of the changeless Divine Laws
Dr. Munir Munshey   
But their belief conferred no benefits upon them at all, (because they accepted only) after having witnessed Our (power and) punishment. (Such is) the established practice of Allah. It has always been in effect for all His servants. At that time, the unbelievers suffered a (total) loss
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
Then their accepting the Faith after they (actually) saw Our Punishment was not going to help them. (Such has been) Allah’s Way of dealing with His servants, (from the oldest of times). And the rejecters of Allah were (totally) destroyed (in the Punishment)
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
But never did their faith benefit them once they saw Our punishment. [It is] the established way of Allah which has preceded among His servants. And the disbelievers thereupon lost [all]
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
But their belief could not help them once they saw Our might. Such is God's way that has been established with His servants. And the rejecters were then totally in loss
Abdel Haleem   
but believing after seeing Our punishment did not benefit them at all- this has always been God’s way of dealing with His creatures- there and then the disbelievers were lost
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
But their belief profited them naught when they saw our prowess. This hath been Allah's dispensation that hath- been in regard to His bondmen. And then there were lost the infidels
Ahmed Ali   
But then their affirming served them nothing after they had seen Our torment. This is the law of God that has prevailed among His creatures, Then the unbelievers went to rack and ruin
Aisha Bewley   
But when they saw Our violent force their iman was of no use to them. That is the pattern Allah has always followed with His slaves. Then and there the kafirun were lost.
Ali Ünal   
But their faith when they actually saw Our mighty punishment could not avail them: (that is) God’s way (of dealing with humankind, a way) which has always been in effect for His servants. And so the unbelievers have lost altogether
Ali Quli Qara'i   
But their faith was of no benefit to them when they sighted Our punishment —Allah’s precedent which has passed among His servants, and it is thence that the faithless will be losers
Hamid S. Aziz   
But their belief could not avail them when they had seen Our punishment; this is Allah´s law, which has indeed held true for His servants, and then the disbelievers perished (or were ruined)
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
But their belief did not benefit them when they saw Our punishment, (this is) God’s way that has passed among His servants, and there the disbelievers (realize they have) lost.rciful.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
But their professing the faith when they saw Our punishment was not going to profit them. Such has been God's way of dealing with His servants from the most ancient of times, and lost were the rejecters
Musharraf Hussain   
Their belief won’t benefit them now, since they have seen Our punishment. This was the Way of Allah among His servants in the past, the disbelievers will be utter losers there
Maududi   
But their believing after they had seen Our chastisement did not avail them. That has been Allah´s Way concerning His servants. And the unbelievers courted utter loss, then and there
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
But their belief could not help them once they saw Our might; such is the way of God that has been established for His servants; and the rejecters were then totally in loss
Mohammad Shafi   
But their believing after seeing the severity of our punishment will be of no avail to them. This has always been Allah's law for His subjects. And then the suppressors of Truth will be doomed

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
But their belief was of no use to them when they had seen Our torment. This is Allah's law, which has been in regard to His bondmen. And the infidels remained in loss there.
Rashad Khalifa   
Their belief then could not help them in the least, once they saw our retribution. Such is GOD's system that has been established to deal with His creatures; the disbelievers are always doomed.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
But when they saw Our Might their belief did not benefit them! It is the way of Allah that has passed concerning His worshipers. There, the unbelievers shall be lost
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
But their faith could not profit them when they saw Our punishment. Such is Allah’s law, which ever takes its course in the matter of His servants; and there the disbelievers are lost
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
So their belief did not be beneficial (to) them when they saw/understood Our might/power , God's law/manner which had past in His worshippers/slaves , and the disbelievers lost at that place and time
Bijan Moeinian   
But the belief or the repentance after the inevitable [death or punishment of God] is not acceptable. The fact of the matter is: “The disbelievers are always doomed.”
Faridul Haque   
So their accepting of faith did not benefit them when they saw Our punishment; the tradition of Allah which has passed among His bondmen; and there were the disbelievers ruined
Sher Ali   
But their faith could not profit them when they saw Our punishment. This is ALLAH's law that has ever been in operation in respect of HIS servants. And thus perished those who disbelieved
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
Then their acceptance of faith could not profit them at all whilst they had seen Our torment. That is Allah’s way which has always been in practice in respect of His servants, and the disbelievers always suffered heavy loss at this juncture
Amatul Rahman Omar   
But their belief was of little use to them when they have (actually) seen Our calamity. Such is the law of Allah that has ever been in vogue in respect of His servants. It is at such times that the disbelievers suffer a loss (and are reminded)
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
Then their Faith (in Islamic Monotheism) could not avail them when they saw Our punishment. (Like) this has been the way of Allah in dealing with His slaves. And there the disbelievers lost utterly (when Our Torment covered them)

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
But their belief when they saw Our might did not profit them -- the wont of God, as in the past, touching His servants; then the unbelievers shall be lost
George Sale   
But their faith availed them not, after they had beholden our vengeance. This was the ordinance of God, which was formerly observed in respect to his servants: And then did the unbelievers perish
Edward Henry Palmer   
But their faith was of no avail to them when they saw our violence - the course of God with His servants in time past, and there the misbelievers lose
John Medows Rodwell   
But their faith, after they had witnessed our vengeance, profited them not. Such the procedure of God with regard to his servants who flourished of old. And then the unbelievers perished
N J Dawood (2014)   
But their new faith was of no avail to them, when they beheld Our might: such being the way of God with His creatures; and there and then the unbelievers lost

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame   
But their faith was not to benefit them after they saw Our fury. [It is] Allah’s way which has passed among His slaves and there at the disbelievers came to loss.
Munir Mezyed   
But their Faith was of no avail to them when they saw Our punishment. This is the (divine) law of Allâh, which has been established to deal with His servants. And it is thence that those who had no tendency to live by Faith will be doomed to perdition.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
But their belief did not benefit them when they saw Our affliction. This is the custom of Allah which already came to pass amongst His servants, and those who reject (the truth) were the losers by then.
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
However, their professing faith when they saw Our punishment did not profit them. That is Allah’s way of treating His servants, and the rejecters of Allah perished.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
But their faith could not help them once they witnessed Our chastisement; such has been Allah’s rule in (dealing with) His servants, and there and then did the deniers lose.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
Their [sudden] faith did not benefit them once they saw Our might; [such is] Allah (God)'s practice which He has already used with His servants. The disbelievers lost out right there!
Samy Mahdy   
So, it was not benefiting them, their faith when they saw Our adversity. Allah’s route (Sunnah) which has passed away in His slaves. And lost thereupon the infidels.
Ahmed Hulusi   
But the faith they developed after seeing Our rage did not benefit them! This is the sunnatullah of Allah established upon His servants for ages! Thereupon those who denied the knowledge of the reality are in loss!
Mir Aneesuddin   
But their belief was of no benefit to them after they had seen Our punishment. This was the procedure of Allah which has passed among His servants ( in earlier generations too ) and there the infidels lost.
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
But their submission to Allah, then and their acknowledgment of His Godhead when they saw His severe punishment befalling them precluded forgiveness; a mode of action adopted by Allah and has long been pursued. The loss, then, falls on those who deny Him

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
But their professing the Faith when they (actually) saw Our Punishment was not going to profit them. (Such has been) God's Way of dealing with His Servants (from the most ancient times). And even thus did the Rejecters of God perish (utterly)
OLD Literal Word for Word   
But did not benefit them their faith when they saw Our punishment. (Such is the) Way (of) Allah which (has) indeed preceded among His slaves. And are lost there the disbelievers
OLD Transliteration   
Falam yaku yanfaAAuhum eemanuhum lamma raaw ba/sana sunnata Allahi allatee qad khalat fee AAibadihi wakhasira hunalika alkafiroona