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Muhammad Asad   
AND THEY will ask thee about [the nature of] divine inspiration. Say: "This inspiration [comes] at my Sustainer's behest; and [you cannot understand its nature, O men, since] you have been granted very little of [real] knowledge."
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
They ask you ˹O Prophet˺ about the spirit. Say, “Its nature is known only to my Lord, and you ˹O humanity˺ have been given but little knowledge.”
Safi Kaskas   
And they will ask you about the spirit. Say, "The spirit is within my Lord's domain, and you have been given but little knowledge

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
وَیَسۡءَلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلرُّوحِۖ قُلِ ٱلرُّوحُ مِنۡ أَمۡرِ رَبِّی وَمَاۤ أُوتِیتُم مِّنَ ٱلۡعِلۡمِ إِلَّا قَلِیلࣰا ۝٨٥
Transliteration (2021)   
wayasalūnaka ʿani l-rūḥi quli l-rūḥu min amri rabbī wamā ūtītum mina l-ʿil'mi illā qalīla
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
And they ask you concerning the soul. Say, "The soul (is) of (the) affair (of) my Lord. And not you have been given of the knowledge except a little."

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
AND THEY will ask thee about [the nature of] divine inspiration. Say: "This inspiration [comes] at my Sustainer's behest; and [you cannot understand its nature, O men, since] you have been granted very little of [real] knowledge."
M. M. Pickthall   
They are asking thee concerning the Spirit. Say: The Spirit is by command of my Lord, and of knowledge ye have been vouchsafed but little
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
They ask thee concerning the Spirit (of inspiration). Say: "The Spirit (cometh) by command of my Lord: of knowledge it is only a little that is communicated to you, (O men!)"
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
They ask you ˹O Prophet˺ about the spirit. Say, “Its nature is known only to my Lord, and you ˹O humanity˺ have been given but little knowledge.”
Safi Kaskas   
And they will ask you about the spirit. Say, "The spirit is within my Lord's domain, and you have been given but little knowledge
Wahiduddin Khan   
They question you about the Spirit. Say, The Spirit is at my Lords command, and you have been granted but little knowledge
Shakir   
And they ask you about the soul. Say: The soul is one of the commands of my Lord, and you are not given aught of knowledge but a little
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
And they will ask thee about the spirit. Say: The spirit is of the command of my Lord. And you were not given the knowledge but a little.
T.B.Irving   
They will ask you about the Spirit. SAY: "The Spirit [operates] at my Lord´s command, while you have been given only a smattering of knowledge."
Abdul Hye   
And they ask you (O Muhammad) about the soul (spirit). Say: “The soul is one of the commands of my Lord and you have not been given the knowledge of it but a little.”
The Study Quran   
They ask thee about the Spirit. Say, “The Spirit is from the Command of my Lord, and you have not been given knowledge, save a little.
Talal Itani & AI (2024)   
They ask you about the spirit. Respond, “The spirit is by the command of my Lord, and you’ve been given only a little knowledge.”
Talal Itani (2012)   
And they ask you about the Spirit. Say, 'The Spirit belongs to the domain of my Lord; and you were given only little knowledge.'
Dr. Kamal Omar   
And they ask you concerning Ar-Ruh (‘The Spirit’). Say: “Ar-Ruh is something out of the order and ordainment of my Nourisher-Sustainer. And you have not been given out of knowledge, but very little.
M. Farook Malik   
They put you questions about Ar-Ruh (the Spirit). Tell them: "The Spirit is at my Lord’s command and I am not given any knowledge of it but a little."
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
And they ask you about the Spirit. Say, "The Spirit is of the Command of my Lord; and in no way have you been brought of knowledge except a little."
Muhammad Sarwar   
They ask you about the Spirit. Say, "The Spirit comes by the command of my Lord. You have been given very little knowledge
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
And they ask you about the soul. Say, .The soul is something from the command of my Lord, and you are not given from the knowledge but a little
Shabbir Ahmed   
(O Messenger) They ask you about the (Spirit, the Soul), the Revelation. Tell them, "Revelation is from your Lord's World of Command, of which you have been given little knowledge." The Spirit is the Divine Energy, something from which has been given to humans in the form of free will. The Soul is your "Self"
Dr. Munir Munshey   
They ask your opinion about the ´Rooh´ (the soul)! Say, "The ´Rooh´ (the soul) is by the command of your Lord. The knowledge imparted to you is just so scanty!"
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
And they ask you about the Spirit; Say: "The Spirit (comes) by the command of my Lord: Of the knowledge, it is only a little that is made known to you,"
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about the soul. Say, "The soul is of the affair of my Lord. And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little."
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
And they ask you concerning the Spirit. Say: "The Spirit is from the command on my Lord, and the knowledge you were given was but very little."
Abdel Haleem   
[Prophet], they ask you about the Spirit. Say, ‘The Spirit is part of my Lord’s domain. You have only been given a little knowledge.’
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
And they ask thee regarding the spirit, Say thou: the spirit is by the command of my Lord, and ye have not been vouchsafed of knowledge save a little
Ahmed Ali   
They ask you about revelation. Say, revelation is by the command of your Lord, and that you have been given but little knowledge
Aisha Bewley   
They will ask you about the Ruh. Say: ´The Ruh is my Lord´s concern. You have only been given a little knowledge.´
Ali Ünal   
They ask you about the spirit. Say: "The spirit is of my Lord’s Command, and of knowledge, you have been granted only a little."
Ali Quli Qara'i   
They question you concerning the Spirit. Say, ‘The Spirit is of the command of my Lord, and you have not been given of the knowledge except a few [of you].&rsquo
Hamid S. Aziz   
They will ask you about the Spirit. Say, "The Spirit is (or comes) by the command of my Lord, and you are given but a little knowledge (or control) thereof."
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
And they ask you about the spirit (of revelation), say: “The spirit (of revelation) is my Lord’s affair, and you are only given a little knowledge.”
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
They ask you concerning the Spirit. Say, “The Spirit comes by command of my Lord. Of knowledge, there is only a little that is communicated to you.
Musharraf Hussain   
They ask you about the soul; say: “The soul is my Lord’s command, and you have been given little knowledge about it.”
Maududi   
They ask you about "the spirit". Say: "The spirit descends by the command of my Lord, but you have been given only a little knowledge."
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
And they ask you concerning the Spirit. Say: "The Spirit is from the authority of my Lord; and the knowledge you were given was but very little."
Mohammad Shafi   
And they ask you about the soul. Say, "The soul is one of the commands of my Lord. And you are not given knowledge but a little thereof."

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
And they ask you about the spirit. Say, 'The spirit is a thing by the command of my Lord and you did not receive knowledge but a little.
Rashad Khalifa   
They ask you about the revelation. Say, "The revelation comes from my Lord. The knowledge given to you is minute."
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
They question you about the spirit. Say: 'The spirit is from the command of my Lord. Except for a little knowledge you have been given nothing.
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
And they ask thee about the revelation. Say: The revelation is by the commandment of my Lord, and of knowledge you are given but a little
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
And they ask/question you about the Soul/Spirit , say: "The Soul/Spirit (is) from my Lord's matter/affair, and you were not given from the knowledge except little ."
Bijan Moeinian   
They ask you about the nature of the spirit. Reply: “Only God knows about it and he will not let you more than a little bit about this subject.”
Faridul Haque   
They ask you concerning the soul; proclaim "The soul is an entity by the command of my Lord, and you have not received knowledge except a little."
Sher Ali   
And they ask thee concerning the soul. Say, `The soul has been created by the command of my Lord; and of the knowledge thereof you have been given but a little
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
And they (the disbelievers) ask you about the spirit. Say: ‘The spirit is from my Lord’s command, and you have been given but a very little knowledge.
Amatul Rahman Omar   
And they question you about the revelation, and the human soul. say, `The revelation and the soul is by the command of my Lord, (because) little is the knowledge there of that you have been given.
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
And they ask you (O Muhammad SAW) concerning the Rooh (the Spirit); Say: "The Rooh (the Spirit): it is one of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my Lord. And of knowledge, you (mankind) have been given only a little."

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
They will question thee concerning the Spirit. Say: 'The Spirit is of the bidding of my Lord. You have been given of knowledge nothing except a little.
George Sale   
They will ask thee concerning the spirit: Answer, the spirit was created at the command of my Lord: But ye have no knowledge given unto you, except a little
Edward Henry Palmer   
They will ask thee of the spirit. Say, 'The spirit comes at the bidding of my Lord, and ye are given but a little knowledge thereof.
John Medows Rodwell   
And they will ask thee of the Spirit. SAY: The Spirit proceedeth at my Lord's command: but of knowledge, only a little to you is given
N J Dawood (2014)   
And they put questions to you about the Spirit. Say: ‘The Spirit is at my Lord‘s command. Little indeed is the knowledge vouchsafed to you.‘

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame   
And they ask you about the spirit, say, “The spirit is from the commandment of my Lord and you are not given from the knowledge except a little
Munir Mezyed   
They ask you about the Spirit say: ‘The Spirit is one of the commands of my Lord. And of knowledge you are not given aught but a little’.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
And they ask you about the Spirit. Say: the Spirit is from the command of my Lord and you were only given very little knowledge.
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
They ask you [Prophet Muhammed] about the Spirit. Tell them, “The Spirit is commanded by my Lord. Only a little knowledge is communicated to you.”
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
And they ask yousg about the Spirit; say, “The Spirit is by the command of my Lord, and youpl were not given of knowledge but little.”
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
They will ask you about the Spirit. SAY: "The Spirit [operates] at my Lord's command, while you have been given only a smattering of knowledge."
Samy Mahdy   
And they ask you about the Spirit. Say, “The Spirit is from my Lord’s command; and you were not given from the knowledge except a little.”
Sayyid Qutb   
They question you about the spirit. Say, 'The [knowledge of the nature of the] spirit belongs to my Lord alone. You, [mankind], have been granted but little knowledge.'
Ahmed Hulusi   
And they (the Jews) ask you, (O Muhammad) about the spirit. Say, “The spirit is from the command (amr; the manifestation of the Names) of my Rabb. And you have been given little of this knowledge (this answer is for the Jews who asked this question).”
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli   
And they ask you about the spirit, say: 'The spirit is of the command of my Lord, and you are not given of the knowledge but a little'.
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
And they ask you O Muhammad about the spirit
Mir Aneesuddin   
And they ask you about the Spirit (Ruh), say, “The Spirit (comes) with the command of my Fosterer$, and you have been given little knowledge,”(therefore you cannot understand everything). $ Or, the Sprit is from one of the affairs of my Fosterer.

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
They ask thee concerning the Spirit (of inspiration). Say: "The Spirit (cometh) by command of my Lord: of knowledge it is only a little that is communicated to you, (O men!)"
OLD Literal Word for Word   
And they ask you concerning the soul. Say, "The soul (is) of (the) affair (of) my Lord. And not you have been given of the knowledge except a little.
OLD Transliteration   
Wayas-aloonaka AAani alrroohi quli alrroohu min amri rabbee wama ooteetum mina alAAilmi illa qaleelan