Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
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| Muhammad Asad | | [To this end,] God sets forth a parable: A man who has for his masters several partners, [all of them] at variance with one another, and a man depending wholly on one person: can these two be deemed equal as regards their condition? [Nay,] all praise is due to God [alone]: but most of them do not understand this |  |
M. M. Pickthall | | Allah coineth a similitude: A man in relation to whom are several part-owners, quarrelling, and a man belonging wholly to one man. Are the two equal in similitude? Praise be to Allah! But most of them know not | |
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985) | | Allah puts forth a Parable a man belonging to many partners at variance with each other, and a man belonging entirely to one master: are those two equal in comparison? Praise be to Allah! but most of them have no knowledge | |
Shakir | | Allah sets forth an example: There is a slave in whom are (several) partners differing with one another, and there is another slave wholly owned by one man. Are the two alike in condition? (All) praise is due to Allah. Nay! most of them do not know | |
Wahiduddin Khan | | God sets forth a parable: there are two menone belonging to many masters, all disagreeing with one another, and the other belonging entirely to one master: are those two equal in comparison? Praise be to God! But most of them have no knowledge | |
| Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar | | God propounded a parable of a man owned by quarreling ascribed associates and a man belonging to another man. Are they both equal in likeness? The Praise belongs to God. But most of them know not. | |
| T.B.Irving | | God has compared one man who has quarrelsome partners with another man dealing peacefully with [still another] man. Are either of them comparable? Praise be to God! Yet most of them do not realize it. | |
| The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab | | Allah sets forth the parable of a slave owned by several quarrelsome masters, and a slave owned by only one master. Are they equal in condition? Praise be to Allah! In fact, most of them do not know. | |
| Safi Kaskas | | [To this end], God presents an example: [consider] a man owned by quarreling partners, and another [who is] devoted exclusively to one master, are they considered equal in status? All praise be to God! But most of them do not know. | |
| Abdul Hye | | Allah puts forth an example: a captive belongs to many partners disputing with one another (like one who believes in many false deities), and a captive belongs entirely to one master (like one believes in one Allah). Are these 2 equal in comparison? All the praise be to Allah! But most of them don’t know. | |
| The Study Quran | | God sets forth a parable: a man in whom quarreling partners share, and a man belonging to one man: are the two equal in likeness? Praise be to God! Nay, but most of them know not | |
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition) | | God cites the example of a man who has partners that dispute with each other, and a man who has given to dealing with only one man. Are they the same Praise be to God; most of them do not know | |
Abdel Haleem | | God puts forward this illustration: can a man who has for his masters several partners at odds with each other be considered equal to a man devoted wholly to one master? All praise belongs to God, though most of them do not know | |
Abdul Majid Daryabadi | | Allah propoundeth a similitude: man having several partners,"quarelling, and a man wholly belonging to one man. Are the two equal in likeness? All praise Unto Allah. But most of them know not | |
Ahmed Ali | | God advances the example of a man who is owned (as slave in common) by a number of men at loggerheads, and another man who is owned by only one. Are these two alike in attribute? God be praised; yet many of them do not know | |
Aisha Bewley | | Allah has made a metaphor for them of a man owned by several partners in dispute with one another and another man wholly owned by a single man. Are they the same? Praise be to Allah! The fact is that most of them do not know. | |
Ali Ünal | | God strikes a parable: a man in (the employment of) many partners who continuously dispute with one another, and another man employed by one person: are those two equal in likeness? All praise and gratitude are for God (the only Sovereign Lord of the creation). But most people have no knowledge (of the meaning of this truth) | |
Ali Quli Qara'i | | Allah draws an example: a man jointly owned by several contending masters, and a man belonging entirely to one man: are the two equal in comparison? All praise belongs to Allah! But most of them do not know | |
Hamid S. Aziz | | Allah sets forth a similitude: There is a slave who belongs to several partners, differing (or quarrelling) with one another, and there is another slave wholly owned by one man. Are the two alike in condition? (All) praise is due to Allah. Nay! most of t | |
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali | | Allah has struck a smilitude: a man in whom associates are at variance with each other, and a man wholly submissive to (one) man. Are the two equal (in likeness)? Praise be to Allah; no indeed, (but) most of them do not know | |
Muhammad Sarwar | | God tells a parable in which there is a company of quarrelsome people and only one of them is well disciplined. Can they be considered as equal? It is only God who deserves all praise. In fact, most of them do not know | |
Muhammad Taqi Usmani | | Allah has given an example: There is a man (enslaved and) owned by some partners having rivalry with each other, and (on the other hand,) there is a man solely owned by a single man. Can they be equal in comparison? Praise be to Allah! (The truth stands established). But, most of them do not know | |
Shabbir Ahmed | | Allah gives you another example: There is a man who deals with several disputing supervisors, compared to a man who deals with only one consistent supervisor. Are these two equal as regards their condition? All Praise is due to Allah (the One Master of all mankind!) Nay, but most of them know not (the Bliss of strict Monotheism (12:39)) | |
Syed Vickar Ahamed | | Allah puts forth a parable (the story with meaning and guidance in it)— A slave belonging to many different partners, (false gods) disputing with one another and a slave belonging only to one master : Are those two equal in comparison? All the Praises (and thanks) be to Allah! But most of them do not know | |
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International) | | Allah presents an example: a slave owned by quarreling partners and another belonging exclusively to one man - are they equal in comparison? Praise be to Allah ! But most of them do not know | |
Farook Malik | | Allah cites you a parable - there is a slave man who is shared by many masters, each pulling this man to himself (like the man who worships other deities along with Allah), and there is another slave man who belongs entirely to one master (like the man who worships Allah Alone)- are the two alike in comparison? Praise be to Allah! But most of them do not know | |
| Dr. Munir Munshey | | Allah quotes an example. (There are two slaves), one belongs to many partners pitted against each other, while the other belongs entirely to one master. Can these two men fare equally? All praise is for Allah! But most people do not realize | |
| Dr. Kamal Omar | | Allah did bring a parable: a man, in him are share-holders, those who have disputes among themselves (and do not agree on a joint or uniform approach); and (on the other side is) a man completely subservient for one person (alone). Are they both equal when a parable is brought (to explain their position)? Selective Praise suits Allah (Alone). Nay, majority of them do not know | |
| Talal A. Itani (new translation) | | God cites the example of a man shared by partners at odds, and a man belonging exclusively to one man. Are they equal in status? Praise be to God, but most of them do not know | |
Maududi | | Allah propounds a parable: there is a man whose ownership is shared by several quarrelsome masters, each pulling him to himself; and there is another who is exclusively owned by one man. Can the two be alike? All praise and thanks be to Allah. But most of them are unaware | |
| Ali Bakhtiari Nejad | | God gave an example of a man belonging to quarreling partners and a man fully belonging to a man. Are the two examples equal? All praise belongs to God. No, but most of them do not know | |
| A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018) | | God puts forth a parable of a person belonging to many partners at odds with each other, and a person belonging entirely to one man. Are those two equal in comparison? Praise God, but most of them do not understand | |
| Musharraf Hussain | | Allah gives this example: can a servant devoted to many masters who are at odds with each other be the same as the one who is devoted to only one master? All the praises belong to Allah! Unfortunately, majority don’t know | |
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition) | | God puts forth the example of a man who has partners that dispute with each other, and a man who has given to dealing with only one man. Are they the same? Praise be to God; most of them do not know. | |
| Mohammad Shafi | | Allah quotes an example: a man shared by several contending masters, and another submitting to one man. Can the two be alike? All praise to Allah! But most of them know not | |
Controversial, deprecated, or status undetermined works
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Bijan Moeinian | | God hereby cites the following example: “Is the one who is pulled by contradictory orders in peace or the one who receives only consistent order from one source?” [In other words, who is more rational in discussion? the one who refers to contradicting sources or the one who uses nonambiguous Qur’an as his source of reference?]. Praise be to God. What a pity that most of them do not get it | |
| Faridul Haque | | Allah illustrates an example - “A man having several wicked masters as partners, and another man belonging wholly to just one master; are the two equal in comparison?” All praise is to Allah; in fact, most among them do not know | |
| Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah | | Allah has struck an example of a man shared by disagreeing partners, and a man who is owned by just one man, are the two equally alike? Praise belongs toAllah, but most of them do not know | |
Maulana Muhammad Ali | | Allah sets forth a parable: A man belonging to partners differing with one another, and a man (devoted) wholly to one man. Are the two alike in condition? Praise be to Allah! Nay, most of them know not | |
| Muhammad Ahmed - Samira | | God gave an example/proverb (of) a man, adversaries/ill-mannered/quarrelsome partners (subject of controversy is) in him, (and) a man peaceful/secure/without blemish , to a man, do they (B) become equal/alike (in) an example/proverb? The praise/gratitude (is) to God, but most of them do not know | |
Sher Ali | | ALLAH sets forth a parable - a man belonging to several partners, who disagree with one another, and a man belonging wholly to one man. Are the two equal in condition? All praise belongs to ALLAH. But most of them know not | |
Rashad Khalifa | | GOD cites the example of a man who deals with disputing partners (Hadith), compared to a man who deals with only one consistent source (Quran). Are they the same? Praise be to GOD; most of them do not know. | |
| Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi) | | Allah sets an example, a servant belonging to several rude masters and one belonging solely to one master. Are they both equal in condition? All praise to Allah, but most of them know not. | |
Amatul Rahman Omar | | Allah describes the condition of a man belonging to several partners contending with one another; and (there is) another man devoted wholly to one person. Are the two alike in condition? (No how can they be?) All true and perfect praise belongs to Allah. But most of them do not know (this truth) | |
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri | | Allah has given an example of such a (slave) person that is owned by many partners who are ill-mannered and mutually quarrelsome as well. And (on the other side) there is a person who is a slave only to one master. Can they both be alike? (Not at all!) All praise belongs to Allah alone. But most of them do not know (the truth of the Oneness of Allah) | |
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali | | Allah puts forth a similitude: a (slave) man belonging to many partners (like those who worship others along with Allah) disputing with one another, and a (slave) man belonging entirely to one master, (like those who worship Allah Alone). Are those two equal in comparison? All the praises and thanks be to Allah! But most of them know not | |
