←Prev   Ayah az-Zukhruf (Ornaments of Gold, Luxury, The Embellishment) 43:23   Next→ 

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Muhammad Asad   
And thus it is: whenever We sent, before thy time, a warner to any community, those of its people who had lost themselves entirely in the pursuit of pleasures would always say, “Behold, we found our forefathers agreed on what to believe - and, verily, it is but in their footsteps that we follow!”
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
Similarly, whenever We sent a warner to a society before you ˹O Prophet˺, its ˹spoiled˺ elite would say, “We found our forefathers following a ˹particular˺ way, and we are walking in their footsteps.”
Safi Kaskas   
Similarly, every time We sent someone before you to a town to warn them, those corrupted by abundance would say, "We found our fathers following this path, and we are following in their footsteps."

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
وَكَذَ ٰلِكَ مَاۤ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مِن قَبۡلِكَ فِی قَرۡیَةࣲ مِّن نَّذِیرٍ إِلَّا قَالَ مُتۡرَفُوهَاۤ إِنَّا وَجَدۡنَاۤ ءَابَاۤءَنَا عَلَىٰۤ أُمَّةࣲ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰۤ ءَاثَـٰرِهِم مُّقۡتَدُونَ ۝٢٣
Transliteration (2021)   
wakadhālika mā arsalnā min qablika fī qaryatin min nadhīrin illā qāla mut'rafūhā innā wajadnā ābāanā ʿalā ummatin wa-innā ʿalā āthārihim muq'tadūn
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
And thus not We sent from before you in a town any warner except said (the) wealthy ones of it, "Indeed, we [we] found our forefathers on a religion, and indeed, we [on] their footsteps (are) following."

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
And thus it is: whenever We sent, before thy time, a warner to any community, those of its people who had lost themselves entirely in the pursuit of pleasures would always say, “Behold, we found our forefathers agreed on what to believe - and, verily, it is but in their footsteps that we follow!”
M. M. Pickthall   
And even so We sent not a warner before thee (Muhammad) into any township but its luxurious ones said: Lo! we found our fathers following a religion, and we are following their footprints
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
Just in the same way, whenever We sent a Warner before thee to any people, the wealthy ones among them said: "We found our fathers following a certain religion, and we will certainly follow in their footsteps."
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
Similarly, whenever We sent a warner to a society before you ˹O Prophet˺, its ˹spoiled˺ elite would say, “We found our forefathers following a ˹particular˺ way, and we are walking in their footsteps.”
Safi Kaskas   
Similarly, every time We sent someone before you to a town to warn them, those corrupted by abundance would say, "We found our fathers following this path, and we are following in their footsteps."
Wahiduddin Khan   
Whenever We sent a messenger before you to warn a township, the affluent among them said, in the same way, We saw our fathers following this tradition; we are only following in their footsteps
Shakir   
And thus, We did not send before you any warner in a town, but those who led easy lives in it said: Surely we found our fathers on a course, and surely we are followers of their footsteps
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
And, thus, We sent not a warner to any town before thee without ones who are given ease saying: We found our fathers in a community. We are, certainly, ones who imitate their footsteps.
T.B.Irving   
Just the same We have not sent any warner into a town previous to you unless its highlivers said: "We found our forefathers with such a community, and are merely being led. along their tracks."
Abdul Hye   
And similarly, whenever We sent a Warner before you (O Muhammad) to any town (people), its luxurious people among them said: “We found our forefathers following on a certain way and religion, and we are indeed following their footsteps.”
The Study Quran   
Likewise, We sent no warner unto a town before thee, but that those living in luxury therein said, “We found our fathers upon a creed, and we are surely following in their footsteps.
Talal Itani & AI (2024)   
Likewise, whenever We sent a warner before you to any city, its affluent inhabitants said, “We found our forefathers following a path, and we are following in their footsteps.”
Talal Itani (2012)   
Likewise, We sent no warner before you to any town, but the wealthy among them said, 'We found our parents on a course, and we are following in their footsteps.'
Dr. Kamal Omar   
And similarly, We did not send before you a warner to (any) habitation but its rich-class of people said: “Surely we, we found our fore-fathers with a concept, and truly we are those who move along their foot-steps.”
M. Farook Malik   
Even so, whenever We sent a Warner before you to forewarn a nation, its affluent people said: "We found our forefathers practicing this faith and surely we are going to follow their footsteps."
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
And thus in no way did We send even before you any warner into a town, except that its (population) living in ease and luxury said, "Surely we found our fathers upon a course (Literally: a nation; a community; following a leadership pr a religion) and surely we are emulating (them) upon their tracks."
Muhammad Sarwar   
In the same way, whenever We had sent a Messenger before you to warn a town, the rich ones therein said, "We found our fathers following a certain belief and we follow in their footsteps
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
Similarly, We did not send a warner to a town before you, but its affluent people said, .We have found our fathers on a certain way, and we are following their footprints
Shabbir Ahmed   
Thus it is. Whenever We sent, before you, a Warner to a community, its luxurious ones said, "Behold, We found our fathers following a certain religion, and we are following their footprints."
Dr. Munir Munshey   
Prior to you, the same thing happened to every single town where We sent a warner. The leaders, those living in ease and affluence, said the same thing, "We found our forefathers practicing a certain way (of life), and now we are emulating their example."
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
And just the same way, whenever We sent a warner before you to any people, the wealthy ones among them said: "We found our fathers following a certain way and religion, and we will certainly follow their footsteps."
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
And similarly, We did not send before you any warner into a city except that its affluent said, "Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are, in their footsteps, following."
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
And similarly, We did not send a warner to a town, except its carefree ones said: "We found our fathers following a certain way, and we are being guided in their footsteps."
Abdel Haleem   
When-ever We sent a messenger before you to warn a township, those corrupted by wealth said, in the same way, ‘We saw our fathers following this tradition; we are only following in their footsteps.’
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
And in this wise We sent not before thee into any city a warner but the affluent thereof said: verily we! we found our fathers on a certain way and verily their footsteps we are following
Ahmed Ali   
Thus, We never sent an admonisher to a settlement before you but the decadent among them said. "We found our fathers following this way, and we are walking in their footsteps."
Aisha Bewley   
Similarly We never sent any warner before you to any city without the affluent among them saying, ´We found our fathers following a religion and we are simply following in their footsteps.´
Ali Ünal   
In just that way, We never sent a warner to a township before you but those of its people who had been lost in the pursuit of pleasures without scruples reacted, saying: "We have found our forefathers following a religion, and we certainly follow in their footsteps."
Ali Quli Qara'i   
And so it has been that We did not send any warner to a town before you, without its affluent ones saying, ‘We found our fathers following a creed and we are indeed following in their footsteps.’
Hamid S. Aziz   
And even so, We did not send before you  (Muhammad) any Warner into any town, but those who led easy lives in it (the wealthy or leisured) said, "Surely we found our fathers in a religion, and surely we will follow in their footsteps."
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
And the same way, We did not send any town anyone as a warner before you, unless its rich (and wealthy) said: “We found our fathers on a course, and we are following their footsteps.”
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
In the same way that when We sent a warner before you to any people, the elite among them said, “We found our fathers following a certain way, and we will certainly follow in their footsteps.
Musharraf Hussain   
Similarly, when We sent a Warner before you to a town, the affluent people said, “We found our forefathers on this path and we are followers in their footsteps.”
Maududi   
And thus it is: whenever We sent any warner to a city its affluent ones said: "We found our forefathers on a way and we continue to follow in their footsteps."
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
And similarly, We did not send a warner to a town, except its carefree ones said: "We found our fathers following a certain way, and we are being guided in their footsteps.
Mohammad Shafi   
And, just the same way, We did never send a Warner before you to any people, but the affluent among them said, "We did find our fathers following certain community rites, and we do indeed emulate them."

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
And likewise when We sent any warner in any city before you, the affluent thereof said, 'indeed we found our forefathers on one religion and we are following their footsteps.
Rashad Khalifa   
Invariably, when we sent a warner to any community, the leaders of that community would say, "We found our parents following certain practices, and we will continue in their footsteps."
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
As such, We never sent a warner before you to a village, except those living in luxury said: 'We found our fathers following a creed, and by following in their footsteps we are guided.
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
And thus, We sent not before thee a warner in a town, but its wealthy ones said: Surely we found our fathers following a religion, and we follow their footsteps
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
And as/like that We did not send from before you in a village/urban city from a warner/giver of notice except its luxuriated ungrateful and arrogant said: "We (E), we found our fathers on a constitution (set example) , and we (E), on their tracks , we are following/imitating (their) example."
Bijan Moeinian   
In the past too, whenever I (God) sent a Warner to a nation their leaders [whose income depended upon the existing unjust order] would say: “We follow the footsteps of our forefathers.”
Faridul Haque   
And similarly, whenever We sent a Herald of Warning before you (O dear Prophet Mohammed - peace and blessings be upon him) into any town, its wealthy people said, “We found our forefathers upon a religion, and we are behind their footsteps.”
Sher Ali   
Even so WE never sent any Warner before thee to any township, but the wealthy ones among them said, `We found our fathers following a certain course, and we are following in their footsteps.
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
And the same way, We never sent any Warner to a town before you, but their chiefs and the affluent people amongst them said: ‘Surely, we found our fathers following a course and a religion, and certainly we are following in their footsteps.
Amatul Rahman Omar   
It has always been the case, We never sent any Warner to any township before you but its insolent leaders and well-to-do persons said, `We have found our forefathers on a certain course and we are the followers in their footsteps (to the right direction).
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
And similarly, We sent not a warner before you (O Muhammad SAW) to any town (people) but the luxurious ones among them said: "We found our fathers following a certain way and religion, and we will indeed follow their footsteps."

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
Even so We sent never before thee any warner into any city, except that its men who lived at ease said, 'We indeed found our fathers upon a community, and we are following upon their traces.
George Sale   
Thus We sent no preacher, before thee, unto any city, but the inhabitants thereof who lived in affluence, said, verily we found our fathers practising a religion: And we tread in their footsteps
Edward Henry Palmer   
Thus, too, did we never send before thee to a city any warner, but the affluent ones thereof said, 'Verily, we found our fathers (agreed) upon a religion, and, verily, we are led by their traces.
John Medows Rodwell   
And thus never before thy time did we send a warner to any city but its wealthy ones said: "Verily we found our fathers with a religion, and in their tracks we tread."
N J Dawood (2014)   
Thus, never did We sent forth before you to a city one to give warning, but those who lived therein in opulence said: ‘This was the faith our fathers practised; and we are merely following in their footsteps.‘

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame   
And thus it is that We never sent before you a warner in a township but the ones who were indulged in affluence would say, “We have indeed found our fathers on a way and we indeed are going to follow on their footsteps.”
Munir Mezyed   
In the same manner, whenever We sent a Messenger before you into a town to warn (its inhabitants), the wealthy ones therein said: “We found our forefathers adhering to a certain system of faith and worship, so it is part of our duty to walk in their Footsteps."
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
And this is how We never sent a warner before you to a town but its affluent people said: we found our fathers upon a practice and we emulate their traditions.
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
In the same way, whenever We sent a warner, before you, to any people, the wealthy ones among them said, “We saw our ancestors following a religion, and we will certainly follow in their footsteps.”
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
Likewise, We sent no warner before yousg to any town but its affluent ones said, “Indeed, we found our forefathers on a course, and indeed we are following in their footsteps.”
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
Just the same We have not sent any warner into a town previous to you unless its highlivers said: "We found our forefathers with such a community, and are merely being led. along their tracks."
Samy Mahdy   
And thus, We did not send before you warner in a village except that its luxurious ones said, "Surely, We found our parents upon a community style, and we are upon their traces, being led."
Ahmed Hulusi   
Thus it is... To whichever people We disclosed a warner before you, its wealthy leaders said, “We found our forefathers upon this religious understanding and we follow their work (conditionings, genes).”
Mir Aneesuddin   
And thus We had not sent any warner before you to any town but those well-off therein, said, “We found our fathers on ( these ) religious procedures and we are followers of their footsteps.”
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
But then, We never sent a Messenger before you O Muhammad, to a people but stood those with the riches similitude exact of your people and said: "We have found our fathers bent on a particular system of faith and worship and in their foot steps we walk"

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
Just in the same way, whenever We sent a Warner before thee to any people, the wealthy ones among them said: "We found our fathers following a certain religion, and we will certainly follow in their footsteps."
OLD Literal Word for Word   
And thus not We sent before you in a town any warner except said (the) wealthy ones of it, "Indeed, we [we] found our forefathers on a religion, and indeed, we [on] their footsteps (are) following.
OLD Transliteration   
Wakathalika ma arsalna min qablika fee qaryatin min natheerin illa qala mutrafooha inna wajadna abaana AAala ommatin wa-inna AAala atharihim muqtadoona