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Muhammad Asad   
[His followers would have it that, in certain cases, any of these] four kinds of cattle of either sex [is unlawful to man]: either of the two sexes of sheep and of goats. Ask [them]: "Is it the two males that He has forbidden, or the two females, or that which the wombs of the two females may contain? Tell me what you know in this respect, if what you say is true."
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
˹Allah has created˺ four pairs: a pair of sheep and a pair of goats—ask ˹them, O Prophet˺, “Has He forbidden ˹to you˺ the two males or the two females or what is in the wombs of the two females? Tell me with knowledge, if what you say is true.”—
Safi Kaskas   
There are eight animals, in [four] pairs: a pair of sheep and a pair of goats. Ask [them, Prophet], "Has He forbidden the two males, or the two females, or that which is in the wombs of the two females? Tell me what you know in this respect."

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
ثَمَـٰنِیَةَ أَزۡوَ ٰجࣲۖ مِّنَ ٱلضَّأۡنِ ٱثۡنَیۡنِ وَمِنَ ٱلۡمَعۡزِ ٱثۡنَیۡنِۗ قُلۡ ءَاۤلذَّكَرَیۡنِ حَرَّمَ أَمِ ٱلۡأُنثَیَیۡنِ أَمَّا ٱشۡتَمَلَتۡ عَلَیۡهِ أَرۡحَامُ ٱلۡأُنثَیَیۡنِۖ نَبِّءُونِی بِعِلۡمٍ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَـٰدِقِینَ ۝١٤٣
Transliteration (2021)   
thamāniyata azwājin mina l-ḍani ith'nayni wamina l-maʿzi ith'nayni qul āldhakarayni ḥarrama ami l-unthayayni ammā ish'tamalat ʿalayhi arḥāmu l-unthayayni nabbiūnī biʿil'min in kuntum ṣādiqīn
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
Eight pairs - of the sheep, two and of the goats two. Say, "(Are) the two males He has forbidden or the two females or what contains [in it] (the) wombs (of) the two females? Inform me with knowledge, if you are truthful."

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
[His followers would have it that, in certain cases, any of these] four kinds of cattle of either sex [is unlawful to man]: either of the two sexes of sheep and of goats. Ask [them]: "Is it the two males that He has forbidden, or the two females, or that which the wombs of the two females may contain? Tell me what you know in this respect, if what you say is true."
M. M. Pickthall   
Eight pairs: Of the sheep twain, and of the goats twain. Say: Hath He forbidden the two males or the two females, or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Expound to me (the case) with knowledge, if ye are truthful
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
(Take) eight (head of cattle) in (four) pairs: of sheep a pair, and of goats a pair; say, hath He forbidden the two males, or the two females, or (the young) which the wombs of the two females enclose? Tell me with knowledge if ye are truthful
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
˹Allah has created˺ four pairs: a pair of sheep and a pair of goats—ask ˹them, O Prophet˺, “Has He forbidden ˹to you˺ the two males or the two females or what is in the wombs of the two females? Tell me with knowledge, if what you say is true.”—
Safi Kaskas   
There are eight animals, in [four] pairs: a pair of sheep and a pair of goats. Ask [them, Prophet], "Has He forbidden the two males, or the two females, or that which is in the wombs of the two females? Tell me what you know in this respect."
Wahiduddin Khan   
God has created four kinds of livestock of either sex: two of sheep and two of goats. Ask them, Is it the two males He has forbidden or the two females or what the wombs of the two females contain? Tell me on the basis of knowledge, if you are truthful
Shakir   
Eight in pairs-- two of sheep and two of goats. Say: Has He forbidden the two males or the two females or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Inform me with knowledge if you are truthful
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
Eight diverse pairs; two of sheep and two of goats. Say: Forbade He the two males or the two females? Or what is contained in the wombs of the two females? Tell me with knowledge if you had been ones who are sincere.
T.B.Irving   
Eight exist in pairs: two [pairs] of sheep and two of goats. SAY: "Does He forbid both males or both females, or what the females´ wombs contain? Inform me scientifically if you are so truthful!
Abdul Hye   
8 in pairs: of the sheep 2 (male and female), and of the goats 2 (male and female). Ask: “Has He forbidden you the 2 males or the 2 females, or contain (fetuses) which the wombs of the 2 females (enclose)? Tell me with knowledge, if you are truthful.”
The Study Quran   
Eight pairs: of sheep, two, and of goats, two. Say, “Is it the two males He has forbidden or the two females, or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Tell me with knowledge, if you are truthful.
Talal Itani & AI (2024)   
Eight pairs: two of sheep and two of goats. Ask, “Did He prohibit the two males, the two females, or what’s carried in the wombs of the two females? Tell me with knowledge, if you are truthful.”
Talal Itani (2012)   
Eight pairs: two of the sheep, and two of the goats. Say, 'Did He forbid the two males, or the two females, or what the wombs of the two females contain? Inform me with knowledge, if you are truthful.'
Dr. Kamal Omar   
Eight in the form of pairs (i.e., the male and female both): of the sheep two, and of the goats two. Say: “Whether the two males (belonging to the category of sheep and goat) He has forbidden or the two females, or over which are covered the wombs of the two females (i.e., the young ones discovered in a pregnant animal at the time of slaughter)? Inform me on the basis of knowledge if you are truthful
M. Farook Malik   
For eight heads of cattle, male and female, there are superstitions. Take a pair of sheep and a pair of goats, for example, and ask them, "Of these, has He forbidden you the males, females or their fetuses? Answer me based on knowledge, not superstition, if what you say is true."
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
Eight pairs: (i.e., eight males and females paired together) of mutton two, (i.e., sheep) and of goats two. Say, "Has He prohibited the two males or even the two females? Or even what the wombs of the two females contain? Fully inform me with knowledge, in case you are sincere."
Muhammad Sarwar   
(Supposing) that there are eight pairs of cattle, two pairs of sheep, and two pairs of goats. Tell Me (which is lawful and which is not)? Are the two males unlawful (to eat) or the two females or those that are in the wombs of the females? If you are truthful, then, answer Me exactly
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
(Allah has created) eight pairs: two of sheep and two of goats. Say, .Is it the two males that He has prohibited or the two females, or whatever the wombs of the two females contain? Tell me on the basis of knowledge if you are true
Shabbir Ahmed   
Take the example of eight quadrupeds: Two sheep, one male and one female, two goats, one male and one female. Say, "Is it the two males that He has forbidden, or the two females, or the calves in the wombs of the females? Tell me if you have true knowledge
Dr. Munir Munshey   
(He has created) eight animals (you may eat): two are sheep _ (The ram and the ewe), and two are goats _ (the buck and the she-goat). Ask them, "Has He, (Allah), forbidden the males of these two species, or the females? And does the ban include the kids being carried by the females in their uterus? Tell me with proof, if you know!"
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
Eight pairs (of cattle), two (male and female): Of sheep, a pair; And two of goats, a pair; Say: "Has He forbidden the two males, or the two females, or (the young) which the wombs of the two females hold? Tell me with knowledge, if you are truthful:"
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
[They are] eight mates - of the sheep, two and of the goats, two. Say, "Is it the two males He has forbidden or the two females or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Inform me with knowledge, if you should be truthful."
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
Eight pairs: from the lambs two, and from the goats two; Say: "Is it the two males that He forbade or the two females, or what the womb of the two females bore Inform me if you are truthful!"
Abdel Haleem   
[God gave you] eight animals, in [four] pairs: a pair of sheep and a pair of goats- ask them [Prophet], ‘Has He forbidden the two males, the two females, or the young in the wombs of the two females? Tell me based on knowledge if you are telling the truth.’
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
He hath created eight pairs of the sheep a twain, and of the goats a twain. Say thou: is it the two males He hath forbidden or the two females, or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Declare unto me with knowledge, if ye are truth-tellers
Ahmed Ali   
There are eight pairs, two of the species of sheep and two of goats. Ask them which has He forbidden, the two males or the two females, or what the females carry in their wombs? Produce the sanction if you are truthful
Aisha Bewley   
There are eight in pairs: A pair of sheep and a pair of goats — Say: ´Is it the two males He has made haram, or the two females, or what the wombs of the two females contain? Tell me with knowledge if you are being truthful.´
Ali Ünal   
Eight in pairs of cattle: two of sheep, two of goats. Say (to them, O Messenger): "Is it the two males that God has made unlawful or the two females, or what the wombs of the two females may contain? Inform me about this with sound, authoritative knowledge, if you are truthful (in your claim that God has made them unlawful)."
Ali Quli Qara'i   
Eight mates: two of sheep, and two of goats. Say, ‘Is it the two males that He has forbidden or the two females, or what is contained in the wombs of the two females? Inform me with knowledge, should you be truthful.’
Hamid S. Aziz   
Eight pairs - of sheep two, and of goats two; say, "Hath He forbidden the two males, or the two females, or what the wombs of the two females contain? Inform me with knowledge if you tell the truth."
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
Eight in pairs (four pairs), two of the sheep and two of the goats. Say: “Has He forbidden the two males or the two females, or what is in the wombs of the two females? Tell me with knowledge if you are truthful.”
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
Take eight head of livestock in four pairs, of sheep a pair, and of goats a pair. Say, “Has He forbidden the two males, or the two females, or that which the wombs of the two females enclose? Tell me with certainty if you are truthful.
Musharraf Hussain   
There are eight animals in pairs: two sheep and two goats. Say: “Is it the two males that He has forbidden, or the two females; or is it perhaps what lies within the wombs of the two females? Tell me based on some sound knowledge, which is it if you are telling the truth.”
Maududi   
These are eight couples, two of sheep, two of goats. Now ask them: ´Is it either the two males that Allah has forbidden or the two females, or what the wombs of the two females may contain? Tell me about this on the basis of sure knowledge, if you speak the truth.´
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
Eight in pairs: from the lambs two, and from the goats two. Say: "Is it the two males that He forbade or the two females, or what the wombs of the two females bore? Inform me if you are truthful!"
Mohammad Shafi   
Of eight cattle in pairs, consider two of sheep and two of goats. Ask them, "Which ones has He forbidden — the two males or the two females or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Inform me, with knowledge, if you are truthful."

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
Eight males and females, one pair of sheep and one pair of goat; say you, 'has He made both males unlawful or both females or that which the wombs of two females contain? Inform by any knowledge, if you are truthful.'
Rashad Khalifa   
Eight kinds of livestock: regarding the two kinds of sheep, and the two kinds of goats, say, "Is it the two males that He prohibited, or the two females, or the contents of the wombs of the two females? Tell me what you know, if you are truthful."
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
(He has given you) eight couples, a pair of sheep and a pair of goats. Say: 'Of these, has He forbidden you the males, the females, or what the wombs of the two females contain? Tell me with knowledge, if you are truthful.
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
Eight in pairs -- of the sheep two and of the goats two. Say: Has He forbidden the two males or the two females or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Inform me with knowledge, if you are truthful
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
Eight pairs , from the sheep two, and from the goats two, say: "Are the two males forbidden or the two females, but (or what) in the two females' wombs/uteruses contained/included on (in) it? Inform me with knowledge if you were truthful."
Bijan Moeinian   
As to [nonsense that they have fabricated such as] eight males and females cattle that they take first a pair of the sheep family and a pair of the goat family and [come up with the most unbelievable laws,] say: "Has God forbidden for you the males, the females or the unborn sheep and goats? What kind of games are you playing? Tell me, if you are true in your belief."
Faridul Haque   
“Eight males and females; one pair of sheep and one of goats”; say, “Has He forbidden the two males or the two females, or what the two females carry in their wombs? Answer with some knowledge, if you are truthful.”
Sher Ali   
And of the cattle HE has created eight mates - of the sheep two, and of the goats two. Say, `Is it the two males HE has forbidden or the two females or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Inform me with knowledge if you are truthful.
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
(Allah) has created eight pairs: two of the sheep (male and female) and two of the goat (male and female). Say (to them): ‘Has He forbidden the two males or the two females or that (offspring) which is in the wombs of the two females? Answer me on the basis of knowledge and reason if you are truthful.
Amatul Rahman Omar   
And (of cattle slaughtered for food, He has created) eight (heads in four) pairs, the pair of sheep, the pair of goats. Say, `Is it the two males He has made unlawful, or the two females, or is it that (young) which the wombs of the two females contain (which He has forbidden)? Expound to me (the case) with (sure) knowledge if you are in the right.
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
Eight pairs; of the sheep two (male and female), and of the goats two (male and female). Say: "Has He forbidden the two males or the two females, or (the young) which the wombs of the two females enclose? Inform me with knowledge if you are truthful."

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
Eight couples: two of sheep, of goats two. Say: 'Is it the two males He has forbidden or the two females? Or what the wombs of the two females contain? Tell me with knowledge, if you speak truly.
George Sale   
Four pair of cattle hath God given you; of sheep one pair, and of goats one pair. Say unto them, hath God forbidden the two males, of sheep and of goats, or the two females; or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Tell me with certainty, if ye speak truth
Edward Henry Palmer   
Eight pairs,- of sheep two, and of goats two; say, 'Are the two males unlawful, or the two females, or what the wombs of the two females contain? inform me with knowledge if ye tell the truth.
John Medows Rodwell   
You have four sorts of cattle in pairs: of sheep a pair, and of goats a pair. SAY: Hath He forbidden the two males or the two females; or that which the wombs of the two females enclose? Tell me with knowledge, if ye speak the truth
N J Dawood (2014)   
Eight kinds of livestock: take a pair of sheep and a pair of goats. Say: ‘Has He forbidden you the two males, the two females, or that which is in the wombs of the two female? Tell me with knowledge if you are truthful.‘

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame   
Eight pairs. From the sheep two and from the goat two. Say, “Is it the two males that He has forbidden or the two females or that which the womb of the two females have contained? Inform me with knowledge if you are indeed truthful.”
Munir Mezyed   
Four kinds of cattle in pairs has Allâh given you: of sheep one pair, and of goats one pair. Say: “Has Allâh forbidden the two males or the two females or that which the wombs of the two females enclose? Inform me with knowledge if you speak the truth.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
Eight in pairs, two of the sheep and two of the goats - say: are both males forbidden, or both females, or that which the wombs of both females contain? Inform me with knowledge, if you are truthful.
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
[Propose] eight animals –two pairs of sheep and two pairs of goats. Say, “Has He forbidden the two males or the two females [of each group] or has He forbidden what is carried in the wombs of the two females? Explain it to me from your knowledge if you are telling the truth.”
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
(Suppose there are) eight pairs: of sheep there are two (pairs) and of goats there are two. Saysg, “Did He forbid the two males or the two females or what the wombs of the two females contain? Informpl me with knowledge, if you are truthful.”
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
Eight exist in pairs: two [pairs] of sheep and two of goats. SAY: "Does He forbid both males or both females, or what the females' wombs contain? Inform me scientifically if you are so truthful!
Samy Mahdy   
Eight pairs: two from the sheep, and two from the goats. Say, “Did He forbid the two males, or the two females, or what the wombs of the two females are containing? Inform me with knowledge, if you are truthful.”
Sayyid Qutb   
Of cattle you have eight in [four] pairs: a pair of the sheep and a pair of the goats. Say: Is it the two males that He has forbidden, or the two females, or that which the wombs of the two females may contain? Tell me plainly if you are men of truth.
Ahmed Hulusi   
There are eight pairs/mates: Two (pairs) of the sheep and two (pairs) of the goats... Say, is it the two males He has forbidden or the two females or that which the wombs of the two females contain?... Inform me with knowledge if you are truthful.”
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli   
(Allah has made lawful of livestock) eight in pairs - of sheep a pair and of goats a pair. Say : 'Has He forbidden the two males or the two females or what is contained in the wombs of the two females ? Inform me with knowledge if you are truthful !
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
Another strained point upon which the whole unreasoning turns is their superstitious belief of dedicating what they consider sacred to their males denying and condemning their females. Thus they dedicate what sheep and goats, camels and oxen carry in their wombs to their males and exclude their females; a concept bringing Us to eight copulatory mates. Four of them are a pair of sheep and a pair of goats. Ask them O Muhammad: "Is it the two males or the two females that Allah has forbidden or is it what both females carry in their wombs! "Tell me who gave you this authority that you speak like a book if indeed you are declaring the truth"
Mir Aneesuddin   
Eight pairs, two of sheep and two of goats, say, "Has He made unlawful the two males or the two females or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Inform me with knowledge if you are truthful."

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
(Take) eight (head of cattle) in (four) pairs: of sheep a pair, and of goats a pair; say, hath He forbidden the two males, or the two females, or (the young) which the wombs of the two females enclose? Tell me with knowledge if ye are truthful
OLD Literal Word for Word   
Eight pairs - of the sheep, two and of the goats two. Say, "(Are) the two males He has forbidden or the two females or what contains [in it] (the) wombs (of) the two females? Inform me with knowledge, if you are truthful.
OLD Transliteration   
Thamaniyata azwajin mina aldda/ni ithnayni wamina almaAAzi ithnayni qul alththakarayni harrama ami alonthayayni amma ishtamalat AAalayhi arhamu alonthayayni nabbi-oonee biAAilmin in kuntum sadiqeena