This page presents 7 parallel translations of the Qur’an. You can view the verses side by side, compare their meanings, and explore the nuances in each translation. This allows a deeper understanding of the Qur’an’s message and insight into different interpretive approaches.
Chapter (105) sūrat l-fīl (The Elephant)
The Elephant – Verse (105:1) – English Translation
Sahih International: Have you not considered, [O Muhammad], how your Lord dealt with the companions of the elephant?
Pickthall: Hast thou not seen how thy Lord dealt with the owners of the Elephant?
Yusuf Ali: Seest thou not how thy Lord dealt with the Companions of the Elephant?
Shakir: Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with the possessors of the elephant?
Muhammad Sarwar: Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with the people of the elephant?
Mohsin Khan: Have you (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him)) not seen how your Lord dealt with the Owners of the Elephant? [The elephant army which came from Yemen under the command of Abrahah Al-Ashram intending to destroy the Ka’bah at Makkah].
Arberry: Hast thou not seen how thy Lord did with the Men of the Elephant?
The Elephant – Verse (105:2) – English Translation
Sahih International: Did He not make their plan into misguidance?
Pickthall: Did He not bring their stratagem to naught,
Yusuf Ali: Did He not make their treacherous plan go astray?
Shakir: Did He not cause their war to end in confusion,
Muhammad Sarwar: Did He not cause their evil plots to fail
Mohsin Khan: Did He not make their plot go astray?
Arberry: Did He not make their guile to go astray?
The Elephant – Verse (105:3) – English Translation
Sahih International: And He sent against them birds in flocks,
Pickthall: And send against them swarms of flying creatures,
Yusuf Ali: And He sent against them Flights of Birds,
Shakir: And send down (to prey) upon them birds in flocks,
Muhammad Sarwar: by sending against them flocks of swallows
Mohsin Khan: And sent against them birds, in flocks,
Arberry: And He loosed upon them birds in flights,
The Elephant – Verse (105:4) – English Translation
Sahih International: Striking them with stones of hard clay,
Pickthall: Which pelted them with stones of baked clay,
Yusuf Ali: Striking them with stones of baked clay.
Shakir: Casting against them stones of baked clay,
Muhammad Sarwar: which showered them with small pebbles of clay
Mohsin Khan: Striking them with stones of Sijjil.
Arberry: hurling against them stones of baked clay
The Elephant – Verse (105:5) – English Translation
Sahih International: And He made them like eaten straw.
Pickthall: And made them like green crops devoured (by cattle)?
Yusuf Ali: Then did He make them like an empty field of stalks and straw, (of which the corn) has been eaten up.
Shakir: So He rendered them like straw eaten up?
Muhammad Sarwar: to turn them into (something) like the left-over grass grazed by cattle.
Mohsin Khan: And made them like an empty field of stalks (of which the corn has been eaten up by cattle).
Arberry: and He made them like green blades devoured.
1. Sahih International
- Translators: A group translation (edited by Umm Muhammad).
- Focus: Aims for literal accuracy (word-for-word meaning) using clear, modern English.
- Key Feature: Very popular in modern digital and print media due to its straightforward language and adherence to a generally accepted literal interpretation.
2. Pickthall
- Translator: Marmaduke Pickthall (An English convert to Islam).
- Focus: Uses a classical, formal English style. It aimed to provide an “English equivalent” while retaining original Islamic terminology (e.g., Allah, Salat).
- Key Feature: Considered the first authoritative English translation by a Muslim. Highly respected for its dignified and formal tone.
3. Yusuf Ali
- Translator: Abdullah Yusuf Ali.
- Focus: Most famous for its extensive footnotes and commentary (tafsir) which offer detailed background and theological context.
- Key Feature: Extremely popular, though the English is sometimes archaic, resembling the King James Bible style. The value lies primarily in its rich commentary.
4. Shakir
- Translator: M.H. Shakir.
- Focus: Known for being more concise and simple than Yusuf Ali, with fewer footnotes.
- Key Feature: The language is generally direct and less stylized, making it an easier read for some.
5. Muhammad Sarwar
- Translator: Muhammad Sarwar.
- Focus: Focuses on using simple, clear, and fluent modern English for easy comprehension.
- Key Feature: A contemporary translation designed to communicate the central message of the Qur’an without heavy theological phrasing or deep commentary.
6. Mohsin Khan (Hilali & Khan)
- Translators: Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan and Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali.
- Focus: Strictly adheres to the Salafi/Wahhabi school of interpretation. It frequently uses parenthetical insertions to clarify the meaning based on Hadith and Sunnah (Prophetic tradition).
- Key Feature: Known for its literal approach and inclusion of bracketed explanations to ensure the interpretation aligns with established scholarly views.
7. Arberry
- Translator: Arthur John Arberry (Academic).
- Focus: An academic and literary translation. Arberry’s primary goal was to capture the rhythm, music, and rhetorical quality (eloquence) of the original Arabic text.
- Key Feature: Highly praised for its attempt to convey the poetic beauty and flow of the Qur’an, often prioritizing literary quality over detailed commentary.