Surah An-Naml (النمل) • The Ant

Quran 27:49

27:49

قَالُوا۟ تَقَاسَمُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ لَنُبَيِّتَنَّهُۥ وَأَهْلَهُۥ ثُمَّ لَنَقُولَنَّ لِوَلِيِّهِۦ مَا شَهِدْنَا مَهْلِكَ أَهْلِهِۦ وَإِنَّا لَصَـٰدِقُونَ

qālū taqāsamū bil-lahi lanubayyitannahu wa-ahlahu thumma lanaqūlanna liwaliyyihi mā shahid'nā mahlika ahlihi wa-innā laṣādiqūna

They said, "Take a mutual oath by Allāh that we will kill him by night, he and his family. Then we will say to his executor, 'We did not witness the destruction of his family, and indeed, we are truthful.'"

— Saheeh International

They said, ‘Swear by God: we shall attack this man and his household in the night, then say to his next of kin, “We did not witness the destruction of his household. We are telling the truth.”’

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

They said: "Swear one to another by Allâh that we shall make a secret night attack on him and his household, and thereafter we will surely say to his near relatives: ‘We witnessed not the destruction of his household, and verily we are telling the truth.’"

— Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

Juz 19Page 381meccan

Word by Word

قَالُوا۟qālūThey said
تَقَاسَمُوا۟taqāsamūSwear to each other
بِٱللَّهِbil-lahiby Allah
لَنُبَيِّتَنَّهُۥlanubayyitannahusurely, we will attack him by night
وَأَهْلَهُۥwa-ahlahuand his family
ثُمَّthummaThen
لَنَقُولَنَّlanaqūlannawe will surely say
لِوَلِيِّهِۦliwaliyyihito his heir
مَاmāNot
شَهِدْنَاshahid'nāwe witnessed
مَهْلِكَmahlika(the) destruction
أَهْلِهِۦahlihi(of) his family
وَإِنَّاwa-innāand indeed, we
لَصَـٰدِقُونَlaṣādiqūna(are) surely truthful