Indeed, you will not make the dead hear, nor will you make the deaf hear the call when they have turned their backs retreating. (An-Naml [27] : 80)
1 Mufti Taqi Usmani
Surely, you cannot make the dead to hear, nor can you make the deaf to hear your call when they turn their backs in retreat,
2 Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran
You certainly cannot make the dead hear ˹the truth˺. Nor can you make the deaf hear the call when they turn their backs and walk away.
3 Ruwwad Translation Center
You cannot make the dead hear, nor can you make the deaf hear the call when they turn their backs retreating.
4 A. J. Arberry
Thou shalt not make the dead to hear, neither shalt thou make the deaf to hear the call when they turn about, retreating.
5 Abdul Haleem
You cannot make the dead hear, you cannot make the deaf listen to your call when they turn their backs and leave,
6 Abdul Majid Daryabadi
Verily thou canst not make the dead hear, nor canst thou make the deaf hear the call when they flee turning their backs.
7 Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Truly thou canst not cause the dead to listen, nor canst thou cause the deaf to hear the call, (especially) when they turn back in retreat.
8 Abul Ala Maududi
Surely you cannot make the dead hear you, nor can you make the deaf hear your call if they turn back in flight,
9 Ahmed Ali
You cannot make the dead to listen, or the deaf to hear the call, when they have turned their backs,
10 Ahmed Raza Khan
Indeed the dead* do not listen to your call nor do the deaf* listen to your call, when they flee turning back. (The dead and deaf implies the disbelievers.)
11 Ali Quli Qarai
You cannot make the dead hear, nor can you make the deaf listen to your call when they turn their backs,
12 Ali Ünal
Indeed you cannot make the dead hear nor can you make the deaf hear the call once they have turned their backs, going away.
13 Amatul Rahman Omar
Of course you cannot make the dead hear nor can you make the deaf hear (your) call when they retreat turning their backs (on you).
14 English Literal
That you do not make the deads hear/listen, and you do not make the deaf hear/listen (to) the call/prayer if they turned away giving their backs
15 Faridul Haque
Indeed the dead * do not listen to your call nor do the deaf * listen to your call, when they flee turning back. (The dead and deaf implies the disbelievers.)
16 Hamid S. Aziz
Verily, you can not make the dead to hear, nor can you make the deaf to hear the call when they turn to flee
17 Hilali & Khan
Verily, you cannot make the dead to hear (i.e. benefit them and similarly the disbelievers), nor can you make the deaf to hear the call, when they flee, turning their backs.
18 Maulana Mohammad Ali
Truly thy Lord will judge between them by His judgment, and He is the Mighty, the Knowing.
19 Mohammad Habib Shakir
Surely you do not make the dead to hear, and you do not make the deaf to hear the call when they go back retreating.
20 Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall
Lo! thou canst not make the dead to hear, nor canst thou make the deaf to hear the call when they have turned to flee;
21 Muhammad Sarwar
You cannot make the dead listen and the deaf are unable to hear calls. Thus, they turn back on their heels.
22 Qaribullah & Darwish
You do not make the dead hear, nor do you make the deaf hear you call when they turn about, retreating.
23 Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri
Verily, you cannot make the dead to hear nor can you make the deaf to hear the call, when they flee, turning their backs.
24 Wahiduddin Khan
You cannot make the dead hear, nor can you make the deaf hear your call, when they turn their backs on it,
25 Talal Itani
You cannot make the dead hear, nor can you make the deaf hear the call if they turn their backs and flee.
26 Tafsir jalalayn
Indeed you cannot make the dead hear, nor can you make the deaf hear the call when (al-du`'a idh, read by pronouncing both hamzas, or by not pronouncing the second one, eliding it with the y') they have turned their backs [upon you];
27 Tafseer Ibn Kathir
إِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَى
Verily, you cannot make the dead to hear,
meaning, you cannot cause them to hear anything that will benefit them. The same applies to those over whose hearts is a veil and in whose ears is deafness of disbelief.
But you shall not be able to make your voice reach the spiritually dead nor shall you be able to make it reach the worthless who counsel deaf nor do they open their hearts' ears when they turn their backs