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Muhammad Asad   
As it is, they swear by God with their most solemn oaths, "Never will God raise from the dead anyone who has died!" Yea indeed! [This very thing has God promised] by a promise which He has willed upon Himself; but most people know it not
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
They swear by Allah their most solemn oaths that Allah will never raise the dead to life. Yes ˹He will˺! It is a true promise binding on Him, but most people do not know.
Safi Kaskas   
And so they swear by God, vowing most solemnly, "God will never raise the dead to life again!" But He will, for it is a binding promise that He will fulfill, but most people do not know

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
وَأَقۡسَمُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ جَهۡدَ أَیۡمَـٰنِهِمۡ لَا یَبۡعَثُ ٱللَّهُ مَن یَمُوتُۚ بَلَىٰ وَعۡدًا عَلَیۡهِ حَقࣰّا وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا یَعۡلَمُونَ ۝٣٨
Transliteration (2021)   
wa-aqsamū bil-lahi jahda aymānihim lā yabʿathu l-lahu man yamūtu balā waʿdan ʿalayhi ḥaqqan walākinna akthara l-nāsi lā yaʿlamūn
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
And they swear by Allah strongest (of) their oaths, not will resurrect Allah (one) who dies. Nay, (it is) a promise upon Him (in) truth, but most (of) the mankind (do) not know.

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
As it is, they swear by God with their most solemn oaths, "Never will God raise from the dead anyone who has died!" Yea indeed! [This very thing has God promised] by a promise which He has willed upon Himself; but most people know it not
M. M. Pickthall   
And they swear by Allah their most binding oaths (that) Allah will not raise up him who dieth. Nay, but it is a promise (binding) upon Him in truth, but most of mankind know not
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
They swear their strongest oaths by Allah, that Allah will not raise up those who die: Nay, but it is a promise (binding) on Him in truth: but most among mankind realise it not
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
They swear by Allah their most solemn oaths that Allah will never raise the dead to life. Yes ˹He will˺! It is a true promise binding on Him, but most people do not know.
Safi Kaskas   
And so they swear by God, vowing most solemnly, "God will never raise the dead to life again!" But He will, for it is a binding promise that He will fulfill, but most people do not know
Wahiduddin Khan   
They swear their strongest oaths by God that God will never raise the dead to life nonetheless, it is a promise truly binding on Him, even though most people do not realize i
Shakir   
And they swear by Allah with the most energetic of their oaths: Allah will not raise up him who dies. Yea! it is a promise binding on Him, quite true, but most people do not know
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
And they swore by God their most earnest oaths: God will not raise up him who dies. Yea! It is a promised obligation upon Him—except most of humanity knows not—
T.B.Irving   
They have sworn by God with their most solemn oaths, God will not raise up anyone who dies. Nonetheless it is a promise truly binding on Him, even though most men do not realize it,
Abdul Hye   
And they swear their strongest oaths by Allah: “Allah will never raise the dead who dies (to life).” Yes, (He will raise them up), it is a Promise upon Him in truth, but most of mankind don’t know.
The Study Quran   
And they swear by God their most solemn oaths [that] God will not resurrect those who die. Nay, but it is a promise binding upon Him, though most of mankind know not
Talal Itani & AI (2024)   
They swear their strongest oaths by God that God won’t resurrect the dead. Yet, it’s absolutely a true promise from Him, though most people don’t know.
Talal Itani (2012)   
And they swear by God with their most solemn oaths, 'God will not resurrect anyone who dies.' Yes indeed, it is a promise binding on Him, but most people do not know
Dr. Kamal Omar   
And they swore to Allah their strongest oaths, (that) Allah does not Resurrect that who dies. Nay! A promise binding on Him (must be) true, but the majority of mankind do not know —
M. Farook Malik   
They solemnly swear their strongest oaths by Allah: "Allah will never raise the dead to life." Why not? It is a promise which He has made binding on Himself, though most among mankind may not know it
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
And they have sworn by Allah the most earnest oaths (that) Allah will not make him who dies to rise again. Yes indeed, it is a promise truly (binding) upon Him; but most of mankind do not know
Muhammad Sarwar   
They strongly swear by God that God will not bring the dead to life. God's promise (of the Resurrection) will certainly come true but many people do not know
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
They swore by Allah on solemn oaths: .Allah will not resurrect those who die. Why not? It is a promise on His part, which is due to come true, but most of the people do not know
Shabbir Ahmed   
They most strongly swear by Allah that He will not raise the dead. Nay, but it is a promise binding upon Him in truth, but most people do not make use of whatever they know
Dr. Munir Munshey   
They swear by Allah a lot, claiming emphatically that Allah will not bring the dead back to life. On the contrary, though most people do not understand, this is the promise incumbent upon Him
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
And they swear their strongest promise by Allah, that Allah will not raise up those who die: Yes! (He will raise them and) it is a promise (to be made real) from Him in Truth: But most men do not realize it
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
And they swear by Allah their strongest oaths [that] Allah will not resurrect one who dies. But yes - [it is] a true promise [binding] upon Him, but most of the people do not know
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
And they swore by God, in their strongest oaths, that God will not resurrect whoever dies. No, it is a promise of truth upon Him, but most people do not know
Abdel Haleem   
They have sworn by God with their strongest oaths that He will not raise the dead to life. But He will- it is His binding promise, though most people do not realize it
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
And they swear by God the most solemn of oaths that God would not raise him who dieth. Yea! it is a promise on Him incumbent but most of mankind know not
Ahmed Ali   
They swear emphatically in the name of God that God will not raise the dead. On the contrary, it is a promise incumbent on Him, though most men do not understand
Aisha Bewley   
They swear by Allah with their most earnest oaths that Allah will not raise up those who die, when, on the contrary, it is a binding promise on Him; but most people do not know it.
Ali Ünal   
And by God they swear their most solemn oaths, "God will never raise from the dead anyone who has died!" No! but it is a promise (that He has laid) upon Himself in truth, but most people do not know (being ignorant and lacking desire for knowledge of the truth)
Ali Quli Qara'i   
They swear by Allah with solemn oaths that Allah will not resurrect those who die. Yes indeed, it is a promise binding upon Him, but most people do not know
Hamid S. Aziz   
They swear by their strongest oath, "Allah will not raise up him who dies."- Nay! But it is a promise binding on Him in truth. But most know not
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
They solemnly swear by God that God does not raise anyone who dies. Yes (He will), that is a true promise (binding) on Him, but most people do not know.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
They swear their strongest oaths by God, that God will not raise up those who die. No, but it is a promise binding on Him in truth, but most among humanity realize it not
Musharraf Hussain   
They swear their strongest oath that Allah will not raise them from the dead, but it is a true promise, He shall fulfil it – but most people don’t realise.
Maududi   
They swear most solemnly in the name of Allah and say: "Allah shall not raise to life any who dies." (Yes, He will do so); that is a promise by which He is bound, even though most people do not know that
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
And they swore by God, in their strongest oaths, that God will not resurrect he who dies. No, it is a promise of truth upon Him, but most of the people do not know.
Mohammad Shafi   
And they swear by Allah most solemnly that Allah will not raise anyone who dies. Yea! It is a promise binding on Him, but most people know it not

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
And they swear by Allah with the utmost endeavor in their oaths that Allah will not raise the deadness, yes why, the true promise is on Him but most people know not.
Rashad Khalifa   
They swore solemnly by GOD: "GOD will not resurrect the dead." Absolutely, such is His inviolable promise, but most people do not know.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
They solemnly swear by Allah that Allah will never raise the dead to life. No, surely the promise of Allah is binding upon Him, though most people do not know
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
And they swear by Allah their most energetic oaths: Allah will not raise up him who dies. Yea! it is a promise binding on Him, quite true, but most people know not
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
And they swore/made oath by God their rights'/oaths' utmost , (that) God does not send/resurrect/revive who dies, yes/certainly a promise on Him truth , and but most of the people do not know
Bijan Moeinian   
They insist and swear by the Lord that God will never raise the one who is already dead. Never mind them. The fact of the matter is that God has promised it and when the Lord promises, He delivers; what a shame that most people do not get it
Faridul Haque   
And they swore by Allah most vehemently in their oaths that, "Allah will not raise up the dead"; yes He will, why not? A true promise obligatory upon Him, but most men do not know
Sher Ali   
And they swear by ALLAH their strongest oaths, that ALLAH will not raise up those who die. Nay, HE will certainly raise them up. This is a true promise the fulfillment of which is binding on HIM but most men know not
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
And they swear by Allah most earnestly that Allah will not resurrect him who dies. No indeed! The true promise is a bountiful obligation upon Him, but most people do not know
Amatul Rahman Omar   
And they have sworn by Allah their most earnest oaths that Allah will not raise the dead to life. Why not? It is a promise binding (in accordance with His will) upon Him. (He has guaranteed it,) but most people do not know (this true fact)
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
And they swear by Allah their strongest oaths, that Allah will not raise up him who dies. Yes, (He will raise them up), a promise (binding) upon Him in truth, but most of mankind know not

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
have sworn by God the most earnest oaths God will never raise up him who dies; nay, it is a promise binding upon Him, but most men know not
George Sale   
And they swear most solemnly by God, saying, God will not raise the dead. Yea; the promise thereof is true: But the greater part of men know it not
Edward Henry Palmer   
They swear by their most strenuous oath, 'God will not raise up him who dies.' - Yea! a promise binding on him true!- but most men do not know
John Medows Rodwell   
And they swear by God with their most sacred oath that "God will never raise him who once is dead." Nay, but on Him is a promise binding, though most men know it not,
N J Dawood (2014)   
They solemnly swear by God that God will never raise the dead to life. But that is a promise that shall be justly fulfilled, though most may not know it

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame   
And they swear by Allah their most solemn oath [that] Allah will not raise the one who dies. Nay it is a binding promise on Him but most people do not know.
Munir Mezyed   
They swear by Allâh with their most vigorous oaths (that) Allâh will not resurrect the one who dies. Yea! (It is absolutely) a true promise (binding) upon Him. But most of them don’t posses enough knowledge of the Truth.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
And they swear their utmost oaths by Allah that Allah will not raise the dead, but no, it is a binding promise upon Him, but most people don´t know.
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
They swear their most solemn oath by Allah that Allah will not raise the dead. Nonsense! That is a truthful promise from Him. Most people do not realize it.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
And they have sworn by Allah their most solemn oaths that Allah does not resurrect whoever dies. Yes indeed, it is a promise binding on Him, but the majority of mankind does not know.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
They have sworn by Allah (God) with their most solemn oaths, Allah (God) will not raise up anyone who dies. Nonetheless it is a promise truly binding on Him, even though most men do not realize it,
Samy Mahdy   
And they swore by Allah with their most effort oaths, “Allah is not arising whoever dies.” Yes, it is a promise upon Him truly, (to arise who dies) but most people are not knowing.
Sayyid Qutb   
They most solemnly swear by God that God never raises the dead to life. Yes indeed! That is a promise to which He has bound Himself, even though most people do not know it.
Ahmed Hulusi   
They swore by Allah their strongest oath saying, “Allah will not resurrect one who dies”... No, it is a true promise upon Him (the one who dies will be resurrected immediately after his death as one who has tasted death)! But the majority of the people do not know.
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli   
And they swore by Allah with their most earnest oaths (that) Allah will not raise up him who dies. Yea! It (raising the dead) is a promise binding on Him in truth, but most people do not know.
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
And they -the Pagans- make a solemn declaration with an appeal to Allah -if there be any- or to one of their false gods, -and they are many- that Allah shall never resurrect anyone once he is dead. But indeed He shall. This is a divine promise and the promise of Allah is truth personified but most people do not realize this fact
Mir Aneesuddin   
And they swear by Allah their strongest oaths, “Allah will not raise him who dies.” Why not? It is a promise binding on Him but the majority of mankind does not know.

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
They swear their strongest oaths by God, that God will not raise up those who die: Nay, but it is a promise (binding) on Him in truth: but most among mankind realise it not
OLD Literal Word for Word   
And they swear by Allah strongest (of) their oaths, Allah will not resurrect (one) who dies. Nay, (it is) a promise upon Him (in) truth, but most (of) the mankind (do) not know
OLD Transliteration   
Waaqsamoo biAllahi jahda aymanihim la yabAAathu Allahu man yamootu bala waAAdan AAalayhi haqqan walakinna akthara alnnasi la yaAAlamoona