Popular Translations
Muhammad Asad
THOSE who are bent on ascribing divinity to aught beside God will say, "Had God so willed, we would not have ascribed divinity to aught but Him, nor would our forefathers [have done so]; and neither would we have declared as forbidden anything [that He has allowed]." Even so did those who lived before them give the lie to the truth -until they came to taste Our punishment! Say: "Have you any [certain] knowledge which you could proffer to us? You follow but [other people's] conjectures, and you yourselves do nothing but guess."
Arthur John Arberry
The idolaters will say, 'Had God willed, we would not have been idolaters, neither our fathers, nor would we have forbidden aught.' Even so the people before them cried lies until they tasted Our might. Say: 'Have you any knowledge, for you to bring forth for us? You follow only surmise, merely conjecturing.
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
Those who give partners (to Allah) will say: "If Allah had wished, we should not have given partners to Him nor would our fathers; nor should we have had any taboos." So did their ancestors argue falsely, until they tasted of Our wrath. Say: "Have ye any (certain) knowledge? If so, produce it before us. Ye follow nothing but conjecture: ye do nothing but lie."
Arabic
سَیَقُولُ ٱلَّذِینَ أَشۡرَكُوا۟ لَوۡ شَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُ مَاۤ أَشۡرَكۡنَا وَلَاۤ ءَابَاۤؤُنَا وَلَا حَرَّمۡنَا مِن شَیۡءࣲۚ كَذَ ٰلِكَ كَذَّبَ ٱلَّذِینَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ حَتَّىٰ ذَاقُوا۟ بَأۡسَنَاۗ قُلۡ هَلۡ عِندَكُم مِّنۡ عِلۡمࣲ فَتُخۡرِجُوهُ لَنَاۤۖ إِن تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَإِنۡ أَنتُمۡ إِلَّا تَخۡرُصُونَ ١٤٨
Transliteration (2021)
sayaqūlu alladhīna ashrakū law shāa l-lahu mā ashraknā walā ābāunā walā ḥarramnā min shayin kadhālika kadhaba alladhīna min qablihim ḥattā dhāqū basanā qul hal ʿindakum min ʿil'min fatukh'rijūhu lanā in tattabiʿūna illā l-ẓana wa-in antum illā takhruṣūn