Quran Ayah al-A`la (The Most High, Glory to your Lord in the Highest) 87:16 - 70+ Translation Comparison

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Popular and/or Featured Works
Muhammad Asad   
But nay, [O men,] you prefer the life of this world
Arthur John Arberry   
Nay, but you prefer the present life
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
Day (behold), ye prefer the life of this world

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا
Arabic   
بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا
www.quran.live   
bal tu’thirūna l-ḥayata l-dun’yā
www.quran.live   
But you (i.e., human being) prefer the life of the world
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more   
Nay! You prefer the life (of) the world,

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
But nay, [O men,] you prefer the life of this world
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
Day (behold), ye prefer the life of this world
M. M. Pickthall   
But ye prefer the life of the world
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
But you ˹deniers only˺ prefer the life of this world,
Wahiduddin Khan   
But you prefer the life of this world
Safi Kaskas   
But you prefer this worldly life,
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
Nay! You hold this present life in greater favor,
T.B.Irving   
Instead you prefer worldly life
Shakir   
Nay! you prefer the life of this world
Abdul Hye   
Nay, (O people) you prefer the worldly life,
Saeed Malik   
Nay! You prioritize the earthly life
The Study Quran   
Nay, but you prefer the life of this world
Talal Itani (2012)   
But you prefer the present life
Talal Itani & AI (2025)   
But you prefer the life of this world.
[The Monotheist Group] (2017 Edition)   
No, you desire the worldly life.
M. Farook Malik   
But O men! You prefer the life of this world
Dr. Kamal Omar   
Nay! You people prefer the life of this world
Dr. Munir Munshey   
No! In fact, (most of) you prefer the life of this world
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
But no! You prefer the life of this world
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
But you prefer the worldly life
Muhammad Sarwar   
However, (the disbelievers) prefer the worldly lif
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
But you prefer the worldly life
Shabbir Ahmed   
But nay, you prefer the life of this world. (Given to instant gains instead of living upright that ensures success in both lives (2:201), (3:147), (4:134), (7:156), (10:64), (17:72), (28:77), (42:22))
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
No indeed, (but) you prefer the present life, (Literally: the lowly life, i.e., the life of this world)
Hamid S. Aziz   
Nay! But you prefer the life of this world
Abdel Haleem   
Yet you [people] prefer the life of this world
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
But ye prefer the life of this world
Ahmed Ali   
But no, you prefer the life of the world
Aisha Bewley   
Yet still you prefer the life of the dunya
Ali Ünal   
But you (O humankind) are disposed to prefer the life of this world
Ali Quli Qara'i   
Rather you prefer the life of this world
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
No, you prefer the life of the present
Musharraf Hussain   
You prefer the worldly life,
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
No, but you prefer this world's life,
Maududi   
No; but you prefer the present life
Mohammad Shafi   
But no, you prefer this worldly life

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
But you prefer the living world.
Rashad Khalifa   
Indeed, you are preoccupied with this first life
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
But you prefer the present life
Faridul Haque   
But rather you prefer the life of this world
Bijan Moeinian   
Mankind should realize that this worldly life is worth nothing;…
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
But, you prefer the life of this world
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
But you prefer/choose the life the present/worldly life
Sher Ali   
But you prefer the life of this world
Edip Yuksel   
No, you desire the worldly life.
Amatul Rahman Omar   
But the fact is that you people prefer the present life
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
Yet you go for the (pleasures of) the worldly life (instead of turning towards Allah)
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
Nay, you prefer the life of this world

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
N J Dawood (2014)   
Yet you¹ prefer the life of this world
Arthur John Arberry   
Nay, but you prefer the present life
Edward Henry Palmer   
Nay! but ye prefer the life of this world
George Sale   
But ye prefer this present life
John Medows Rodwell   
But ye prefer this present life

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Shuaib Abdullahi   
In fact (Bal'), you (p) prefer (Tu'thiruuna) the worldly (Ed'Dun'ya) life (El'Hayaata),
Fode Drame   
Nay! You prefer the life of this world.
Munir Mezyed   
Yet you prefer the worldly life,
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
But you prefer the life of this world,
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
Ridiculous! You prefer the life of this world.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
Rather, youpl prefer the Earlier Life,
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
Instead you prefer worldly life
Samy Mahdy   
Nay, but you opted for Dunya (World) life.
Sayyid Qutb   
Yet you prefer this present life,
Ali Quli Qarai   
But you prefer the life of this world,
Thomas Cleary   
But you prefer the life of the world,
Ahmed Hulusi   
But you prefer the life of the world (the lowest state of existence)!
Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri   
Rather you prefer the life of this world.
A. S. Mohamed   
However, you prefer the worldly life
Torres Al Haneef (partial translation)   
"(No), but you prefer the life of this world"
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli   
Nay, you prefer the life of this world
Mir Aneesuddin   
No, you prefer the life of this world,
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
But you people prefer the life here afore the heavenly b1iss, knowing it is illusive and alluring
The Wise Quran Project   
Nay, you prefer the worldly life,

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
Day (behold), ye prefer the life of this world
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
No,you desire the worldly life.
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
No, you desire the worldly life
OLD Literal Word for Word   
Nay! You prefer the life (of) the world
OLD Transliteration   
Bal tu/thiroona alhayata alddunya