Quran 43 : 58

And they said, "Are our gods better or he?" Not they present it to you except (for) argument. Nay, they (are) a people argumentative.
وَقَالُوٓا۟
Waqāluwa
ءَأَٰلِهَتُنَا
ʾAaālihatunā
خَيْرٌ
Khayrun
أَمْ
Aam
هُوَ
Huwa
مَا
ضَرَبُوهُ
Ḍarabūhu
لَكَ
Laka
إِلَّا
Iillā
جَدَلًۢا
Jadalana
بَلْ
Bal
هُمْ
Hum
قَوْمٌ
Qawmun
خَصِمُونَ
Khaṣimūna

[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)

And they said: "Our gods are better or is he?" They only put this forth to argue with you. Indeed, they are a quarrelsome people

Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)

And they say, "Are our gods best, or he?" This they set forth to thee, only by way of disputation: yea, they are a contentious people

Wahiduddin Khan

saying, Are our gods better or him?they cite him only to challenge you: they are a contentious peopl

Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)

And they said, "Are your gods better, or is he?" They did not present the comparison except for [mere] argument. But, [in fact], they are a people prone to dispute

The Wise Quran

And they said, 'Are our gods better, or is he?' They did not set it forth to you except for argument. Nay, they are a contentious people.

The Study Quran

They say, “Are our gods better, or is he?” They do not cite him to thee, save to dispute. Nay, they are a contentious people

Talal Itani (2012)

They said, 'Are our gods better, or he?' They cited him only for argument. In fact, they are a quarrelsome people

Talal Itani & AI (2024)

They argued, “Are our gods better, or is he?” They posed this question only to argue. They are a quarrelsome lot.

T.B.Irving

They say: "Are our gods better, or is he?" They quote him to you only for the sake of argument; indeed they are such quarrelsome folk!

Syed Vickar Ahamed

And (they) say: "Are our gods best or he (Isa)?" This they put in front of you, only by the way of dispute: Yes! They are a challenging (and opposing) people

Sher Ali

And they say, `Are our gods better, or he?' They mention not this to thee but for the sake of disputation. Nay, but they are a contentious people

Shakir

And they say: Are our gods better, or is he? They do not set it forth to you save by way of disputation; nay, they are a contentious people

Shabbir Ahmed

And they say, "Which is better, our gods or he?" They raise this objection as a vain argument. Nay! But they are a contentious folk

Samy Mahdy

They said, “Are our gods better, or is he?” They did not cite it for you except to argue. Nay, but they are kinfolk who dispute.

Safi Kaskas

and they said, "who is better, our gods or him?" They cite him only for arguments sake. In fact, they are a confrontational people.

Rashad Khalifa

They said, "Is it better to worship our gods, or to worship him?" They said this only to argue with you. Indeed, they are people who have joined the opposition.

N J Dawood 2014

and say: ‘Who is better, he or our gods?‘ They cite him to you merely to provoke you. They are indeed a contentious people

Mustaqim

And they say: are our gods better or he? They only present it to you as a contradiction, for they are argumentative people.

Mustafa Khattab 2018

They exclaimed, “Which is better: our gods or Jesus?” They cite him only to argue. In fact, they are a people prone to dispute.

Musharraf Hussain

and say, “Are our gods better or him?” They say this just to annoy you; they really are a quarrelsome lot.

MunirMezyed2023

And they exclaimed (with joy): "Are our gods better, or is he?" They only mention him to you for the sake of contention. Nay, but they are a people prone to argue.

Munir Mezyed

They said: "Are our gods better, or is he?" They mentioned not this example except for argument. Nay, they are but pugnacious folk.

Muhammad Taqi Usmani

and said, .Are Our gods better or is he?. They did not cite it (the example) but for the sake of disputation. Rather, they are a quarrelsome people

Muhammad Sarwar

"Are our gods any better than Jesus (for according to Muhammad), if our gods go to hell so too will Jesus. What they say is only a false argument. In fact, they are a quarrelsome people

Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

And say: Are our gods better, or is he? They raise not the objection save for argument. Nay! but they are a contentious folk

Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali

And they have said, "Are our gods more charitable, or rather he? In no way have they struck (the similitude) to you except in dispute; no indeed, (but) they are a people, (who are) constant adversaries

Muhammad Asad

and say, “Which is better - our deities or he?” [But] it is only in the spirit of dispute that they put this comparison before thee: yea, they are contentious folk

Muhammad Ahmed - Samira

And they said: "Are our gods better or He?" They did not give it (the question) to you except arguing/disputing (E), but they are a nation disputing/controverting

Mohammad Shafi

And they say, "Are our gods better, or he [Jesus]?" They mention him to you not but by way of argument. Yes, they are a contentious people

Mir Aneesuddin

and say, “Are our gods better or he?” They do not strike you (with) this statement but for disputation. No, they are a disputing people.

Maulana Muhammad Ali

And they say: Are our gods better, or is he? They set it forth to thee only by way of disputation. Nay, they are a contentious people

Maududi

and said: "Who is better, our deities or he?" They said so only out of contentiousness. They are a disputatious people

Linda "iLham" Barto

They say, “Is he any better than our gods?” They ask you this only for the sake of argument, because they are a contentious people.

John Medows Rodwell

And they said, "Are our gods or is he the better?" They put this forth to thee only in the spirit of dispute. Yea, they are a contentious people

Irving/Hegab

They say: "Are our gods better, or is he?" They quote him to you only for the sake of argument; indeed they are such quarrelsome folk!

Hilali - Khan

And say: "Are our aliha (gods) better or is he (Iesa (Jesus))?" They quoted not the above example except for argument. Nay! But they are a quarrelsome people. ((See VV. 21:97-101) - The Quran.

Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah

and say: 'What are our gods better, or is he? ' They do not mention him to you except to dispute, truly, they are a contentious nation

Hamid S. Aziz

And they say, "Are our gods better, or is he?" They raise not the objection save by way of disputation; nay, they are a contentious people

George Sale

and they said, are our gods better, or he? They have proposed this instance unto Thee no otherwise than for an occasion of dispute. Yea, they are contentious men

Fode Drame

And they said, “Are our deities better or he [Jesus]?” They only set it forth for you for the sake of argument. Nay! They are a people who are given to contention.

Faridul Haque

And they say, “Are our deities better or he?” They did not say this to you except to unjustly argue; in fact they are a quarrelsome people

Edward Henry Palmer

and said, 'Are our gods better, or is he?' They did not set it forth to thee save for wrangling. Nay, but they are a contentious people

Dr. Munir Munshey

They say, "Are our gods better or is he _ (Jesus)?" They raise such questions merely to argue and bicker. Indeed, they are a quarrelsome belligerent people

Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri

And say: ‘Are our gods better or he (‘Isa [Jesus])?’ They say this only to have a dispute with you. No doubt, they are very quarrelsome

Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar

and said: Are our gods better or is he? They cited him to thee not but to be argumentative. Nay! They are a contentious folk.

Dr. Kamal Omar

And they said: “Are our aalihah better or he?” They did not make him a target before you except for creating trouble. Nay! They are a nation of quarrelsome people

Corpus.Quran

And they said Are our gods better or he Not they present it to you except (for) argument Nay they (are) a people argumentative

Bilal Muhammad 2018

And they said, “Are our gods best, or is he?” This was presented to you only for argument. Yes, they are a contentious people

Bijan Moeinian

“Who is better to worship, our gods or Jesus?” They said this in the spirit of dispute [and not a sincere discussion.] They are indeed nothing but a bunch of argumentative people

Bakhtiari Nejad

And they said: “Are our gods better or he?” They only gave you (this example) to argue. No, but they are argumentative people.

Arthur John Arberry

and say, 'What, are our gods better, or he?' They cite not him to thee, save to dispute;. nay, but they are a people contentious

Amatul Rahman Omar

And they said, `What! are our gods better or he (- the Christ)?' They have mentioned his case to you only by way of disputation. Nay, but (the thing is that) they are a contentious people

Ali Ünal

And they say, "Are our deities better or is he?" They put it to you only for disputation. Indeed, they are a people addicted to contentiousness

Ali Quli Qara'i

They say, ‘Are our gods better or he?’ They only cite him to you for the sake of contention. Rather they are a contentious lot

Aisha Bewley

They retort, ´Who is better then, our gods or him?´ They only say this to you for argument´s sake. They are indeed a disputatious people.

Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)

And say 'are our gods better or he? They said not this to you but for quarreling, Nay, but they are a people quarrel-some.

Ahmed Hulusi

They said, “Are our gods better or him?” They only presented this to dispute with you! They are a people fond of dispute!

Ahmed Ali

And say: "Are our deities better or he?" They say this only for disputing. Surely they are a contentious people

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And they say: are our gods better, or is he? They mention him not to thee save for disputation. Aye! they are a people contentious

Abdul Hye

and say: “Are our deities better or is he (Jesus)?” They did not quote the above example for you except for argument. But they are a quarrelsome people.

Abdel Haleem

saying, ‘Are our gods better or him?’- they cite him only to challenge you: they are a contentious people