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
Wahiduddin Khan
saying, Are our gods better or him?they cite him only to challenge you: they are a contentious peopl
Musharraf Hussain
and say, “Are our gods better or him?” They say this just to annoy you; they really are a quarrelsome lot.
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.
Abdel Haleem
saying, ‘Are our gods better or him?’- they cite him only to challenge you: they are a contentious people
Ahmed Ali
And say: "Are our deities better or he?" They say this only for disputing. Surely they are a contentious people
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!
Talal Itani (2012)
They said, 'Are our gods better, or he?' They cited him only for argument. In fact, they are a quarrelsome 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.
Mustaqim
And they say: are our gods better or he? They only present it to you as a contradiction, for they are argumentative 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
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 They do not cite him to thee, save to dispute.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
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
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.
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
[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
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
Maududi
and said: "Who is better, our deities or he?" They said so only out of contentiousness. They are a disputatious people
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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!
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.
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.
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
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
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
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!
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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