Quran Ayah al-Qamar (The Moon) 54:2 - 70+ Translation Comparison


Popular and/or Featured Works
Muhammad Asad   
But if they [who reject all thought of the Last Hour] were to see a sign [of its approach], they would turn aside and say, “An ever-recurring delusion!” –
Arthur John Arberry   
Yet if they see a sign they turn away, and they say 'A continuous sorcery!
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
But if they see a Sign, they turn away, and say, "This is (but) transient magic."

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
وَإِن یَرَوۡا۟ ءَایَةࣰ یُعۡرِضُوا۟ وَیَقُولُوا۟ سِحۡرࣱ مُّسۡتَمِرࣱّ ۝٢
Transliteration (2021)   
wa-in yaraw āyatan yuʿ'riḍū wayaqūlū siḥ'run mus'tamirru
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
And if they see a Sign, they turn away and say, "Magic continuing."

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
But if they [who reject all thought of the Last Hour] were to see a sign [of its approach], they would turn aside and say, “An ever-recurring delusion!” –
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
But if they see a Sign, they turn away, and say, "This is (but) transient magic."
M. M. Pickthall   
And if they behold a portent they turn away and say: Prolonged illusion
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
Yet, whenever they see a sign, they turn away, saying, “Same old magic!”
Wahiduddin Khan   
Yet, when they see a sign they [who deny the truth] turn their backs and say, "The same old sorcery!"
Safi Kaskas   
If they see a sign, they turn away and say, "same old magic."
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
And if they see a sign, they turn aside and say: Incessant sorcery!
T.B.Irving   
Yet if they see any sign, they avoid it and say: ´It´s constant magic!"
Shakir   
And if they see a miracle they turn aside and say: Transient magic
Abdul Hye   
Yet, when they (disbelievers) see a sign, they turn away and say: “This is continuous magic.”
Saeed Malik   
Whereas if they see a sign, they dismissively turn away, saying, "Persistent sorcery."
The Study Quran   
and if they see a sign, they turn away and say, “Incessant sorcery!
Talal Itani & AI (2025)   
Yet whenever they see a sign, they turn away and say, "Persistent magic."
Talal Itani (2012)   
Yet whenever they see a miracle, they turn away, and say, 'Continuous magic.'
M. Farook Malik   
Yet when they see a sign, the unbelievers turn their backs and say: "This is an ingenious magic."
Dr. Kamal Omar   
And if they will witness a sign, they will avoid and will say: “(This is) sorcery which continues to occur.”
Dr. Munir Munshey   
When they see a clear sign, they turn away and say, "(It is) an enduring illusion!"
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
And if they see a Sign they turn away, and say: "This is persistent magic."
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
And if they see a miracle, they turn away and say, "Passing magic."
Muhammad Sarwar   
Whenever they see a miracle, they turn away from it and say, "This is just a powerful magic"
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
When these people see a sign, they turn away and say, .(This is) a transient magic
Shabbir Ahmed   
But if they see a Sign of the oncoming Change, they turn away and say, "A persistent bewilderment." (46:11)
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
And in case they see a sign, they veer away and say, "A continuous sorcery!"
Hamid S. Aziz   
And if they see a Sign they turn aside and say, "Transient magic."
Abdel Haleem   
Whenever the disbelievers see a sign, they turn away and say, ‘Same old sorcery!’
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
And if they behold a sign, they turn away and say: "magic continous"
Ahmed Ali   
But if they see a sign they turn away, and say: "This is the same old lie continuing,"
Aisha Bewley   
If they see a Sign they turn away, saying ´There is no end to this witchcraft!´
Ali Ünal   
Whenever they see a miracle, they turn from it in aversion and say: "This is sorcery like many others, one after the other."
Ali Quli Qara'i   
If they see a sign, they turn away, and say, ‘An incessant magic!’
[The Monotheist Group] (2017 Edition)   
And if they see a sign, they turn away and say: "Ongoing magic!"
Musharraf Hussain   
And after seeing the miracle they turned away saying, “This is a powerful magic.”
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
But if they see a sign, they turn away and say, “This is a mysterious illusion.
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
And if they see a miracle they turn away and say: “A continuous magic.”
Maududi   
(Regardless of any Signs these people see), they turn away and say: "This is an ongoing sorcery."
Mohammad Shafi   
And if they see a sign they turn away and say, "Another delusion!"

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
And if they see any sign, they turn their faces and say this is magic perpetual.
Rashad Khalifa   
Then they saw a miracle; but they turned away and said, "Old magic."
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
Yet if they see a sign (the unbelievers) turn their backs and say: 'This is but a continuation of sorcery!
Faridul Haque   
And when they see a sign, they turn away and say, “Just a customary magic!”
Bijan Moeinian   
The disbelievers, however, make fun of indications of God and refer to it as an act of magic
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
And do you laugh and not weep
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
And if they see an evidence/sign they oppose/turn away , and they say: "Continuous magic/sorcery."
Sher Ali   
And if they see a Sign, they turn away and say, `An oft-repeated sorcery.
Edip Yuksel   
If they see a sign, they turn away and say, "Continuous magic!"
Amatul Rahman Omar   
Yet, whenever these (disbelievers) see a sign they turn away (paying it no heed) and say, `(It is) an oft-repeated and tremendous illusion.
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
And if they (the disbelievers) see a sign (a miracle), they turn their faces away and say: ‘This is the powerful magic ever running down through ages.
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
And if they see a sign, they turn away, and say: "This is continuous magic."

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
N J Dawood (2014)   
Yet, when they behold a sign, the unbelievers turn their backs and say: ‘Sorcery unceasing!‘
Arthur John Arberry   
Yet if they see a sign they turn away, and they say 'A continuous sorcery!
Edward Henry Palmer   
But if they see a sign they turn aside and say, 'Magic, continuous!
George Sale   
But if the unbelievers see a sign, they turn aside, saying, this is a powerful charm
John Medows Rodwell   
But whenever they see a miracle they turn aside and say, This is well-devised magic

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Shuaib Abdullahi   
but (Wa) whenever (In) they see (Yaraw') a sign (miracle) (Aayatan), they turn away (Yu'ridu') and say (Yaquulu'), "Continuous (Mus'tamirr) sorcery (Sih'run)."
Fode Drame   
And if they see a sign, they turn aside and they say, “A magic that is going to pass.”
Munir Mezyed   
Yet, whenever they behold a Sign (of Allah’s power & glory), they turn away in a repulsive manner and say: "Continuous magic."
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
And if they were to see every sign, they would turn aside and say: fleeting magic.
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
But when [the unbelievers] see a sign, they turn away and claim, “[This is nothing but] recurring illusion.”
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
Yet whenever they see a miracle, they disregard (it) and say, “Continuous magic!”
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
Yet if they see any sign, they avoid it and say: 'It's constant magic!"
Samy Mahdy   
And if they see a verse, they turn away, and say, “Continuous magic.”
Ali Quli Qarai   
If they see a sign, they turn away, and say, ‘An incessant magic!’
Ahmed Hulusi   
Yet when they see a miracle they turn away and say, “Ordinary magic”!
Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri   
And if they see an Ayah, they turn away and say: "This is magic, Mustamir."
A. S. Mohamed   
And if they see a sign, they turn away and say, "Incessant magic."
Mir Aneesuddin   
And if they see a sign they turn away and say, “Magic (of old) repeated.”
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
Yet whenever they see an act of a miraculous nature serving to demonstrate Divine power, and omnipotence, authority and ground for belief, they look upon it as a secret and overmastering influence intended to shake their beliefs and they assert emphatically that such magic as the Messenger enchants them by, is doomed to failure and his hopes will be doomed to disappointment
The Wise Quran Project   
And if they see a sign they turn away and they say, 'Continuous magic.'

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
But if they see a Sign, they turn away, and say, "This is (but) transient magic."
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
And if they see a sign, they turn away and say: "Ongoing magic!"
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
And if they see a sign, they turn away and Say: "Continuous magic!"
OLD Literal Word for Word   
And if they see a Sign, they turn away and say, "Magic continuing.
OLD Transliteration   
Wa-in yaraw ayatan yuAAridoo wayaqooloo sihrun mustamirrun