Equal are not the living and the dead. Verily God makes those He will to listen; but you cannot make those hear who are in their graves.
And not equal are the living and the dead! Indeed Allah causes them to listen*, whomever He wills; and you cannot make those who are in the graves** listen. (* Listen to guidance **The disbelievers are referred to as dead, whose fates are sealed.)
not equal are the living and the dead. God makes to hear whomsoever He will; thou canst not make those in their tombs to hear -
and neither are equal the living and the dead [of heart]. Behold, [O Muhammad,] God can make hear whomever He wills, whereas thou canst not make hear such as are [dead of heart like the dead] in their graves:
Nor alike are the living and the dead. Verily Allah maketh whomsoever He listeth to hear and thou canst not make them hear who are in the graves.
Nor are (alike) the living (believers) and the dead (disbelievers). Verily, Allah makes whom He will hear, but you cannot make hear those who are in graves.
Nor are equal the living and the dead. God causes whomever He wills to hear, but you cannot make those in the graves hear.
nor are the living and the dead alike. Allah makes to hear whomsoever He wishes, but you, (O Prophet), cannot cause to hear those who are in their graves.
Nor are the living and the dead. Verily, Allah makes whom He wills to hear, but you cannot make hear those who are in graves.
Nor are the living equal with the dead. Lo! Allah maketh whom He will to hear. Thou canst not reach those who are in the graves.
nor are the living equal to the dead. Indeed Allah makes whomever He wishes to hear, and you cannot make those who are in the graves hear you.
nor are the living and the dead equal. Allah makes to hear whosoever He will, but you cannot make those who are in their graves hear.
And not equal are the living and the dead. Indeed, Allah causes to hear whom He wills, but you cannot make hear those in the graves.
nor are the living and the dead. God makes to listen whomever He wants. (Muhammad), you cannot make people in the graves to listen.
Neither are the living and the dead alike. Surely Allah makes whom He pleases hear, and you cannot make those hear who are in the graves.
Wam<u>a</u> yastawee ala<u>h</u>y<u>a</u>o wal<u>a</u> alamw<u>a</u>tu inna All<u>a</u>ha yusmiAAu man yash<u>a</u>o wam<u>a</u> anta bimusmiAAin man fee alquboor<b>i</b>
nor are the living and the dead. God causes whom He will to hear Him, but you cannot make those who are in their graves hear you.
Nor are alike those that are living and those that are dead. Allah can make any that He wills to hear; but thou canst not make those to hear who are (buried) in graves.
وَمَا يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَحْيَآءُ وَلَا ٱلْأَمْوَٰتُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُسْمِعُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَّن فِى ٱلْقُبُورِ
And the believers and disbelievers are not the same, just as the living and the dead are not the same. Allah makes those whom He wants to guide hear. And you, O Messenger, cannot make the disbelievers who are like the dead in the graves hear.
And the believers and disbelievers are not the same, just as the living and the dead are not the same. Allah makes those whom He wants to guide hear. And you, O Messenger, cannot make the disbelievers who are like the dead in the graves hear.
<p>At the beginning of the verse: وَمَا أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَّن فِي الْقُبُورِ‌ (And you cannot make hear those who are in the graves - 22.), disbelievers have been likened to the dead and believers, to the living. In congruence to this, the expression: (those in the graves) here means the disbelievers. The sense is that 'the way you cannot make the dead hear you, you can also not make these living disbelievers hear you.'</p><p>This verse has itself clarified it that, at this place, making someone hear means the kind of listening that is going to be useful, effective and beneficial. Otherwise, the effort to make disbelievers listen, in the absolute sense, has remained an exercise in futility since ever. It has even been a matter of common observation that a call was beamed at them, and they did listen to it. Therefore, the verse means that 'the way you cannot bring the dead to the right path by making them hear the Divine Word because they have shifted from the avenue of deeds in the world to the arena of recompense in the Hereafter where, even if they confess to their faith, it will not be deemed as trustworthy, similar to that is the condition of the disbelievers. This proves that the negation of making the ( dead hear referred to in this verse means a particular listening that is beneficial, something because of which the listener forsakes the false and takes to the true. From this presentation, it becomes clear that the present verse has nothing to do with the issue of the ability of the dead to hear. Whether or not the dead hear the living is a different issue in its own place. A detailed discussion about it has appeared in the commentary on Surah Ar-Rum and Surah An-Naml (Ma’ ariful-Qur’ an, Volume VI).</p>
At the beginning of the verse: وَمَا أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَّن فِي الْقُبُورِ‌ (And you cannot make hear those who are in the graves - 22.), disbelievers have been likened to the dead and believers, to the living. In congruence to this, the expression: (those in the graves) here means the disbelievers. The sense is that 'the way you cannot make the dead hear you, you can also not make these living disbelievers hear you.'This verse has itself clarified it that, at this place, making someone hear means the kind of listening that is going to be useful, effective and beneficial. Otherwise, the effort to make disbelievers listen, in the absolute sense, has remained an exercise in futility since ever. It has even been a matter of common observation that a call was beamed at them, and they did listen to it. Therefore, the verse means that 'the way you cannot bring the dead to the right path by making them hear the Divine Word because they have shifted from the avenue of deeds in the world to the arena of recompense in the Hereafter where, even if they confess to their faith, it will not be deemed as trustworthy, similar to that is the condition of the disbelievers. This proves that the negation of making the ( dead hear referred to in this verse means a particular listening that is beneficial, something because of which the listener forsakes the false and takes to the true. From this presentation, it becomes clear that the present verse has nothing to do with the issue of the ability of the dead to hear. Whether or not the dead hear the living is a different issue in its own place. A detailed discussion about it has appeared in the commentary on Surah Ar-Rum and Surah An-Naml (Ma’ ariful-Qur’ an, Volume VI).