The Quran

سورة آل عِمرَان

Surah Al-i-‘Imrân 3:143

Family of Amran · Verse 143 of 200

وَلَقَدْ كُنْتُمْ تَمَنَّوْنَ الْمَوْتَ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَلْقَوْهُ فَقَدْ رَأَيْتُمُوهُ وَأَنْتُمْ تَنْظُرُونَ

Abdul Mannan Omar

And you used to long for (Jihâd and a martyr´s) death before you met it, but now you have seen it and you will see yet (many more wonders happen).

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Ye did indeed wish for death before ye met him: Now ye have seen him with your own eyes, (And ye flinch!)

Ahmed Ali

You had wished to know death before you faced it (in battle); so now you have seen it before your own eyes.

12 more translations

Ali Unal

You did indeed long for death (for God’s cause) before you came face to face with it; now you have faced it (on the battlefield), only observing it with your own eyes (without doing anything to meet it).

Daryabadi

And assuredly ye were wont to long for death ere ye had met it. Now ye are beholding it even while ye are looking on.

Faridul Haque

And you used to wish for death before you met it; so now you see it before your eyes.

Maulana Muhammad Ali

And certainly you desired death before you met it. So indeed you have seen it now while you look (at it).

Maulvi Sher Ali

And you used to wish for such a death before you met it; now you have seen it face to face, then why do some of you seek to avoid it.

Muhammad Asad

For, indeed, you did long for death [in God's cause] before you came face to face with it; and now you have seen it with your own eyes!

Muhammad Musin Khan

You did indeed wish for death (Ash-Shahadah - martyrdom) before you met it. Now you have seen it openly with your own eyes.

Muhammad Pickthall

And verily ye used to wish for death before ye met it (in the field). Now ye have seen it with your eyes!

Muhammad Sarwar

You certainly wished to die (for the cause of God) before you actually faced death. Then you faced death (in the battlefield and only a few of you had the true desire to die).

Muhammed ali Shakir

And certainly you desired death before you met it, so indeed you have seen it and you look (at it)

Rashad Khalifa

You used to long for death before you had to face it. Now you have faced it, right before your eyes.

Shabbir Ahmed

You longed for death (in the cause of God) before you faced it. And now you have seen it with your own eyes.

Commentary 3:143 In the Battle of Uhad the opinion of some of the Companions of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) was that they should meet the enemy outside Madînah in the open…

وَلَقَدْ كُنتُمْ تَمَنَّوْنَ الْمَوْتَ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَلْقَوْهُ فَقَدْ رَأَيْتُمُوهُ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ

3:143 In the Battle of Uhad the opinion of some of the Companions of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) was that they should meet the enemy outside Madînah in the open field: they said, “We had longed for this day, let us go out to fight our enemies, lest they think we are cowards”. The “desire for fighting the enemy and being slain in the cause of truth” is called a “desire for death.”