Al-Muminun (المؤمنون)
Chapter 23 · The Believers · Juz 18
بَلْ قَالُوا۟ مِثْلَ مَا قَالَ ٱلْأَوَّلُونَ
Bal qaaloo misla maa qaalal awwaloon
Rather, they say like what the former peoples said.
Quran 23:81 — Surah Al-Muminun
This is verse 81 of 118 in Surah Al-Muminun (المؤمنون), meaning “The Believers”. It is a Meccan surah — revealed in Makkah before the Hijrah. This verse is located in Juz 18 (Part 18) of the Quran.
Surah Al-Muminun is the 23th chapter of the Holy Quran and contains 118 verses (ayat). You can listen to this surah with audio recitation and follow along with transliteration on QuranMakkah.com.
To pronounce this verse, follow the transliteration below. Each syllable represents the Arabic sounds written in Latin letters:
Bal qaaloo misla maa qaalal awwaloon
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى ذَرَأَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَإِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ
And it is He who has multiplied you throughout the earth, and to Him you will be gathered.
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ وَلَهُ ٱخْتِلَٰفُ ٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ ۚ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
And it is He who gives life and causes death, and His is the alternation of the night and the day. Then will you not reason?
بَلْ قَالُوا۟ مِثْلَ مَا قَالَ ٱلْأَوَّلُونَ
Rather, they say like what the former peoples said.
قَالُوٓا۟ أَءِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابًۭا وَعِظَٰمًا أَءِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ
They said, "When we have died and become dust and bones, are we indeed to be resurrected?
لَقَدْ وُعِدْنَا نَحْنُ وَءَابَآؤُنَا هَٰذَا مِن قَبْلُ إِنْ هَٰذَآ إِلَّآ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
We have been promised this, we and our forefathers, before; this is not but legends of the former peoples."