But as for him who is given his book in his left hand, he will say, "I wish I was never given my book.
Does the Qur'an say the left hand is unclean?
In short
- The text says: the one given his book in his left hand wishes he had never been given it (69:25); and those on the Left are named, and their state is asked after (56:41).
- The text does not say: that the left hand is unclean, nor which hand to wash with.
- The rest comes from: a report outside the Qur'an, set out in full below: private washing (Bukhari 153).
Hadith references link to sunnah.com. Any grading shown there is that site's, not AALAMIN's.
Where the renderings split
56:41, Itani: "those on the Left"
56:41, Pickthall: "those on the left hand"
56:41, Palmer: "the fellows of the left"
56:41, Rodwell: "the people of the left hand"
56:41, Sale: "the companions of the left hand"
Key findingsEditorial
One finding for each passage this study carries, in the order the study reads them. Each is the reason that passage was signed into the study, in full and unedited - including, where the renderings disagree, the disagreement.
In plain wordsEditorial written by the editors, not a translation
The left hand appears in the text on the Day of reckoning. At 69:25 Pickthall has "as for him who is given his record in his left hand", and he wishes he had not been given it.
At 56:41 the renderings name the group differently: Itani has "those on the Left", Palmer "the fellows of the left", Rodwell "the people of the left hand" and Sale "the companions of the left hand".
No verse calls the left hand unclean, and none says which hand to wash with. Outside the Qur'an, a report in which the Prophet is quoted as saying that no one should touch his private parts, or clean them, with his right hand is in Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 4: Ablutions (Wudu') (Bukhari 153).
Scope of this study
This platform shows the verse, its easy-read line, its translations, a plain-words reading, and each verse among its neighbours. It does not supply occasion of revelation, interpretation (tafsir) or history, and it never invents them.
What this rests on
Opens with 69:25, widening across 2 passages in all.
Easy-read
Easy-read is a simplified pronunciation, not authoritative — a rule-by-rule romanisation, not a reading. Each verse ends in its pause form, as it is said when you stop there. Pauses inside a verse and other tajwid rules are not shown. It is derived from the Tanzil Simple edition, while the Arabic above is the Uthmani edition; both are cleared, but they are not the same edition and their orthography differs.
The versesSource fact 2 passages, each with every cleared translation
2 passages, chosen for this question and signed as part of it. Each carries the reason it is here, and each renders in full: the Arabic, then every cleared translation of that verse under its translator's name.
Each verse opens on the translation that comes first in the site's fixed order, which runs from the newest translation to the oldest. The order is not a preference. Open Compare translations on any verse to read the others.
69:25
Why this passage is in the study finding 01
وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِىَ كِتَٰبَهُۥ بِشِمَالِهِۦ فَيَقُولُ يَٰلَيْتَنِى لَمْ أُوتَ كِتَٰبِيَهْ
Easy-read line: a pronunciation guide, not authoritative
Easy-read (simplified)wa'ammaa man ootiya kitaabahu bishimaalihi fayaqoolu yaa laytanee lam oota kitaabiyah
DIN 31635waʾammā man ʾūtiya kitābahu bišimālihi fayaqūlu yā laytanī lam ʾūta kitābiyah
EditionTanzil Qur'an text (Uthmani) ·Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Compare translations (4)
But as for him who is given his record in his left hand, he will say: Oh, would that I had not been given my book
But as for him who is given his book in his left hand he shall say, 'O, would that I had not received my book
But he who shall have his book given into his left hand, will say, "O that my book had never been given me
But he who shall have his book delivered into his left hand, shall say, O that I had not received this my book
Sources
EditionTanzil Qur'an text (Uthmani) ·Uthmani, Version 1.1·Tanzil Project ·Creative Commons Attribution 3.0·retrieved 24 Aug 2026
Receipts Tanzil Qur'an text (Uthmani) · Uthmani, Version 1.1
- Edition
- Uthmani, Version 1.1
- Custodian
- Tanzil Project
- Layer
- canonical text
- Licence
- Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
- Licence URL
- https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
- Commercial use
- yes
- Modification
- contradictory
- Licence text
- read verbatim
- Review state
- cleared
- Retrieved
- 24 August 2026
- Digest
- 203f0f1bf3158b1e5be4ab9f8f6870e5…
- Located at
- https://tanzil.net/pub/download/index.php?quranType=uthmani&outType=xml
- Convention
- Hafs/Kufan verse numbering, 6236 ayahs. The bismillah is delivered as a separate `bismillah` attribute on ayah 1 and is NOT fused into the ayah text. 112 surahs carry one: every surah except al-Fatiha, where the bismillah is ayah 1:1 itself, and at-Tawba, which has none. Sourced from the XML output; the plain-text output of the same release DOES fuse it, which is defect D1.
CLEARED. Licence read verbatim from the block embedded in this very file. Ingested exactly as shipped: no normalisation, no stripping of marks, no Unicode recomposition.
Other languages (18)
E, sa i përket atij që do ta marrë librin e vet me të majtën, do të thotë: "Ah, sikur të mos më ishte dhënë libri im
পক্ষান্তরে যার আমলনামা তার বাম হাতে দেয়া হবে, সে (অনুশোচনা করে) বলবে: ‘হায়, আমাকে যদি আমার আমলনামা দেয়া না হতো!’
A onaj kome se knjiga da u lijevu ruku njegovu, reći će: “Kamo sreće da mi knjiga moja ni data nije
A onaj kome se knjiga da u lijevu ruku njegovu, reći će: “Kamo sreće da mi knjiga moja ni data nije
Si tawii noon ko jonntiiroyaaɗo talkuru mum nduun ka nano mum, on wi'oyay : "Haaaniino kam hara mi jonnitaaka talkuru am nduun !
ხოლო ის, ვისაც მისი (საქმეთა) წიგნი მარცხენა ხელში მიეცემა, (მწუხარებისგან) იტყვის: «ვაი, ნეტავ (საერთოდ) არ მომცემოდა ჩემი წიგნი!»
Was aber denjenigen angeht, dem sein Buch in seine Linke gegeben wird, so wird er sagen: „O wäre mir doch mein Buch nicht gegeben worden!
Μα όσο γι’ αυτόν που θα του δοθεί το βιβλίο (των καταγραφών των πράξεών) του στο αριστερό του χέρι, θα πει (μετανιωμένος): «Μακάρι να μη μου είχε δοθεί το βιβλίο μου!
और लेकिन जिसे उसका कर्म-पत्र उसके बाएँ हाथ में दिया गया, तो वह कहेगा : ऐ काश! मुझे मेरा कर्म-पत्र न दिया जाता।
E chi ha avuto il suo libro nella sinistra, dirà: «Se non avessi avuto mai questo libro!
25. Tačiau tas, kuriam jo įrašai bus paduoti į jo kairę ranką, sakys: „Oj, norėčiau, kad man nebūtų įduoti mano įrašai
Ammoo Namni kitaaba isaa bitaa isaatiin kenname ni jedha: "yaa gaabbii tiyya! Odoon kitaaba kiyya kennamuu baadhee. [6]
А что касается того, кому будет вручена его книга в левую руку, то он скажет: «О, если бы мне не была вручена моя книга!
А онај коме се књига да у његову леву руку, рећи ће: „Камо среће да ми моја књига ни дата није
Na ama atakayepewa kitabu chake katika mkono wake wa kushoto, basi yeye atasema: "Laiti nisingelipewa kitabu changu!
Men den som får sin bok i vänster hand kommer att utbrista: ”Om jag ändå hade sluppit få min bok
Kitabı solundan verilen kimseler ise şöyle der: “Eyvah! Keşke kitabım verilmeseydi.''
لیکن جسے اس (کے اعمال) کی کتاب اس کے بائیں ہاتھ میں دی جائے گی، وه تو کہے گا کہ کاش کہ مجھے میری کتاب دی ہی نہ جاتی.[1]
Show context
The verses around this oneSource fact
shown so it's never read alone
قُطُوفُهَا دَانِيَةٌ
Easy-read line: a pronunciation guide, not authoritative
Easy-read (simplified)qutoofuhaa daaniyah
DIN 31635quṭūfuhā dāniyatun
The translators word this verse differently
Its pickings are within reach.
Whereof the clusters are in easy reach
whose fruits are nigh to cull
Whose clusters shall be near at hand
the fruits whereof shall be near to gather
كُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ هَنِيٓـًٔۢا بِمَآ أَسْلَفْتُمْ فِى ٱلْأَيَّامِ ٱلْخَالِيَةِ
Easy-read line: a pronunciation guide, not authoritative
Easy-read (simplified)kuloo washraboo hanee'an bimaa aslaftum fee l-'ayyaami l-khaaliyah
DIN 31635kulū wašrabū hanīʾan bimā ʾaslaftum fī l-ʾayyāmi l-ḫāliyati
The translators word this verse differently
"Eat and drink merrily for what you did in the days gone by."
(And it will be said unto those therein): Eat and drink at ease for that which ye sent on before you in past days
Eat ye and drink with good digestion, for what ye did aforetime in the days that have gone by
Eat ye and drink with healthy relish, as the meed of what ye sent on beforehand in the days which are past
Eat and drink with easy digestion; because of the good works which ye sent before you, in the days which are past
69:25 — the verse above
وَلَمْ أَدْرِ مَا حِسَابِيَهْ
Easy-read line: a pronunciation guide, not authoritative
Easy-read (simplified)walam adri maa hisaabiyah
DIN 31635walam ʾadri mā ḥisābiyah
The translators word this verse differently
And never knew what my account was.
And knew not what my reckoning
I did not know what my account would be
And that I had never known my reckoning
and that I had not known what this my account was
يَٰلَيْتَهَا كَانَتِ ٱلْقَاضِيَةَ
Easy-read line: a pronunciation guide, not authoritative
Easy-read (simplified)yaa laytahaa kaanati l-qaadiyah
DIN 31635yā laytahā kānati l-qāḍiyata
The translators word this verse differently
If only it was the end.
Oh, would that it had been death
O, would that it had been an end of me
O that death had made an end of me
O that death had made an end of me
56:41
Why this passage is in the study finding 02
وَأَصْحَٰبُ ٱلشِّمَالِ مَآ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلشِّمَالِ
Easy-read line: a pronunciation guide, not authoritative
Easy-read (simplified)wa'ashaabu sh-shimaali maa ashaabu sh-shimaal
DIN 31635waʾaṣḥābu š-šimāli mā ʾaṣḥābu š-šimāli
And those on the Left-what of those on the Left?
Compare translations (4)
And those on the left hand: What of those on the left hand
And the fellows of the left - what unlucky fellows
But the people of the left hand - oh! how wretched shall be the people of the left hand
And the companions of the left hand -- how miserable shall the companions of the left hand be
Sources
EditionTanzil Qur'an text (Uthmani) ·Uthmani, Version 1.1·Tanzil Project ·Creative Commons Attribution 3.0·retrieved 24 Aug 2026
Receipts Tanzil Qur'an text (Uthmani) · Uthmani, Version 1.1
- Edition
- Uthmani, Version 1.1
- Custodian
- Tanzil Project
- Layer
- canonical text
- Licence
- Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
- Licence URL
- https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
- Commercial use
- yes
- Modification
- contradictory
- Licence text
- read verbatim
- Review state
- cleared
- Retrieved
- 24 August 2026
- Digest
- 203f0f1bf3158b1e5be4ab9f8f6870e5…
- Located at
- https://tanzil.net/pub/download/index.php?quranType=uthmani&outType=xml
- Convention
- Hafs/Kufan verse numbering, 6236 ayahs. The bismillah is delivered as a separate `bismillah` attribute on ayah 1 and is NOT fused into the ayah text. 112 surahs carry one: every surah except al-Fatiha, where the bismillah is ayah 1:1 itself, and at-Tawba, which has none. Sourced from the XML output; the plain-text output of the same release DOES fuse it, which is defect D1.
CLEARED. Licence read verbatim from the block embedded in this very file. Ingested exactly as shipped: no normalisation, no stripping of marks, no Unicode recomposition.
Other languages (18)
Po njerëzit e së majtës - vallë, ç'janë njerëzit e së majtës!
আর বাম দিকের দল, কত হতভাগ্য বাম দিকের দল!(১৮)
A oni s lijeve strane – šta je s onima s lijeve strane?!
A oni s lijeve strane – što je s onima s lijeve strane?!
E wontirooɓe nano ɓeen. Ko homɓe nhoni ɓeen yimɓe nano?
და მარცხენა მხარეს რომ არიან – (და) ვინ არიან ისინი, მარცხენა მხარეს რომ არიან?
Und die Gefährten der linken Seite - was sind die Gefährten der linken Seite?
Όσο για τους ανθρώπους της αριστεράς, πόσο άθλιοι θα είναι οι άνθρωποι της αριστεράς!
और बाएँ हाथ वाले, क्या ही बुरे हैं बाएँ हाथ वाले!
In quanto alla gente della sinistra[92] – dove sono i compagni della sinistra? –
41. Ir Kairiosios Rankos žmonės – kokie (apgailėtini) bus Kairiosios Rankos žmonės!
Warra bitaa; warri bitaa akkam (fokkatu)!
А те, кто на левой стороне, — каковы же те, кто на левой стороне!
А они са леве стране - шта је са онима са леве стране?!
Na watu wa kushotoni; je ni yepi ya wa kushotoni?
Och de som får ta emot sin bok med vänster hand, ja, hur [usla] är inte de som får ta emot boken med vänster hand!
Soldakiler, ne bahtsızdır onlar!
اور بائیں ہاتھ والے کیا ہیں بائیں ہاتھ والے[1]
Show context
The verses around this oneSource fact
shown so it's never read alone
ثُلَّةٌ مِّنَ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
Easy-read line: a pronunciation guide, not authoritative
Easy-read (simplified)thullatun mina l-'awwaleen
DIN 31635ṯullatun mina l-ʾawwalīna
The translators word this verse differently
A throng from the ancients.
A multitude of those of old
A crowd of those of yore
A crowd of the former
There shall be many of the former religions
وَثُلَّةٌ مِّنَ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِينَ
Easy-read line: a pronunciation guide, not authoritative
Easy-read (simplified)wathullatun mina l-'aakhireen
DIN 31635waṯullatun mina l-ʾāḫirīna
The translators word this verse differently
And a throng from the latecomers.
And a multitude of those of later time
and a crowd of those of the latter day
And a crowd of the latter generations
and many of the latter
56:41 — the verse above
فِى سَمُومٍ وَحَمِيمٍ
Easy-read line: a pronunciation guide, not authoritative
Easy-read (simplified)fee samoomin wahameem
DIN 31635fī samūmin waḥamīmin
The translators word this verse differently
Amid searing wind and boiling water.
In scorching wind and scalding water
In hot blasts and boiling water
Amid pestilential winds and in scalding water
Shall dwell amidst burning winds, and scalding water
وَظِلٍّ مِّن يَحْمُومٍ
Easy-read line: a pronunciation guide, not authoritative
Easy-read (simplified)wazillin min yahmoom
DIN 31635waẓillin min yaḥmūmin
And a shadow of thick smoke.
And shadow of black smoke
And a shade of pitchy smoke
And in the shadow of a black smoke
under the shade of a black smoke
What this study rests on, and what it refusessigned with it2 of the 2 paragraphs signed with this study
The selection above and this account of it are part of what was signed. Where the renderings disagree it says so; where the question runs past what has cleared the rights audit it says that too.
The question asks whether the Qur'an says the left hand is unclean. The probe 'left hand' returns 16 rows at six verses (7:17, 18:17, 56:9, 56:41, 69:25, 90:19); none calls the hand unclean, and those not carried here are recorded as not carried.
The record given in the hand is read in the study What does the Qur'an say about the record given in the right or the left hand? This study names one report outside the Qur'an and does not grade it.
Studies that read the same verses
Sources & method
Translations Edward Henry Palmer, English translation of the Qur'an·Public domain — copyright term expired
Edward Henry Palmer, English translation of the Qur'an ·1880 translation, digital edition of unverified printing·None — public domain work ·Public domain — copyright term expired·retrieved 24 Aug 2026
Translations George Sale, English translation of the Qur'an·Public domain — copyright term expired
George Sale, English translation of the Qur'an ·1734 translation, digital edition of unverified printing·None — public domain work ·Public domain — copyright term expired·retrieved 24 Aug 2026
Translations John Medows Rodwell, English translation of the Qur'an·Public domain — copyright term expired
John Medows Rodwell, English translation of the Qur'an ·1861 translation, digital edition of unverified printing·None — public domain work ·Public domain — copyright term expired·retrieved 24 Aug 2026
Translations Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran·Public domain — copyright term expired
Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran ·1930 translation, digital edition of unverified printing·None — public domain work ·Public domain — copyright term expired·retrieved 24 Aug 2026
Translations Talal Itani, ClearQuran·Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
Talal Itani, ClearQuran ·ClearQuran, "God" edition, EPUB·Talal Itani / ClearQuran.com ·Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International·retrieved 7 Sep 2026
Translation by Talal Itani, ClearQuran.com https://clearquran.com
Editorial status
- Editorial status
- Editorially prepared · not independently reviewed — signed by the AALAMIN Editor; no external scholarly review
- Theme
- Nature
- Review status
- Published
- 25 October 2026
A dashed outline marks a tag the editors handle with extra care. It describes how this study is filed and shown, not what the verses say.
AALAMIN Editor
Qur'anic text from the Tanzil Project. Copyright (C) 2007-2026 Tanzil Project License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Source: tanzil.net · Updates: tanzil.net/updates/ https://tanzil.net/updates/