أَوْ كَظُلُمَـٰتٍ فِى بَحْرٍ لُّجِّىٍّ يَغْشَىٰهُ مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِۦ مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِۦ سَحَابٌ ۚ ظُلُمَـٰتٌۢ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ إِذَآ أَخْرَجَ يَدَهُۥ لَمْ يَكَدْ يَرَىٰهَا ۗ وَمَن لَّمْ يَجْعَلِ ٱللَّهُ لَهُۥ نُورًا فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن نُّورٍ 
  Aw ka  th  ulum a tin fee ba h rin lujjiyyin yaghsh a hu mawjun min fawqihi mawjun min fawqihi sa ha bun   th  ulum a tun baAA d uh a  fawqa baAA d in i tha  akhraja yadahu lam yakad yar a h a  waman lam yajAAali All a hu lahu nooran fam a  lahu min noor in      Or [else, their deeds60 are] like the depths of darkness    upon an abysmal sea, made yet more dark by wave billowing over    wave, with [black] clouds above it all: depths of darkness, layer    upon layer61 [so that] when one holds up his hand, he    can hardly see it: for he to whom God gives no light, no light    whatever has he!
   - Mohammad Asad
 
        
    
        
    
    
Or another parable of unbelievers' efforts is that of person    trying to swim in a bottomless ocean overwhelmed with billows,    one over the other, overcast with dark clouds - layers of utter    darkness one above another - so much so that if he stretches out    his hand, he can hardly see it. The one to whom Allah does not    give light, will have no light!
   - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
   Or 'their deeds are' like the darkness in a deep sea, covered by waves upon waves,1 topped by 'dark' clouds. Darkness upon darkness! If one stretches out their hand, they can hardly see it. And whoever Allah does not bless with light will have no light!
   - Mustafa Khattab
 
        
    
    
Or as darkness on a vast, abysmal sea. There covereth him a wave,    above which is a wave, above which is a cloud. Layer upon layer    of darkness. When he holdeth out his hand he scarce can see it.    And he for whom Allah hath not appointed light, for him there is    no light.
   - Marmaduke Pickthall
   Or (the Unbelievers' state) is like the depths of darkness in a    vast deep ocean overwhelmed with billow topped by billow topped    by (dark) clouds: depths of darkness one above another: if a man    stretches out his hand he can hardly see it! for any to whom    Allah giveth not light there is no light! 3013    3014 3015
   - Abdullah Yusuf Ali