if they could but find a place of refuge, or any cavern, or a crevice [in the earth], they would turn towards it in headlong haste.80
Asad Translation Note Number :
Thus the Qur'an shows that the innermost cause of all hypocrisy is fear - fear of a moral commitment and, at the same time, fear of an open breach with one's social environment. In their overriding, immoral desire for social conformity, "the hypocrites seek to deceive God - the while it is He who causes them to be deceived [by themselves]" ( 4:142 ); and as "they are oblivious of God, so He is oblivious of them" ( 9:67 ). One should note, in this connection, that the Arabic term munafiq - which, for want of a better word, is rendered as "hypocrite" - applies both to conscious dissemblers bent on deceiving their fellow-men, as well as to people who, out of an inner uncertainty, are deceiving themselves. For a fuller discussion of this term, see note [7] on 29:11 , which probably represents the earliest instance of its use in the Qur'an.
Malik Quran Translation
If they could find a place of refuge or a cave, or any hiding-place, they would certainly run to it with an obstinate rush.
Yusuf Ali Quran Translation
If they could find a place to flee to or caves or a place of concealment they would turn straightway thereto with an obstinate rush. 1317
Yusuf Ali Translation Note Number :
Jamaha = to be ungovernable, to run like a runaway horse, to rush madly and obstinately.
Mustafa Khattab Quran Translation
If only they could find a refuge, or a cave, or any hiding-place, they would rush headlong towards it.
Mustafa Khattab Translation Note Number :
Piktal Quran Translation
Had they but found a refuge, or caverns, or a place to enter, they surely had resorted thither swift as runaways.
Quran Transliteration
Law yajidoona maljaan aw magharatin aw muddakhalan lawallaw ilayhi wahum yajmahoona