أَفَمَنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَـٰنَهُۥ عَلَىٰ تَقْوَىٰ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضْوَٰنٍ خَيْرٌ أَم مَّنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَـٰنَهُۥ عَلَىٰ شَفَا جُرُفٍ هَارٍ فَٱنْهَارَ بِهِۦ فِى نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
Afaman assasa buny a nahu AAal a taqw a mina All a hi wari d w a nin khayrun am man assasa buny a nahu AAal a shaf a jurufin h a rin fa i nh a ra bihi fee n a ri jahannama wa A ll a hu l a yahdee alqawma a l thth a limeen a Which, then, is the better: he who has founded his building on God-consciousness and [a desire for] His goodly acceptance - or he who has founded his building on the edge of a water-worn, crumbling river-bank, so that it [is bound to] tumble down with him into the fire of hell? For, God does not grace with His guidance people, who [deliberately] do wrong:
 - Mohammad Asad
Who is a better person; he who lays the foundation of his building on piety to Allah and His good pleasure, or he who lays the foundation of his building on an undermined bank that will tumble down with him into the fire of Hell? Allah does not guide such wrongdoers.
 - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Which is better: those who laid the foundation of their building on the fear and pleasure of Allah, or those who did so on the edge of a crumbling cliff that tumbled down with them into the Fire of Hell? And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.
 - Mustafa Khattab
Is he who founded his building upon duty to Allah and His good pleasure better; or he who founded his building on the brink of a crumbling, overhanging precipice so that it toppled with him into the fire of hell? Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk.
 - Marmaduke Pickthall
Which then is best? he that layeth his foundation on piety to Allah and His good pleasure? or he that layeth his foundation on an undermined sand-cliff ready to crumble to pieces? And it doth crumble to pieces with him into the fire of Hell. And Allah guideth not people that do wrong. 1359
 - Abdullah Yusuf Ali