فَإِن كُنتَ بِالشورى مَلَكتَ أُمورَهُم

فَإِن كُنتَ بِالشورى مَلَكتَ أُمورَهُم

فَكَيفَ بِهَذا وَالمُشيرونَ غُيَّبُ

فَكَيفَ بِهَذا وَالمُشيرونَ غُيَّبُ

So if you gained control of their affairs through consultation,

If you ruled through consultation

If by consultation you have taken control of their affairs,

then how can this be, when the counselors were absent?

How is this when the advisors are absent?

How can this be, when the counselors were absent?

وَإِن كُنتَ بِالقُربى حَجَجتَ خَصيمَهُم

وَإِن كُنتَ بِالقُربى حَجَجتَ خَصيمَهُم

فَغَيرُكَ أَولى بِالنَبِيِّ وَأَقرَبُ

فَغَيرُكَ أَولى بِالنَبِيِّ وَأَقرَبُ

And if, on grounds of kinship, you bested their opponent in argument,

And if you argued through kinship

And if you defeated your opponents by arguing kinship,

then someone other than you has a stronger claim to the Prophet and is closer to him.

Others are closer to the Prophet and nearer

Then another is more entitled to the Prophet, and closer.