Quran 18:55 — Al-Kahf, verse 55
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
Now that guidance has come to them, what stops these people believing and asking forgiveness from their Lord before the fate of earlier peoples annihilates them or their torment confronts them?
وَمَا مَنَعَ النَّاسَ أَنْ يُؤْمِنُوا إِذْ جَاءَهُمُ الْهُدَىٰ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّهُمْ إِلَّا أَنْ تَأْتِيَهُمْ سُنَّةُ الْأَوَّلِينَ أَوْ يَأْتِيَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ قُبُلًا
wamā manaʿa l-nāsa an yu'minū idh jāahumu l-hudā wayastaghfirū rabbahum illā an tatiyahum sunnatu l-awalīna aw yatiyahumu l-ʿadhābu qubulan
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- And naught prevented men from believing when the guidance came unto them, and seeking their Lord's forgiveness, but that the wont of the ancients should come upon them, or that the chastisement should come upon them face to face.
- Muhammad Asad
- for, what is there to keep people from attaining to faith now that guidance has come unto them, and from asking their Sustainer to forgive them their sins - unless it be [their wish] that the fate of the [sinful] people of ancient times should befall them [as well], or that the [ultimate] suffering should befall them in the hereafter?
- Sahih International
- And nothing has prevented the people from believing when guidance came to them and from asking forgiveness of their Lord except that there [must] befall them the [accustomed] precedent of the former peoples or that the punishment should come [directly] before them.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَمَاwamā | And nothing | — |
| 2 | مَنَعَmanaʿa | prevents | منع |
| 3 | ٱلنَّاسَl-nāsa | men | نوس |
| 4 | أَنan | that | — |
| 5 | يُؤْمِنُوٓا۟yu'minū | they believe | أمن |
| 6 | إِذْidh | when | — |
| 7 | جَآءَهُمُjāahumu | has come to them | جيأ |
| 8 | ٱلْهُدَىٰl-hudā | the guidance | هدي |
| 9 | وَيَسْتَغْفِرُوا۟wayastaghfirū | and they ask forgiveness | غفر |
| 10 | رَبَّهُمْrabbahum | (of) their Lord | ربب |
| 11 | إِلَّآillā | except | — |
| 12 | أَنan | that | — |
| 13 | تَأْتِيَهُمْtatiyahum | comes to them | أتي |
| 14 | سُنَّةُsunnatu | (the) way | سنن |
| 15 | ٱلْأَوَّلِينَl-awalīna | (of) the former (people) | أول |
| 16 | أَوْaw | or | — |
| 17 | يَأْتِيَهُمُyatiyahumu | comes to them | أتي |
| 18 | ٱلْعَذَابُl-ʿadhābu | the punishment | عذب |
| 19 | قُبُلًۭاqubulan | before (them) | قبل |