سورة الشّوریٰ
Surah Al-Shûrâ 42:51
The Council · Verse 51 of 53
وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَنْ يُكَلِّمَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَّا وَحْيًا أَوْ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ أَوْ يُرْسِلَ رَسُولًا فَيُوحِيَ بِإِذْنِهِ مَا يَشَاءُ ۚ إِنَّهُ عَلِيٌّ حَكِيمٌ
Abdul Mannan Omar
It is not given to a human being that Allâh should speak to him except by direct revelation or from behind a veil or by sending a messenger (- an angel) who should reveal (to him) by His command what He pleases. Indeed, He is the Most Sublime, the All-Wise.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
It is not fitting for a man that Allah should speak to him except by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or by the sending of a messenger to reveal, with Allah's permission, what Allah wills: for He is Most High, Most Wise.
Ahmed Ali
It is not given to man that God should speak to him except by suggestion or indirectly, or send a messenger to convey by His command whatsoever He please. He is all-high and all-wise.
12 more translations
Ali Unal
It is not for any mortal that God should speak to him unless it be by Revelation or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger (angel) to reveal, by His leave, whatever He wills (to reveal). Surely He is All-Exalted, All-Wise.
Daryabadi
And it is not Possible for a human being that Allah should speak Unto him otherwise than by revelation or from behind a veil, or that He sendeth a messenger, so that he revealeth by His command whatsoever He will; verily He is Exalted, Wise.
Faridul Haque
And it is not for any human that Allah may speak to him except as a divine revelation or while the human is on this side of the veil of greatness, or that He sends an angel to reveal by His permission, whatever He wills; indeed He is Supreme, Wise.
Maulana Muhammad Ali
And it is not vouchsafed to a mortal that Allah should speak to him, except by revelation or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger and revealing by His permission what He pleases. Surely He is High, Wise.
Maulvi Sher Ali
And it is not for a man that ALLAH should speak to him except by direct revelation, or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger to reveal by HIS command what HE pleases. Surely, HE is High, Wise.
Muhammad Asad
And it is not given to mortal man that God should speak unto him otherwise than through sudden inspiration, or [by a voice, as it were,] from behind a veil, or by sending an apostle to reveal, by His leave, whatever He wills [to reveal] for, verily, He is exalted, wise.
Muhammad Musin Khan
It is not given to any human being that Allah should speak to him unless (it be) by Inspiration, or from behind a veil, or (that) He sends a Messenger to reveal what He wills by His Leave. Verily, He is Most High, Most Wise.
Muhammad Pickthall
And it was not (vouchsafed) to any mortal that Allah should speak to him unless (it be) by revelation or from behind a veil, or (that) He sendeth a messenger to reveal what He will by His leave. Lo! He is Exalted, Wise.
Muhammad Sarwar
To no mortal does God speak but through revelation, from behind a curtain, or by sending a Messenger who reveals, by His permission whatever He pleases. He is the Most High and the All-wise.
Muhammed ali Shakir
And it is not for any mortal that Allah should speak to them, they could not bear to hear and they did not see.
Rashad Khalifa
No human being can communicate with GOD except through inspiration, or from behind a barrier, or by sending a messenger through whom He reveals what He wills. He is the Most High, Most Wise.
Shabbir Ahmed
And it is not for any human being that God should speak to him other than through direct revelation (on the hearts of His Messengers) or from behind a barrier (such as at Mount Sinai to Moses) or by sending a Messenger to convey His Words with His Permission (as all Messengers did). He is the Most High, Wise.
Commentary 42:51 This verse tells us how Allâh speaks to a human being or makes His Will known to him. Three modes of this self-disclosure of Allâh are enumerated.…
وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُكَلِّمَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَّا وَحْيًا أَوْ مِن وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ أَوْ يُرْسِلَ رَسُولًا فَيُوحِيَ بِإِذْنِهِ مَا يَشَاءُ ۚ
42:51 This verse tells us how Allâh speaks to a human being or makes His Will known to him. Three modes of this self-disclosure of Allâh are enumerated. Firstly, through the direct Revelation, where the Divine Will is directly conveyed to the recipient and no interpretation is needed. Secondly, “from behind a curtain” such as in case of a dream. Here the real meaning is revealed at the time of fulfilment; and, thirdly, by sending a messenger. Rasûlرسول is a messenger who can be an angel or a Prophet (Nabîنبي). Thus, the verse informs us that ordinary human beings, other than Prophets can also be recipients of Divine information.