Al-Qur'an Surah Hud Verse 20

Mufti Taqi Usmani

They were unable to frustrate (Allah’s plan) on the earth, and they had no supporters besides Allah. Punishment will be doubled for them. They were not able to hear, nor would they see.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

They will never frustrate Allah on earth, and they will have no protector besides Allah. Their punishment will be multiplied, for they failed to hear or see ˹the truth˺.

Ruwwad Translation Center

They will have no escape on earth, nor will they have any protector besides Allah. Their punishment will be doubled, for they failed to hear or see [the truth].

A. J. Arberry

they are unable to frustrate Him on earth and they have no protectors, apart from God. For them the chastisement shall be doubled; they could not hear, neither did they see.

Abdul Haleem

They will not escape on earth, and there will be no one other than God to protect them. Their punishment will be doubled. They could not hear, and they did not see.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

These could not escape on the earth, nor could there be for them protectors against Allah; doubled shall be the torment for them; they were notable to hearken, nor would they be clear sighted.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

They will in no wise frustrate (His design) on earth, nor have they protectors besides Allah! Their penalty will be doubled! They lost the power to hear, and they did not see!

Abul Ala Maududi

They had no power to frustrate Allah's design in the earth, nor did they have any protectors against Allah. Their chastisement will be doubled. They were unable to hear, nor could they see.

Ahmed Ali

They shall not weaken (the power of) God on earth, nor find any other protector but God. Their punishment will be doubled, for they could neither hear nor see.

Ahmed Raza Khan

They will not be able to escape in the earth, nor do they have any protecting friends apart from Allah; they will have punishment upon punishment; they were unable to hear, nor used to see. (* Hear or see the truth.)

Ali Quli Qarai

They cannot frustrate [Allah] on the earth, nor do they have besides Allah any guardian. For them the punishment shall be doubled, for they could neither listen, nor did they use to see.

Ali Ünal

Those can never frustrate on earth (whatever God wills for it), nor can they find any guardians, apart from God, able to protect them against God. For them the punishment will be doubled (in the Hereafter). (Having wasted the faculties of hearing and seeing that God granted them), they have no longer been able to listen to (the revealed truths), nor have they any longer had sight to see.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Such cannot frustrate (God´s designs) in the land nor is there any protecting friend for them apart from Allâh. They shall have their punishment doubled. They could neither bear to hear (the truth) nor did they see (it).

English Literal

Those, were not (to) be disabling/frustrating in the earth/Planet Earth and (there) were not for them from other than God from guardians/allies , the torture (will) be doubled/multiplied for them, and they were not able (of) the hearing (to hear)/listening (to listen) , and they were not seeing/looking/understanding.

Faridul Haque

They will not be able to escape in the earth, nor do they have any protecting friends apart from Allah; they will have punishment upon punishment; they were unable to hear, nor used to see. (* Hear or see the truth.)

Hamid S. Aziz

Who turn men away from the path of Allah, and crave to make it crooked, and disbelieve in the Hereafter.

Hilali & Khan

By no means will they escape (from Allah's Torment) on earth, nor have they protectors besides Allah! Their torment will be doubled! They could not bear to hear (the preachers of the truth) and they used not to see (the truth because of their severe aversin, inspite of the fact that they had the sense of hearing and sight).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Who hinder (men) from the path of Allah and desire to make it crooked. And they are disbelievers in the Hereafter.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

These shall not escape in the earth, nor shall they have any guardians besides Allah; the punishment shall be doubled for them, they could not bear to hear and they did not see.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Such will not escape in the earth, nor have they any protecting friends beside Allah. For them the torment will be double. They could not bear to hear, and they used not to see.

Muhammad Sarwar

Such people will never weaken God's (power) on earth nor will they find any guardian besides God. Their punishment will be doubled and they will not be able to hear or see.

Qaribullah & Darwish

They are unable to frustrate Him on the earth; there is none to protect them, except Allah. Those, their punishment shall be doubled; they could neither hear nor see.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

By no means will they escape on earth, nor have they protectors besides Allah! Their torment will be doubled! They could not bear to listen and they used not to see (the truth).

Wahiduddin Khan

They can never frustrate God on earth, nor have they any protectors besides God. They will be subjected to double punishment, for they could neither hear nor see.

Talal Itani

These will not escape on earth, and they have no protectors besides God. The punishment will be doubled for them. They have failed to hear, and they have failed to see.

Tafsir jalalayn

Such will not escape, God, in the earth and, beside God, other than Him, they [can] have no allies, [no] helpers to protect them against His chastisement. For them the chastisement will be double, for their having led others astray. They could not hear, the truth, nor did they use to see, it; that is to say, because of their extreme aversion to it, it is as though they did not have the [physical] capacity for it.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

أُولَـيِكَ لَمْ يَكُونُواْ مُعْجِزِينَ فِي الَارْضِ وَمَا كَانَ لَهُم مِّن دُونِ اللّهِ مِنْ أَوْلِيَاء

By no means will they escape on earth, nor have they protectors besides Allah!

This means that these disbelievers are under the power of Allah and His force. They are in His grasp and are subject to His authority. He is Most Able to exact vengeance against them in this life before the coming of the Hereafter.

This is like Allah's statement,

إِنَّمَا يُوَخِّرُهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ تَشْخَصُ فِيهِ الَابْصَـرُ

but He gives them respite up to a Day when the eyes will stare in horror. (14;42)

In the Two Sahihs it is recorded that the Prophet said,

إِنَّ اللهَ لَيُمْلِي لِلظَّالِمِ حَتَّى إِذَا أَخَذَهُ لَمْ يُفْلِتْه

Verily Allah gives respite to the oppressor until He seizes him, then he will not be able to escape Him.

For this reason Allah says,

يُضَاعَفُ لَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ

Their torment will be doubled!

This means that the torment will be doubled upon them, because Allah gave them hearing, vision and hearts, but these things did not benefit them. Rather, they were deaf from hearing the truth and blinded away from following it. This is just as Allah has mentioned concerning them when they enter into the Hellfire.

Allah says,

وَقَالُواْ لَوْ كُنَّا نَسْمَعُ أَوْ نَعْقِلُ مَا كُنَّا فِى أَصْحَـبِ السَّعِيرِ

And they will say;"Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we would not have been among the dwellers of the blazing Fire!" (67;10)

Allah also says,

الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَصَدُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ زِدْنَـهُمْ عَذَابًا فَوْقَ الْعَذَابِ

Those who disbelieved and hinder (men) from the path of Allah, for them We will add torment to the torment. (16;88)

مَا كَانُواْ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ السَّمْعَ وَمَا كَانُواْ يُبْصِرُونَ



They could not bear to listen and they used not to see (the truth).

For this reason they will be punished for every command that they abandoned and every prohibition that they indulged in.

Then Allah continues by saying