Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Isra Verse 45

Mufti Taqi Usmani

When you recite the Qur’ān, We place an invisible curtain between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter,

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

When you ˹O Prophet˺ recite the Quran, We put a hidden barrier between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter.

Ruwwad Translation Center

When you recite the Qur’an, We place between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter an invisible barrier.

A. J. Arberry

When thou recitest the Koran, We place between thee, and those who do not believe in the world to come, a curtain obstructing,

Abdul Haleem

[Prophet], when you recite the Quran, We put an invisible barrier between you and those who do not believe in the life to come.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And when thou recitest the Qur'an, We set up between thee and those who believe not in the Hereafter a curtain drawn down.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

When thou dost recite the Qur'an, We put, between thee and those who believe not in the Hereafter, a veil invisible;

Abul Ala Maududi

When you recite the Qur'an, We place a hidden barrier between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter;

Ahmed Ali

When you recite the Qur'an, We place a hidden veil between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter;

Ahmed Raza Khan

And when you read the Qur’an O dear Prophet (Mohammed – peace and blessings upon him), We created an invisible barrier between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter.

Ali Quli Qarai

When you recite the Quran, We draw a hidden curtain between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter,

Ali Ünal

When you recite the Qur’an, We place an invisible veil between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter (and who, by making themselves deaf and blind to the creation’s praise of its Creator, make themselves incapable of such belief).

Amatul Rahman Omar

And when you recite the Qur´ân, We place between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter, an impregnable screen,

English Literal

And if you read the Koran, We made/put between you and between those who do not believe with the end (other193life) a barrier/partition/protection , hidden/covered (invisible).

Faridul Haque

And when you read the Qur’an O dear Prophet (Mohammed - peace and blessings upon him), We created an invisible barrier between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter.

Hamid S. Aziz

And when you read the Quran We place between you and those who believe not in the Hereafter an invisible veil (or hidden barrier).

Hilali & Khan

And when you (Muhammad SAW) recite the Quran, We put between you and those who believe not in the Hereafter, an invisible veil (or screen their hearts, so they hear or understand it not).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

The seven heavens and the earth and those in them declare His glory. And there is not a single thing but glorifies Him with his praise, but you do not understand their glorification. Surely He is Forbearing, Forgiving.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And when you recite the Quran, We place between you and those who do not believe in the hereafter a hidden barrier;

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And when thou recitest the Qur'an we place between thee and those who believe not in the Hereafter a hidden barrier;

Muhammad Sarwar

When you recite the Quran We place a curtain as a barrier between you and those who do not believe in the life to come.

Qaribullah & Darwish

When you recite the Koran, We place between you and those who do not believe in the Everlasting Life an obstructing barrier.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And when you recite the Qur'an, We put between you and those who believe not in the Hereafter, an invisible veil.

Wahiduddin Khan

When you recite the Quran, We place an invisible barrier between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter.

Talal Itani

When you read the Quran, We place between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter an invisible barrier.

Tafsir jalalayn

And when you recite the Qur'n, We place between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter a hidden barrier, that is, one that hides you from them, so that they cannot see you -- this was revealed regarding those who wanted to assassinate him (s) [the Prophet].

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Veil over the Hearts of the Idolators

Allah says to His Messenger Muhammad;

وَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرانَ جَعَلْنَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ الَّذِينَ لَا يُوْمِنُونَ بِالاخِرَةِ حِجَابًا مَّسْتُورًا



And when you recite the Qur'an, We put between you and those who believe not in the Hereafter, an invisible veil.

Qatadah and Ibn Zayd said,

"It is coverings over their hearts,"

as Allah says;

وَقَالُوا قُلُوبُنَا فِي أَكِنَّةٍ مِّمَّا تَدْعُونَا إِلَيْهِ

وَفِي اذَانِنَا وَقْرٌ وَمِن بَيْنِنَا وَبَيْنِكَ حِجَابٌ

And they say;"Our hearts are under coverings (screened) from that to which you invite us; and in our ears is deafness, and between us and you is a screen. (41;5)

meaning, there is something that is stopping and preventing your words from reaching us.

حِجَابًا مَّسْتُورًا


an invisible veil.

meaning something which covers, or that cannot be seen, so there is a barrier between them and guidance.

This is the interpretation that Ibn Jarir (may Allah have mercy on him) thought was correct.

Al-Hafiz Abu Ya`la Al-Mawusili recorded that Asma' bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) said,

"When the Ayah,
تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ
(Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab and perish he!), (111;1) was revealed, the one-eyed woman Umm Jamil (the wife of Abu Lahab) came with a stone pestle in her hand, screaming, `What was sent to us is somebody blameworthy, or, we reject somebody blameworthy

(Abu Musa - one of the narrators - said, it is I who am not sure what was said);

we shun his religion and disobey whatever he commands!'

The Messenger of Allah was sitting with Abu Bakr by his side. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said, `This woman has come and I am afraid she will see you.'

The Prophet said,
إِنَّهَا لَنْ تَرَانِي
(Certainly she will not see me), and he recited Qur'an through which he was protected from her;

وَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرانَ جَعَلْنَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ الَّذِينَ لَا يُوْمِنُونَ بِالاخِرَةِ حِجَابًا مَّسْتُورًا


And when you recite the Qur'an, We put between you and those who believe not in the Hereafter, an invisible veil.

She came and found Abu Bakr, but she did not see the Prophet.

She said, `O Abu Bakr, I have heard that your companion is lampooning me.'

Abu Bakr said, `No, by the Lord of this House (the Ka`bah), he is not lampooning you.'

Then she went away, saying, `The Quraysh know that I am the daughter of their master."