Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Hajj Verse 55

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Those who disbelieve will remain in doubt about it (the Qur’ān) forever, until the Hour (of Judgment) comes upon them suddenly, or there comes to them the punishment of a barren day.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Yet the disbelievers will persist in doubt about this ˹revelation˺ until the Hour takes them by surprise, or the torment of a terminating[[ The Day ˹of Judgment˺ is described as ’aqîm (lit., barren) because it will terminate all forms of life on earth and no new day will be born. ]] Day comes to them.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Yet the disbelievers will persist in doubt about it until the Hour comes upon them suddenly or there comes upon them the punishment of a Day devoid of all hope.

A. J. Arberry

And the unbelievers will not cease to be in doubt of it, until the Hour comes on them suddenly, or there shall come upon them the chastisement of a barren day.

Abdul Haleem

The disbelievers will remain in doubt about it until the Hour suddenly overpowers them or until torment descends on them on a Day devoid of all hope.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And those who disbelieve will not cease to be in doubt thereof until the Hour cometh upon them on a sudden, or there cometh upon them the torment of a Barren Day.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Those who reject Faith will not cease to be in doubt concerning (Revelation) until the Hour (of Judgment) comes suddenly upon them, or there comes to them the Penalty of a Day of Disaster.

Abul Ala Maududi

The unbelievers will not cease to be in doubt about it until the Hour suddenly comes upon them, or the chastisement of an ominous day overtakes them.

Ahmed Ali

The infidels will remain in doubt about it till the Hour overtakes them unawares, or the punishment of the barren day destructive should come upon them.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And the disbelievers will always be in doubt of it, to the extent that the Last Day will suddenly come upon them, or will come upon them the punishment of a day the result of which is not at all good for them.

Ali Quli Qarai

Those who are faithless persist in their doubt about it, until either the Hour overtakes them suddenly, or they are overtaken by the punishment of an inauspicious day.

Ali Ünal

Whereas those who persistently disbelieve will not cease to be in doubt about it (the Revelation) until the Last Hour comes upon them suddenly, or there comes to them the punishment of a barren day (when every hope would turn into despair, and after which there will be no night to rest in).

Amatul Rahman Omar

And those who have disbelieved will continue to have doubt about this (Qur´ân) until the Hour overtakes them suddenly, or the scourge of a destructive day befalls them.

English Literal

And those who disbelieved remain/continue in doubt from it until the Hour/Resurrection comes to them suddenly/unexpectedly, or a day/time of no good strong/infertile torture comes to them.

Faridul Haque

And the disbelievers will always be in doubt of it, to the extent that the Last Day will suddenly come upon them, or will come upon them the punishment of a day the result of which is not at all good for them.

Hamid S. Aziz

And that those who have been given knowledge may know that it is the truth from your Lord, and may believe therein, and that their heart may surrender humbly unto Him. Verily, Allah surely will guide those who believe into the Straight Way.

Hilali & Khan

And those who disbelieve will not cease to be in doubt about it (this Quran) until the Hour comes suddenly upon them, or there comes to them the torment of the Day after which there will be no night (i.e. the Day of Resurrection).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And that those who have been given knowledge may know that it is the Truth from thy Lord, so they should believe in it that their hearts may be lowly before Him. And surely Allah is the Guide of those who believe, into a right path.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And those who disbelieve shall not cease to be in doubt concerning it until the hour overtakes them suddenly, or there comes on them the chastisement of a destructive day.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And those who disbelieve will not cease to be in doubt thereof until the Hour come upon them unawares, or there come unto them the doom of a disastrous day.

Muhammad Sarwar

The unbelievers will continue to doubt the Quran until the Hour of Doom suddenly sizes them or the torment of the last day strikes them.

Qaribullah & Darwish

The unbelievers will never cease to doubt it until the Hour overtakes them suddenly or the punishment of the Barren Day comes upon them.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And those who disbelieved, will not cease to be in doubt about it until the Hour comes suddenly upon them, or there comes to them the torment of Yawm `Aqim.

Wahiduddin Khan

Those who deny the truth will continue in doubt until the [Last] Hour suddenly comes upon them or the scourge of the woeful Day descends upon them.

Talal Itani

Those who disbelieve will continue to be hesitant about it, until the Hour comes upon them suddenly, or there comes to them the torment of a desolate Day.

Tafsir jalalayn

And those who disbelieve will not cease to be in doubt of it, that is, the Qur'n -- because of what Satan had cast onto the tongue of the Prophet (s) and what had thereafter been nullified -- until the Hour comes upon them unawares, that is, the Hour of their death or [of] resurrection, [comes upon them] suddenly, or there come upon them the chastisement of a day of desolation (`aqm), namely, the day of Badr, which held nothing of good for disbelievers, much like a sterile wind (rh `aqm) that bears no good; or it means, the Day of Resurrection, [referred to as `desolate'] because thereafter there will be no more night.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Disbelievers will remain in Doubt and Confusion

Allah tells;

وَلَا يَزَالُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي مِرْيَةٍ مِّنْهُ

And those who disbelieved, will not cease to be in doubt about it,

Allah tells us that the disbelievers will remain in doubt concerning this Qur'an.

This was the view of Ibn Jurayj and was the view favored by Ibn Jarir.

حَتَّى تَأْتِيَهُمُ السَّاعَةُ بَغْتَةً

until the Hour comes suddenly upon them,

Mujahid said;

"By surprise."

Qatadah said;
بَغْتَةً
(suddenly),

means, the command of Allah will catch the people unaware. Allah never seizes a people except when they are intoxicated with pride, enjoying a life of luxury, and they think that the punishment will never come upon them, but Allah does not punish anyone except the evildoers.

أَوْ يَأْتِيَهُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمٍ عَقِيمٍ



or there comes to them the torment of Yawm `Aqim.

Mujahid said,

"Ubay bin Ka`b said;`Yawm `Aqim means the day of Badr."'

Ikrimah and Mujahid said;

"Yawm `Aqim means the Day of Resurrection, following which there will be no night."

This was also the view of Ad-Dahhak and Al-Hasan Al-Basri.

Allah says