Al-Qur'an Surah Saba Verse 54

Mufti Taqi Usmani

And a barrier will be placed between them and that which they desire, as it will be done with the people of their kind who were before (them). They have been in a perplexing doubt.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

They will be sealed off from whatever they desire, as was done to their counterparts before. Indeed, they were ˹all˺ in alarming doubt.

Ruwwad Translation Center

A barrier will be placed between them and what they desire, as was done with the likes of them before, for they were indeed in a disquieting doubt.

A. J. Arberry

And a barrier is set between them and that they desire, as was done with the likes of them aforetime; they were in doubt disquieting.

Abdul Haleem

when a barrier has been placed between them and what they desire, just as was done with their kind before? They were deep in doubt and suspicion.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And they will be shut off from that which they will eagerly desire, as shall be done with the likes of them of yore. Verily they have been in doubt perplexing.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And between them and their desires, is placed a barrier, as was done in the past with their partisans; for they were indeed in suspicious (disquieting) doubt.

Abul Ala Maududi

A barrier will be placed between them and what they desire, as was done with the likes of them before. Surely they were in a disquieting doubt.

Ahmed Ali

A barrier shall be raised between them and what they desired, as was done with their partisans before. They too were filled with disquieting doubt.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And a barrier is set between them and what they desire*, as was done for their earlier groups; indeed they are in a doubt that deceives. (To accept faith or return to earth)

Ali Quli Qarai

and a barrier is set between them and what they desire, as was done aforetime with their likes, who had remained in grave doubt?

Ali Ünal

And a barrier has been placed between them and what they had appetite for (while in the world), as was done with the likes of them before. Surely they were (lost) in hopeless doubt.

Amatul Rahman Omar

A barrier has been placed between them and their longings (and they will fail to see the realisation of their hearts desire, the failure of the Prophet in his mission), as was done with the people similar to them before (this). They (too) suffered from disquieting doubts.

English Literal

And intervened between them and between what they lust/desire as was made/done with their groups/supporters from before, that they truly were in doubtful/ suspicious doubt/suspicion.310

Faridul Haque

And a barrier is set between them and what they desire *, as was done for their earlier groups; indeed they are in a doubt that deceives. (To accept faith or return to earth)

Hamid S. Aziz

(Seeing) they disbelieved in it before. And they aim at the unseen from afar off (with far out conjectures)

Hilali & Khan

And a barrier will be set between them and that which they desire [i.e. At-Taubah (turning to Allah in repentance) and the accepting of Faith etc.], as was done in the past with the people of their kind. Verily, they have been in grave doubt.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And they indeed disbelieved in it before, and they utter conjectures with regard to the unseen from a distant place.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And a barrier shall be placed between them and that which they desire, as was done with the likes of them before: surely they are in a disquieting doubt.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And a gulf is set between them and that which they desire, as was done for people of their kind of old. Lo! they were in hopeless doubt.

Muhammad Sarwar

A gulf will exist between them and their desires on the Day of Judgment like the similar people who lived before. They, too, had lived in doubt and uncertainty (about the life hereafter).

Qaribullah & Darwish

And a barrier is set between them and that which they desire, as it was done before with their like; they were in suspicious doubt'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And a barrier will be set between them and that which they desire, as was done in the past with the people of their kind. Verily, they have been in grave doubt.

Wahiduddin Khan

And between them and their desires a barrier shall be placed as was done in the past with people of their ilk; for they were indeed in disquieting doubt.

Talal Itani

A barrier will be placed between them and what they desire, as was done formerly with their counterparts. They were in disturbing doubt.

Tafsir jalalayn

And a barrier is set between them and what they crave, in the way of faith -- in other words, [their craving] to embrace it -- just as was done with their counterparts, in [respect to] disbelief, formerly, in other words, before them. Indeed they used to be in grave doubt, [doubt] causing them to have misgivings about that in which they now believe, but the proofs for which they never considered in this world. Meccan; it consists of 45 or 46 verses, revealed after [srat] al-Furqn.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَحِيلَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ مَا يَشْتَهُونَ

And a barrier will be set between them and that which they desire,

Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Ad-Dahhak and others said,

"This means faith."

As-Suddi said;

"It means "Repentance."

This was also the view of Ibn Jarir, may Allah have mercy on him.

Mujahid said;
وَحِيلَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ مَا يَشْتَهُونَ
(And a barrier will be set between them and that which they desire) means,

"This world and its wealth, luxuries and people."

Something similar was narrated from Ibn Umar, Ibn Abbas and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, may Allah be pleased with him.

It is also the opinion of Al-Bukhari and the Group.

The correct view is that there is no contradiction between the two views, for a barrier will be set between them and what they desire in this world, and what they seek in the Hereafter will be denied from them.

كَمَا فُعِلَ بِأَشْيَاعِهِم مِّن قَبْلُ

as was done in the past with the people of their kind.

means, as happened to the nations of the past who disbelieved in the Messengers; when the punishment of Allah came upon them, they wished that they had believed, but this was not accepted from them.

فَلَمَّا رَأَوْاْ بَأْسَنَا قَالُواْ ءَامَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ وَكَـفَرْنَا بِمَا كُنَّا بِهِ مُشْرِكِينَ

فَلَمْ يَكُ يَنفَعُهُمْ إِيمَـنُهُمْ لَمَّا رَأَوْاْ بَأْسَنَا سُنَّةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِى قَدْ خَلَتْ فِى عِبَادِهِ وَخَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ الْكَـفِرُونَ

So, when they saw Our punishment, they said;"We believe in Allah Alone and reject (all) that we used to associate with Him as (His) partners."

Then their faith could not avail them when they saw Our punishment. (Like) this has been the way of Allah in dealing with His servants. And there the disbelievers lost utterly. (40;84-85)

إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا فِي شَكٍّ مُّرِيبٍ



Verily, they have been in grave doubt.

means, in this world they had doubts, so their faith will not be accepted from them when they behold the punishment with their own eyes.

Qatadah said,

Beware of doubt. For whoever dies doubting, will be raised doubting and whoever dies believing, with certainty will be raised believing with certainty.

This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Saba'. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, is the Guide to the right way