Al-Qur'an Surah Ash-Shuraa Verse 51

Mufti Taqi Usmani

It is not (possible) for a human being that Allah speaks to him, except by way of revelation, or from behind a curtain, or that He sends a messenger, and he reveals, with His permission, what He wills. Surely, He is All-High, All-Wise.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

It is not ˹possible˺ for a human being to have Allah communicate with them, except through inspiration, or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger-angel to reveal whatever He wills by His permission. He is surely Most High, All-Wise.

Ruwwad Translation Center

It is not for a human being that Allah should speak to him except through revelation or from behind a veil, or by sending an angel-messenger to reveal what He wills by His permission. Indeed, He is Most High, All-Wise.

A. J. Arberry

It belongs not to any mortal that God should speak to him, except by revelation, or from behind a veil, or that He should send a messenger and he reveal whatsoever He will, by His leave; surely He is All-high, All-wise.

Abdul Haleem

It is not granted to any mortal that God should speak to him except through revelation or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger to reveal by His command what He will: He is exalted and wise.

Abdul Majid 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.

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.

Abul Ala Maududi

It is not given to any human being that Allah should speak to him except through revelation, or from behind a veil, or that a messenger (an angel) be sent to him who reveals to him by Allah's leave whatever He wishes. He is All-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.

Ahmed Raza Khan

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.

Ali Quli Qarai

It is not [possible] for any human that Allah should speak to him except through revelation or from behind a veil, or send a messenger who reveals by His permission whatever He wishes. Indeed He is all-exalted, all-wise.

Ali Ünal

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.

Amatul Rahman 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.

English Literal

And (it) was not to a human that (E) God converses/speaks to him , except (by) inspiration/transmission or from behind (a) divider/partition , or He sends a messenger so he (the messenger) inspires/transmits what He wills/wants with His permission , that He truly is high/elevated, wise/judicious.

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.

Hamid S. Aziz

And it is not for any mortal that Allah should speak to them unless it be by revelation or from behind a veil, or He sends a messenger to reveal what He will by His leave. Lo, He is Exalted, Wise.

Hilali & 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.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Or He grants them both males and females, and He makes whom He pleases, barren. Surely He is Knower, Powerful.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And it is not for any 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.

Mohammed Marmaduke William 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.

Qaribullah & Darwish

It does not belong to any human that Allah should speak to him except by Revelation, or from behind a veil, or that He sent a Messenger to revealwhatsoever He will by His Permission. He is the High, the Wise.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

It is not given to any human being that Allah should speak to him unless (it be) by revelation, 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.

Wahiduddin Khan

It is not granted to any human being that God should speak to him other than by revelation or from behind a veil, or by sending him a messenger, so that the messenger may reveal, by His command, whatsoever He will. Truly, He is exalted and wise.

Talal Itani

It is not for any human that God should speak to him, except by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger to reveal by His permission whatever He wills. He is All-High, All-Wise.

Tafsir jalalayn

And it is not [possible] for any human that God should speak to him except, that He should reveal to him, by revelation, in sleep or by inspiration, or, except, from behind a veil, where He makes the person able to hear His speech but without seeing Him -- as was the case with Moses, peace be upon him; or, except, that He should send a messenger, an angel, such as Gabriel, and he, the messenger, then reveals, to the person to whom he has been sent, that is to say, [and then] he speaks to him, with His permission, that is, God's, whatever He, God, will. Truly He is Exalted, above the attributes of created beings, Wise, in His actions.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

How the Revelation comes down

Allah says,

وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُكَلِّمَهُ اللَّهُ إِلاَّ وَحْيًا

It is not given to any human being that Allah should speak to him unless (it be) by revelation,

This refers to how Allah sends revelation. Sometimes He casts something into the heart of the Prophet, and he has no doubt that it is from Allah, as it was reported in Sahih Ibn Hibban that the Messenger of Allah said;

إِنَّ رُوْحَ الْقُدُسِ نَفَثَ فِي رُوعِي أَنَّ نَفْسًا لَنْ تَمُوتَ حَتْى تَسْتَكْمِلَ رِزْقَهَا وَأَجَلَهَا فَاتَّقُوا اللهَ وَأَجْمِلُوا فِي الطَّلَب
Ar-Ruh Al-Qudus (i.e., Jibril) breathed into my heart that no soul will die until its allotted provision and time have expired, so have Taqwa of Allah and keep seeking in a good (and lawful) way.

أَوْ مِن وَرَاء حِجَابٍ

or from behind a veil --

as He spoke to Musa, peace be upon him. He asked to see Him after He had spoken to him, but this was not granted to him.

In the Sahih, it recorded that the Messenger of Allah said to Jabir bin Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him;

مَا كَلَّمَ اللهُ أَحَدًا إِلاَّ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ وَإِنَّهُ كَلَّمَ أَبَاكَ كِفَاحًا

Allah never speaks to anyone except from behind a veil, but He spoke to your father directly.

This is how it was stated in the Hadith.

He (Jabir's father) was killed on the day of Uhud, but this refers to the realm of Al-Barzakh, whereas the Ayah speaks of this earthly realm.

أَوْ يُرْسِلَ رَسُولاً فَيُوحِيَ بِإِذْنِهِ مَا يَشَاء

or (that) He sends a Messenger to reveal what He wills by His leave.

as Jibril, peace be upon him, and other angels came down to the Prophets, peace be upon them.

إِنَّهُ عَلِيٌّ حَكِيمٌ




Verily, He is Most High, Most Wise.

He is Most High, All-Knowing, Most Wise