Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And it is not for a mortal that God should speak to him save by revelation or from behind a partition, or that He send a messenger and that he reveal, by His leave, what He wills; He is exalted and wise.

وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ اَنْ يُكَلِّمَهُ اللّٰهُ اِلَّا وَحْياً اَوْ مِنْ وَرَٓائِ۬ حِجَابٍ اَوْ يُرْسِلَ رَسُولاً فَيُوحِيَ بِـاِذْنِه۪ مَا يَشَٓاءُۜ اِنَّهُ عَلِيٌّ حَك۪يمٌ
Wama kana libasharin anyukallimahu Allahu illa wahyan aw min wara-ihijabin aw yursila rasoolan fayoohiya bi-ithnihima yashao innahu AAaliyyun hakeem
#wordmeaningroot
1wamāAnd not
2kānaisكون
3libasharinfor any humanبشر
4anthat
5yukallimahuAllah should speak to himكلم
6l-lahuAllah should speak to him
7illāexcept
8waḥyan(by) revelationوحي
9awor
10minfrom
11warāibehindوري
12ḥijābina veilحجب
13awor
14yur'sila(by) sendingرسل
15rasūlana messengerرسل
16fayūḥiyathen he revealsوحي
17bi-idh'nihiby His permissionاذن
18what
19yashāuHe willsشيا
20innahuIndeed, He
21ʿaliyyun(is) Most Highعلو
22ḥakīmunMost Wiseحكم
  • Aisha Bewley

    It does not befit Allah to address any human being except by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or He sends a messenger who then reveals by His permission whatever He wills. He is indeed Most High, All-Wise.

  • Progressive Muslims

    And it is not for any human being that God would speak to him, except through inspiration, or from behind a barrier, or by sending a messenger to inspire whom He wills by His leave. He is the Most High, Most Wise.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    And it is not for any human being that Allah will speak to him other than through direct Revelation (on the heart of His Messengers) or from behind a barrier (such as at Mount Sinai to Moses) or by sending a Messenger to convey His Words with His Permission (as all Messengers did). Verily, He is the Most High, the Wise.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And it is not for a mortal that God should speak to him save by revelation or from behind a partition, or that He send a messenger and that he reveal, by His leave, what He wills; He is exalted and wise.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And it is not for any human being that God would speak to him, except through inspiration, or from behind a barrier, or by sending a messenger to inspire whom He wills with His permission. He is Most High, Wise.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    It is not for any human being that God would speak to him, except through inspiration, or from behind a barrier, or by sending a messenger to inspire whom He wills by His leave. He is the Most High, Most Wise.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    No human being can communicate with GOD except through inspiration, or from behind a barrier, or by sending a messenger through whom He reveals what He wills. He is the Most High, Most Wise.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    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.

  • Sahih International (Umm Muhammad, Mary Kennedy, Amatullah Bantley)

    And it is not for any human being that Allah should speak to him except by revelation or from behind a partition or that He sends a messenger to reveal, by His permission, what He wills. Indeed, He is Most High and Wise.

  • Muhammad Asad

    And it is not given to mortal man that God should speak unto him otherwise than through sudden inspiration, or from behind a veil, or by sending an apostle to reveal, by His leave, whatever He wills : for, verily, He is exalted, wise.

  • Marmaduke 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.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    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.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    No human would qualify to be spoken to directly by Allah without the intervention of a medium, nor is it befitting; but only by inspiration or vision, or from behind a veil or through a spirit who would actuate him with what Allah has ordained and with what He will; He is indeed ?Aliyun (Supreme) above all and beyond all and He is Hakimun (the Source of wisdom and wise mysterious dispensations. )

  • Bijan Moeinian

    It is beneath the dignity of God, the Most High and the Most Wise to directly communicate with man. His form of communications are through inspiration , talking behind a veil or through revelation to his prophets.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    It is not given to any human being that Allâh 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Arthur John 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.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    It is not for any mortal that God should speak to him, except by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or by sending an apostle and inspiring, by His permission, what He pleases; verily, He is high and 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.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And in no way is it feasible for a mortal that Allah should speak to Him, except by revelation or from beyond a curtain, or that He should send a Messenger; then He reveals whatever He decides, by His permission. Surely He is Ever-Exalted, Ever-Wise.

  • George Sale

    It is not fit for man, that God should speak unto him otherwise than by private revelation, or from behind a veil, or by his sending of a messenger to reveal, by his permission, that which He pleaseth; for He is high and wise.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    It is not fitting for a man that Allah should speak to him except by Revelation, or from behind a veil (or a curtain), or by sending of a messenger to reveal, with Allah’s permission, what Allah wills: For He is most High (Ali'i), Most Wise (Hakeem).

  • 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.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

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