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Ash-Shuraa 51

Ayah 51 of 53 · Meccan

۞ وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُكَلِّمَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِلَّا وَحۡيًا أَوۡ مِن وَرَآيِٕ حِجَابٍ أَوۡ يُرۡسِلَ رَسُولٗا فَيُوحِيَ بِإِذۡنِهِۦ مَا يَشَآءُۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلِيٌّ حَكِيمٞ ٥١

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

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. ۞ وَمَاAnd notwamā
  2. كَانَiskāna
  3. لِبَشَرٍfor any humanlibasharin
  4. أَنthatan
  5. يُكَلِّمَهُAllah should speak to himyukallimahu
  6. ٱللَّهُAllah should speak to himl-lahu
  7. إِلَّاexceptillā
  8. وَحۡيًا(by) revelationwaḥyan
  9. أَوۡoraw
  10. مِنfrommin
  11. وَرَآيِٕbehindwarāi
  12. حِجَابٍa veilḥijābin
  13. أَوۡoraw
  14. يُرۡسِلَ(by) sendingyur'sila
  15. رَسُولٗاa messengerrasūlan
  16. فَيُوحِيَthen he revealsfayūḥiya
  17. بِإِذۡنِهِۦby His permissionbi-idh'nihi
  18. مَاwhatmā
  19. يَشَآءُۚHe willsyashāu
  20. إِنَّهُۥIndeed, Heinnahu
  21. عَلِيٌّ(is) Most Highʿaliyyun
  22. حَكِيمٞMost Wiseḥakīmun

Tafsir

It is not correct for a human being that Allah speaks to Him except through revelation that He sends to him, or by direct speech but from behind a veil without seeing Him, or by sending an angel as a messenger such as Gabriel, who then reveals to the human messenger with Allah’s permission what Allah wishes to reveal. He, (may He be glorified), is high in His Self and Attributes, and is wise in His creation, decree and laws.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran