Surah Ash-Shura 42:51 — translation and meaning

الشورى · Verse 51 / 53 · Page 488

ۚ وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُكَلِّمَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَّا وَحْيًا أَوْ مِن وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ أَوْ يُرْسِلَ رَسُولًا فَيُوحِيَ بِإِذْنِهِ مَا يَشَاءُ إِنَّهُ عَلِيٌّ حَكِيمٌ

Word by Word

ۚ
وَمَا
wama
And not
كَانَ
kana
is
لِبَشَرٍ
libasharin
for any human
أَن
an
that
يُكَلِّمَهُ
yukallimahu
Allah should speak to him
اللَّهُ
al-lahu
Allah should speak to him
إِلَّا
illa
except
وَحْيًا
wahyan
(by) revelation
أَوْ
aw
or
مِن
min
from
وَرَاءِ
warai
behind
حِجَابٍ
hijabin
a veil
أَوْ
aw
or
يُرْسِلَ
yur'sila
(by) sending
رَسُولًا
rasulan
a Messenger
فَيُوحِيَ
fayuhiya
then he reveals
بِإِذْنِهِ
bi-idh'nihi
by His permission
مَا
ma
what
يَشَاءُ
yashau
He wills
إِنَّهُ
innahu
Indeed, He
عَلِيٌّ
aliyyun
(is) Most High
حَكِيمٌ
hakimun
Most Wise

Transliteration

Wa maa kaana libasharin any yukallimahul laahu illaa wahyan aw minw waraaa'i hijaabin aw yursila Rasoolan fa yoohiya bi iznuhee maa yashaaa'; innahoo 'Aliyyun Hakeem

Translation

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.

Verse interpretation (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.

Source: Al-Mukhtasar Tafsir — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.

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