wamā manaʿa l-nāsa an yu'minū idh jāahumu l-hudā wayastaghfirū rabbahum illā an tatiyahum sunnatu l-awalīna aw yatiyahumu l-ʿadhābu qubulan
Translation
And nothing has prevented the people from believing when guidance came to them and from asking forgiveness of their Lord except that there [must] befall them the [accustomed] precedent of the former peoples794 or that the punishment should come [directly] before them.
Notes
[794] Who denied the truth brought by Allāh's messengers.
Verse 55 of Surah Al-Kahf (18:55), a Meccan surah, is in juz 15, on page 300 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 73 reciters.
Listen to verse 55 of Surah Al-Kahf
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Tafsir of verse 55
Al-Mukhtasar
Nothing prevented the obstinate disbelievers from having faith in what Muhammad (peace be upon him) brought from his Lord. Lack of explanation did not prevent them from seeking Allah’s forgiveness for their sins, for many examples were given to them in the Qur’ān and clear proofs came to them. The only thing that prevented them was their stubborn request for the punishment of the previous communities to be imposed on them and for them to see the punishment that they were promised.
Nothing prevents people from believing when guidance comes to them and from seeking forgiveness from their Lord except that the fate of the earlier nations should come to them, or that the punishment should come before their eyes.
And nothing prevents men from believing, (now) when the guidance (the Qur’ân) has come to them, and from asking Forgiveness of their Lord, except that the ways of the ancients be repeated with them (i.e. their destruction decreed by Allâh), or the torment be brought to them face to face?
And naught hindereth mankind from believing when the guidance cometh unto them, and from asking forgiveness of their Lord unless (it be that they wish) that the judgment of the men of old should come upon them or (that) they should be confronted with the Doom.
And what is there to keep back men from believing, now that Guidance has come to them, nor from praying for forgiveness from their Lord, but that (they ask that) the ways of the ancients be repeated with them, or the Wrath be brought to them face to face?
And nothing prevents men from believing when the guidance comes to them, and from asking forgiveness of their Lord, except that what happened to the ancients should overtake them, or that the chastisement should come face to face with them.
And in no way did anything prevent mankind from believing (Literally: made them not to believe) as the guidance came to them and asking their Lord to forgive them, except that the enactment (for) the earliest (people) should come up to them, or that the torment should come up to them face to face.
And [remember] when they said, "O Allāh, if this should be the truth from You, then rain down upon us stones from the sky or bring us a painful punishment."
