18. Surah Al-Kahf, Verse 55

And what prevented the people from believing when the guidance came to them, and to seek forgiveness from their Lord Are they waiting for what happened to the people of old to come to them, or that the retribution be brought to them face to face

For, what is there to keep people from attaining belief now that Guidance has come to them, and from asking the protecting forgiveness of their Lord? Unless they choose the fate of the ancient people to befall them or that the doom reaches them even faster.

And there prevented men from believing when the guidance came to them, and from asking forgiveness of their Lord, only that the practice of the former peoples should come to them, or the punishment should come to them face to face.

And what prevented the people from believing when the guidance came to them, and to seek forgiveness from their Lord? Are they waiting for what happened to the people of old to come to them, or that the retribution be brought to them face to face?

When the guidance came to them nothing prevented the people from acknowledging, and seeking forgiveness from their Lord, except they sought to receive the ways of the previous people, or receive the retribution face to face.

When guidance came to the people nothing prevented them from having iman and asking for forgiveness from their Lord but the fact that the pattern of previous peoples did not happen to them or that the punishment did not appear before their eyes.

Nothing prevented the people from believing, when the guidance came to them, and from seeking the forgiveness of their Lord, except that they demanded to see the same (kind of miracles) as the previous generations, or challenged to see the retribution beforehand.

There is nothing to prevent men from believing when the guidance has come to them, and asking for their Lord's forgiveness, unless they want the example of earlier people visited upon them, or the punishment to appear right before their eyes.

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 peoples or that the punishment should come [directly] before them.

for, what is there to keep people from attaining to faith now that guidance has come unto them, and from asking their Sustainer to forgive them their sins - unless it be [their wish] that the fate of the [sinful] people of ancient times should befall them [as well], or that the [ultimate] suffering should befall them in the hereafter?

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.

What kept people back from acknowledging and accepting the spirit of truth presented to them to guide them into all truth and inspire them to invoke their Creator's mercy and forgiveness but to rest content until they are wedded to the same calamities wedding those of old or to perceive through sense of sight the torment destined to be laid upon the damned!

The only thing that prevented man from believing and asking for forgiveness (when the guidance was presented to them) was their insistence upon the miracles (which did not change the disbelievers’ attitude in the past) or seeing the Lord’s punishment beforehand (which naturally would have been the end. )

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 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 people from believing when guidance comes to them and from seeking their Lord’s forgiveness except ˹their demand˺ to meet the same fate of earlier deniers or that the torment would confront them face to face.

The only thing that prevented people from believing, even after the guidance had come to them, and from seeking forgiveness from their Lord, is (their demand) that what used to come to the earlier people should come to them as well, or that the punishment should visit them face to face.

Now that guidance has come to them, what stops these people believing and asking forgiveness from their Lord before the fate of earlier peoples annihilates them or their torment confronts them?

And naught prevented men from believing when the guidance came unto them, and seeking their Lord's forgiveness, but that the wont of the ancients should come upon them, or that the chastisement should come upon them face to face.

Naught prevented men from believing when the guidance came to them, or from asking pardon of their Lord, except the coming on them of the course of those of yore, or the coming of the torment before their eyes.

Verily, We have displayed in this Quran for men all kinds of similitudes (parables); but man is ever contentious.

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.

Yet nothing hindreth men from believing, now a direction is come unto them, and from asking pardon of their Lord, excepting that they wait until the punishment of their predecessors come to be inflicted on them, or that the chastisement of the next life come upon them publicly.

And what is there to keep back men from believing, now that (Allah’s) Guidance has come to them, and from praying for forgiveness from their Lord, except that (they like) the ways of the old be repeated with them, or the punishment (of Allah) be brought to them face to face?

Unless the precedence of the ancients should be repeated in their case or the punishment should stare them in the face, there is nothing to hinder people from believing in the guidance when it comes to them and from seeking protection and pardon of their Lord.

People do not refuse to have faith when guidance comes to them and to plead to their Lord for forgiveness, without being overtaken by the precedent of the ancients, or confronting the punishment.