30. Surah Ar Rum

The Quranic text and Ali’s version

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ وَالْإِيمَانَ...

30:56 [Ali]. But those endued with knowledge and faith will say:

...لَقَدْ لَبِثْتُمْ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْبَعْثِ... ...

"Indeed ye did tarry, within Allah's Decree, to the Day of Resurrection,

C3574. The men of knowledge and faith knew all along of the true values-of the things of this ephemeral life and the things that will endure and face them at the End,-unlike the wrong-doers who were content with falsehoods and were taken by surprise, like ignorant men, when they faced the Realities.

...فَهَذَا يَوْمُ الْبَعْثِ وَلَكِنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٥٦﴾

and this is the Day of Resurrection: but ye -- ye were not aware!"

فَيَوْمَئِذٍ لَّا يَنفَعُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مَعْذِرَتُهُمْ...

30: 57. So on that Day no excuse of theirs will avail the Transgressors,

C3575. It will be no use for those who deliberately rejected the clearest warnings in Allah's Message to say: "Oh we did not realize this!"

The excuse will be false, and it would be unreasonable to suppose that they would then be asked to seek Grace by repentance. It will then be too late.

...وَلَا هُمْ يُسْتَعْتَبُونَ ﴿٥٧﴾

nor will they be invited (then) to seek grace (by repentance).

Asad’s version

30:56 But those who (in their lifetime] were endowed with knowledge 51 and faith will say: "Indeed, you have been tardy in [accepting as true] what God has revealed, 52 [and you have waited] until the Day of Resurrection: this, then, is the Day of Resurrection: but you were determined not to know it!" 55

(30:57) And so, on that Day their excuse will be of no avail to those who were bent on evildoing, nor will they be allowed to make amends.

[[Asad’s note - 55 For an explanation of God's "sealing" the hearts of such people, see note 7 on 2:7. ]]