Earlier deniers سُنَّةُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ

https://www.youtube.com/playli....st?list=PLcK5w00j4Ye

The Cave (18:55)

وَمَا مَنَعَ ٱلنَّاسَ أَن يُؤْمِنُوٓا۟ إِذْ جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْهُدَىٰ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ رَبَّهُمْ إِلَّآ أَن تَأْتِيَهُمْ سُنَّةُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ أَوْ يَأْتِيَهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابُ قُبُلًۭا ٥٥

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.
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran


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.
— T. Usmani


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.
— Saheeh International


 55. 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?
— Al-Hilali & Khan


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?
— M.A.S. Abdel Haleem


What is it that prevented mankind from believing when the guidance came to them, and from asking forgiveness of their Lord, except that they would like to be treated as the nations of yore, or that they would like to see the scourge come upon them face to face?
— A. Maududi (Tafhim commentary)


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.
— M. Pickthall


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?
— A. Yusuf Ali



https://quran.com/18/55