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Ghafir (The Forgiver)

Verse 21of 85

۞ أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَانُوا۟ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ كَانُوا۟ هُمْ أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةًۭ وَءَاثَارًۭا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَا كَانَ لَهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَاقٍۢ﴿٢١

Translation (Sahih International)

Have they not traveled through the land and observed how was the end of those who were before them? They were greater than them in strength and in impression on the land, but Allah seized them for their sins. And they had not from Allah any protector.

Word-by-word meaning

۞ أَوَلَمْawalamDo not
يَسِيرُوا۟yasīrūthey travel
فِىin
ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍithe earth
فَيَنظُرُوا۟fayanẓurūand see
كَيْفَkayfahow
كَانَkānawas
عَـٰقِبَةُʿāqibatu(the) end
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna(of) those who
كَانُوا۟kānūwere
مِنminbefore them
قَبْلِهِمْ ۚqablihimbefore them
كَانُوا۟kānūThey were
هُمْhum[they]
أَشَدَّashaddasuperior
مِنْهُمْmin'humto them
قُوَّةًۭquwwatan(in) strength
وَءَاثَارًۭاwaāthāranand (in) impressions
فِىin
ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍithe land
فَأَخَذَهُمُfa-akhadhahumubut Allah seized them
ٱللَّهُl-lahubut Allah seized them
بِذُنُوبِهِمْbidhunūbihimfor their sins
وَمَاwamāand not
كَانَkānawas
لَهُمlahumfor them
مِّنَminaagainst
ٱللَّهِl-lahiAllah
مِنminany
وَاقٍۢwāqinprotector

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

The Severe Punishment for the Disbelieversأَوَلَمْ يَسيرُواْ(Have they not traveled), `these people who disbelieve in your Message, O Muhammad,'فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَيَنظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ كَانُواْ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ(in the land and seen what was the end of those who were before them) means, the nations of the past who disbelieved in their Prophets (peace be upon them), for which the punishment came upon them even though they were stronger than Quraysh.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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