Surah Al-Qasas (القصص) • The Stories

Quran 28:59

28:59

وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ مُهْلِكَ ٱلْقُرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ يَبْعَثَ فِىٓ أُمِّهَا رَسُولًا يَتْلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا ۚ وَمَا كُنَّا مُهْلِكِى ٱلْقُرَىٰٓ إِلَّا وَأَهْلُهَا ظَـٰلِمُونَ

wamā kāna rabbuka muh'lika l-qurā ḥattā yabʿatha fī ummihā rasūlan yatlū ʿalayhim āyātinā wamā kunnā muh'likī l-qurā illā wa-ahluhā ẓālimūna

And never would your Lord have destroyed the cities until He had sent to their mother [i.e., principal city] a messenger reciting to them Our verses. And We would not destroy the cities except while their people were wrongdoers.

— Saheeh International

Your Lord would never destroy towns without first raising a messenger in their midst to recite Our messages to them, nor would We destroy towns unless their inhabitants were evildoers.

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

And never will your Lord destroy the towns (populations) until He sends to their mother town a Messenger reciting to them Our Verses. And never would We destroy the towns unless the people thereof are Zâlimûn (polytheists, wrong-doers, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allâh, oppressors and tyrants).

— Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

Juz 20Page 392meccan

Word by Word

وَمَاwamāAnd not
كَانَkānawas
رَبُّكَrabbukayour Lord
مُهْلِكَmuh'lika(the) one to destroy
ٱلْقُرَىٰl-qurāthe towns
حَتَّىٰḥattāuntil
يَبْعَثَyabʿathaHe (had) sent
فِىٓfīin
أُمِّهَاummihātheir mother (town)
رَسُولًۭاrasūlana Messenger
يَتْلُوا۟yatlūreciting
عَلَيْهِمْʿalayhimto them
ءَايَـٰتِنَاۚāyātināOur Verses
وَمَاwamāAnd not
كُنَّاkunnāWe would be
مُهْلِكِىmuh'likī(the) one to destroy
ٱلْقُرَىٰٓl-qurāthe towns
إِلَّاillāexcept
وَأَهْلُهَاwa-ahluhāwhile their people
ظَـٰلِمُونَẓālimūna(were) wrongdoers