Surah Ghafir (غافر) • The Forgiver

Quran 40:21

40:21

۞ أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَانُوا۟ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ كَانُوا۟ هُمْ أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَءَاثَارًا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَا كَانَ لَهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَاقٍ

awalam yasīrū fī l-arḍi fayanẓurū kayfa kāna ʿāqibatu alladhīna kānū min qablihim kānū hum ashadda min'hum quwwatan waāthāran fī l-arḍi fa-akhadhahumu l-lahu bidhunūbihim wamā kāna lahum mina l-lahi min wāqin

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 Allāh seized them for their sins. And they had not from Allāh any protector.

— Saheeh International

Have they not travelled through the land and seen how those who lived before them met their end? They were stronger than them and made a more impressive mark on the land, yet God destroyed them for their sins- they had no one to defend them against Him-

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

Have they not travelled in the land and seen what was the end of those who were before them? They were superior to them in strength, and in the traces (which they left) in the land. But Allâh seized them with punishment for their sins. And none had they to protect them from Allâh.

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

Juz 24Page 469meccan

Word by Word

۞ أَوَلَمْawalamDo not
يَسِيرُوا۟yasīrūthey travel
فِىfīin
ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍithe earth
فَيَنظُرُوا۟fayanẓurūand see
كَيْفَkayfahow
كَانَkānawas
عَـٰقِبَةُʿāqibatu(the) end
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna(of) those who
كَانُوا۟kānūwere
مِنminbefore them
قَبْلِهِمْۚqablihimbefore them
كَانُوا۟kānūThey were
هُمْhum[they]
أَشَدَّashaddasuperior
مِنْهُمْmin'humto them
قُوَّةًۭquwwatan(in) strength
وَءَاثَارًۭاwaāthāranand (in) impressions
فِىfīin
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