Surah Az-Zukhruf (الزخرف) • The Ornaments of Gold

Quran 43:23

43:23

وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ فِى قَرْيَةٍ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ إِلَّا قَالَ مُتْرَفُوهَآ إِنَّا وَجَدْنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا عَلَىٰٓ أُمَّةٍ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَـٰرِهِم مُّقْتَدُونَ

wakadhālika mā arsalnā min qablika fī qaryatin min nadhīrin illā qāla mut'rafūhā innā wajadnā ābāanā ʿalā ummatin wa-innā ʿalā āthārihim muq'tadūna

And similarly, We did not send before you any warner into a city except that its affluent said, "Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are, in their footsteps, following."

— Saheeh International

When-ever We sent a messenger before you to warn a township, those corrupted by wealth said, in the same way, ‘We saw our fathers following this tradition; we are only following in their footsteps.’

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

And similarly, We sent not a warner before you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) to any town (people) but the luxurious ones among them said: "We found our fathers following a certain way and religion, and we will indeed follow their footsteps."

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

Juz 25Page 491meccan

Word by Word

وَكَذَٰلِكَwakadhālikaAnd thus
مَآmānot
أَرْسَلْنَاarsalnāWe sent
مِنminbefore you
قَبْلِكَqablikabefore you
فِىfīin
قَرْيَةٍۢqaryatina town
مِّنminany
نَّذِيرٍnadhīrinwarner
إِلَّاillāexcept
قَالَqālasaid
مُتْرَفُوهَآmut'rafūhā(the) wealthy ones of it
إِنَّاinnāIndeed, we
وَجَدْنَآwajadnā[we] found
ءَابَآءَنَاābāanāour forefathers
عَلَىٰٓʿalāon
أُمَّةٍۢummatina religion
وَإِنَّاwa-innāand indeed, we
عَلَىٰٓʿalā[on]
ءَاثَـٰرِهِمāthārihimtheir footsteps
مُّقْتَدُونَmuq'tadūna(are) following