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Surah Ar-Rum, Ayah 9 (30:9)

ٱلرُّوم

أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ …

Quran 30:9 is ayah 9 of Surah Ar-Rum (“The Romans”), a Meccan surah of 60 ayahs. It is in Juz 21, on page 405 of the Madani Mushaf.

30:9
أَوَلَمْيَسِيرُوا۟فِىٱلْأَرْضِفَيَنظُرُوا۟كَيْفَكَانَعَٰقِبَةُٱلَّذِينَمِنقَبْلِهِمْ ۚكَانُوٓا۟أَشَدَّمِنْهُمْقُوَّةًوَأَثَارُوا۟ٱلْأَرْضَوَعَمَرُوهَآأَكْثَرَمِمَّاعَمَرُوهَاوَجَآءَتْهُمْرُسُلُهُمبِٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِ ۖفَمَاكَانَٱللَّهُلِيَظْلِمَهُمْوَلَٰكِنكَانُوٓا۟أَنفُسَهُمْيَظْلِمُونَ٩
awalam yasīrū fī l-arḍi fayanẓurū kayfa kāna ʿāqibatu alladhīna min qablihim kānū ashadda min'hum quwwatan wa-athārū l-arḍa waʿamarūhā akthara mimmā ʿamarūhā wajāathum rusuluhum bil-bayināti famā kāna l-lahu liyaẓlimahum walākin kānū anfusahum yaẓlimūna

Have they not traveled through the earth and observed how was the end of those before them? They were greater than them in power, and they plowed [or excavated] the earth and built it up more than they [i.e., the Makkans] have built it up, and their messengers came to them with clear evidences. And Allāh would not ever have wronged them, but they were wronging themselves.(9)

Word by word

  1. أَوَلَمْawalamHave not
  2. يَسِيرُوا۟yasīrūthey traveled
  3. فِىfīin
  4. ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍithe earth
  5. فَيَنظُرُوا۟fayanẓurūand observed
  6. كَيْفَkayfahow
  7. كَانَkānawas
  8. عَٰقِبَةُʿāqibatu(the) end
  9. ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna(of) those
  10. مِنminbefore them
  11. قَبْلِهِمْ ۚqablihimbefore them
  12. كَانُوٓا۟kānūThey were
  13. أَشَدَّashaddamightier
  14. مِنْهُمْmin'humthan them
  15. قُوَّةًquwwatan(in) strength
  16. وَأَثَارُوا۟wa-athārūand they dug
  17. ٱلْأَرْضَl-arḍathe earth
  18. وَعَمَرُوهَآwaʿamarūhāand built (on) it
  19. أَكْثَرَaktharamore
  20. مِمَّاmimmāthan what
  21. عَمَرُوهَاʿamarūhāthey have built (on) it
  22. وَجَآءَتْهُمْwajāathumAnd came (to) them
  23. رُسُلُهُمrusuluhumtheir Messengers
  24. بِٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِ ۖbil-bayinātiwith clear proofs
  25. فَمَاfamāSo not
  26. كَانَkānawas
  27. ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
  28. لِيَظْلِمَهُمْliyaẓlimahumto wrong them
  29. وَلَٰكِنwalākinbut
  30. كَانُوٓا۟kānūthey were
  31. أَنفُسَهُمْanfusahumthemselves
  32. يَظْلِمُونَyaẓlimūna(doing) wrong

Tafsir (commentary) of 30:9

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

فَيَنظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ كَانُواْ أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً

(9. cont - and see what was the end of those before them They were superior to them in strength, ) meaning, `the nations of the past who came before you were stronger than you to whom Muhammad ﷺ has been sent; they had more wealth and more sons. You have not been given one-tenth of what they were given. They stayed longer in this world than you will stay. They were more civilized than you and were more prosperous in the land than you.' Yet despite all that, when their Messengers came to them with clear signs, while they were enjoying their life of luxury, Allah punished them for their sins and they had no one who could protect them from Allah. Their wealth and sons could not protect them from the wrath of Allah in the slightest, and Allah was not at all unjust towards them when He sent His punishment upon them.

وَلَـكِن كَانُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ

(9. cont - but they used to wrong themselves.) They brought destruction upon themselves, when they rejected and mocked the signs of Allah. All of this only happened because of their previous sins and their rejection (of the Messengers). Allah says:

Read the full Surah Ar-Rum