۞ أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَانُوا۟ مِن …

Quran 40:21 is ayah 21 of Surah Ghafir (“The Forgiver”), a Meccan surah of 85 ayahs. It is in Juz 24, on page 469 of the Madani Mushaf.

Juz 24
Hizb 47
Page 469
Ruku 3
Revealed Mecca

40:21

۞ أَوَلَمْيَسِيرُوا۟فِىٱلْأَرْضِفَيَنظُرُوا۟كَيْفَكَانَعَٰقِبَةُٱلَّذِينَكَانُوا۟مِنقَبْلِهِمْ ۚكَانُوا۟هُمْأَشَدَّمِنْهُمْقُوَّةًوَءَاثَارًافِىٱلْأَرْضِفَأَخَذَهُمُٱللَّهُبِذُنُوبِهِمْوَمَاكَانَلَهُممِّنَٱللَّهِمِنوَاقٍ٢١

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.(21)

Word by word

۞ أَوَلَمْawalamDo not
يَسِيرُوا۟yasīrūthey travel
فِىfīin
ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍithe earth
فَيَنظُرُوا۟fayanẓurūand see
كَيْفَkayfahow
كَانَkānawas
عَٰقِبَةُʿāqibatu(the) end
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna(of) those who
كَانُوا۟kānūwere
مِنminbefore them
قَبْلِهِمْ ۚqablihimbefore them
كَانُوا۟kānūThey were
هُمْhum[they]
أَشَدَّashaddasuperior
مِنْهُمْmin'humto them
قُوَّةًquwwatan(in) strength
وَءَاثَارًاwaāthāranand (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
وَاقٍwāqinprotector

Tafsir (commentary) of 40:21

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

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

This commentary explains ayahs 40:21–22 together.

The Severe Punishment for the Disbelievers

أَوَلَمْ 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.

وَءَاثَاراً فِى الاٌّرْضِ

(and in the traces in the land.) means, they left behind traces in the earth, such as structures, buildings and dwellings which these people i.e., the Quraysh cannot match. This is like the Ayat:

وَلَقَدْ مَكَّنَـهُمْ فِيمَآ إِن مَّكَّنَّـكُمْ فِيهِ

(And indeed We had firmly established them with that wherewith We have not established you!) (46:26)

وَأَثَارُواْ الاٌّرْضَ وَعَمَرُوهَآ أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا عَمَرُوهَا

(and they tilled the earth and populated it in greater numbers than these have done) (30:9). Yet despite this great strength, Allah punished them for their sin, which was their disbelief in their Messengers.

وَمَا كَانَ لَهُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ مِن وَاقٍ

(And none had they to protect them from Allah.) means, they had no one who could protect them or ward off the punishment from them. Then Allah mentions the reason why He punished them, and the sins which they committed. Allah says:

ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانَت تَّأْتِيهِمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَـتِ

(That was because there came to them their Messengers with clear evidences) meaning with clear proof and definitive evidence.

فَكَفَرُواْ

(but they disbelieved.) means, despite all these signs, they disbelieved and rejected the Message.

فَأَخَذَهُمُ اللَّهُ

(So Allah seized them.) means, He destroyed them utterly, and a similar fate awaits the disbelievers.

إِنَّهُ قَوِىٌّ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ

(Verily, He is All-Strong, Severe in punishment) means, He is possessed of great strength and might.

شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ

(Severe in punishment, ) means, His punishment is severe and agonizing; we seek refuge with Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, from that.

Read the full Surah Ghafir