Quran 40:21 — Al-Ghaafir, verse 21
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
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-
أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَيَنْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ كَانُوا هُمْ أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَآثَارًا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَأَخَذَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَا كَانَ لَهُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ 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
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- What, have they not journeyed in the land and beheld how was the end of those before them? They were stronger than themselves in might and left firmer traces in the earth; yet God seized them in their sins, and they had none to defend them from God.
- Muhammad Asad
- Have they, then, never journeyed about the earth and beheld what happened in the end to those [deniers of the truth] who lived before their time? Greater were they in power than they are, and in the impact which they left on earth: but God took them to task for their sins, and they had none to defend them against God:
- Sahih International
- 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.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ۞ أَوَلَمْawalam | Do not | — |
| 2 | يَسِيرُوا۟yasīrū | they travel | سير |
| 3 | فِىfī | in | — |
| 4 | ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍi | the earth | أرض |
| 5 | فَيَنظُرُوا۟fayanẓurū | and see | نظر |
| 6 | كَيْفَkayfa | how | كيف |
| 7 | كَانَkāna | was | كون |
| 8 | عَـٰقِبَةُʿāqibatu | (the) end | عقب |
| 9 | ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna | (of) those who | — |
| 10 | كَانُوا۟kānū | were | كون |
| 11 | مِنmin | before them | — |
| 12 | قَبْلِهِمْ ۚqablihim | before them | قبل |
| 13 | كَانُوا۟kānū | They were | كون |
| 14 | هُمْhum | [they] | — |
| 15 | أَشَدَّashadda | superior | شدد |
| 16 | مِنْهُمْmin'hum | to them | — |
| 17 | قُوَّةًۭquwwatan | (in) strength | قوي |
| 18 | وَءَاثَارًۭاwaāthāran | and (in) impressions | أثر |
| 19 | فِىfī | in | — |
| 20 | ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍi | the land | أرض |
| 21 | فَأَخَذَهُمُfa-akhadhahumu | but Allah seized them | أخذ |
| 22 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | but Allah seized them | أله |
| 23 | بِذُنُوبِهِمْbidhunūbihim | for their sins | ذنب |
| 24 | وَمَاwamā | and not | — |
| 25 | كَانَkāna | was | كون |
| 26 | لَهُمlahum | for them | — |
| 27 | مِّنَmina | against | — |
| 28 | ٱللَّهِl-lahi | Allah | أله |
| 29 | مِنmin | any | — |
| 30 | وَاقٍۢwāqin | protector | وقي |