۞ أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ دَمَّرَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۖ وَلِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ أَمْثَـٰلُهَا 10
Translations
Have they not traveled through the land and seen how was the end of those before them? Allāh destroyed [everything] over them, and for the disbelievers is something comparable.
Transliteration
Aflam yasīrū fī al-ardi fayanzurū kayfa kāna ʿāqibatu alladhīna min qablihim; damarra Allāhu ʿalayhim wa-lil-kāfirīna amthāluhā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah exhorts the disbelievers to travel through the land and observe the ruins and fate of previous nations who rejected their prophets, which Allah destroyed utterly. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the ayah serves as a powerful reminder that the punishment of past disbelieving nations is a warning sign (ayah) of what awaits those who persist in rejecting Allah's message. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that the physical evidence of destroyed civilizations should provoke reflection and rational consideration of one's stance toward divine guidance.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Muhammad, revealed in Medina during a period when the Muslim community faced opposition from disbelieving Quraysh and other hostile groups. The surah's broader context addresses the consequences of rejecting the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and divine revelation, with this particular ayah appealing to empirical observation and historical evidence as proof of Allah's justice and power in punishing the arrogant and heedless.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it' (Sahih Bukhari 5027), emphasizing the importance of understanding and reflecting upon Quranic messages. Additionally, the hadith about traveling to observe creation: 'Travelling is a piece of torture; it prevents one from sleeping, eating and drinking well. So when one has finished one's job, one should hurry back to one's family' (Sahih Bukhari 1804) contextualizes the physical journey mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should actively seek knowledge and evidence of Allah's power through observation of history and the natural world, using these signs to strengthen faith and warn others of the inevitable consequences of persistent disbelief. This ayah teaches that ignoring the lessons of history and refusing to reflect upon the fate of past civilizations is a form of willful blindness that invites similar punishment.
Related Ayahs
وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَءَامَنُوا۟ بِمَا نُزِّلَ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَهُوَ ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ ۙ كَفَّرَ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِمْ وَأَصْلَحَ بَالَهُمْ
And those who believe and do righteous deeds and believe in what has been sent down upon Muḥammad - and it is the truth from their Lord - He will remove from them their misdeeds and amend their condition.
فَلَا تَهِنُوا۟ وَتَدْعُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱلسَّلْمِ وَأَنتُمُ ٱلْأَعْلَوْنَ وَٱللَّهُ مَعَكُمْ وَلَن يَتِرَكُمْ أَعْمَـٰلَكُمْ
So do not weaken and call for peace while you are superior; and Allāh is with you and will never deprive you of [the reward of] your deeds.
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُدْخِلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يَتَمَتَّعُونَ وَيَأْكُلُونَ كَمَا تَأْكُلُ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمُ وَٱلنَّارُ مَثْوًى لَّهُمْ
Indeed, Allāh will admit those who have believed and done righteous deeds to gardens beneath which rivers flow, but those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat as grazing livestock eat, and the Fire will be a residence for them.
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَعَنَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ فَأَصَمَّهُمْ وَأَعْمَىٰٓ أَبْصَـٰرَهُمْ
Those [who do so] are the ones that Allāh has cursed, so He deafened them and blinded their vision.