وَلَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَا ٱلْقُرُونَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَمَّا ظَلَمُوا۟ ۙ وَجَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ لِيُؤْمِنُوا۟ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ 13
Translations
And We had already destroyed generations before you when they wronged, and their messengers had come to them with clear proofs, but they were not to believe. Thus do We recompense the criminal people.
Transliteration
Wa laqad ahlakna al-quruna min qablikum lamma dhalamū wa jāʾat-hum rusuluhum bi-al-bayyināt wa mā kānū li-yuʾminū kadhalika najzī al-qawm al-mujrimīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah presents historical evidence of Allah's justice by recounting how previous generations were destroyed when they committed injustice (dhulm) and rejected the clear signs brought by their messengers. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that despite receiving divine guidance through miracles and clear proofs (bayyināt), these nations stubbornly refused to believe, and Allah consequently punished them according to the same pattern of justice. The ayah concludes that this is how Allah deals with criminal peoples—destruction comes as a consequence of persistent rejection of truth and oppressive behavior.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Yunus, which was revealed during the early Meccan period when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was warning the Quraysh of the consequences of rejecting Allah's message. The broader context of the surah emphasizes Allah's patience with nations and His ultimate justice, using historical precedents of destroyed civilizations (ʿĀd, Thamūd, Pharaoh, etc.) to warn contemporary disbelievers of similar consequences.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari (3339) reports that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best among you are those of my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow the latter.' This complements the ayah's theme of previous generations and divine consequences. Additionally, the hadith in Sunan Ibn Majah about the destruction of nations for their oppression (dhulm) relates to the ayah's central message.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that rejection of divine guidance combined with oppressive behavior inevitably leads to destruction—a principle applicable across history and a warning to contemporary societies that clear knowledge of truth carries greater responsibility. For believers, it reinforces faith in Allah's justice and the futility of opposing His messengers, while encouraging acceptance of guidance before facing severe consequences.