وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ إِلَّا رِجَالًا نُّوحِىٓ إِلَيْهِم مِّنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْقُرَىٰٓ ۗ أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۗ وَلَدَارُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوْا۟ ۗ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ 109
Translations
And We sent not before you [as messengers] except men to whom We revealed from among the people of cities. So have they not traveled through the earth and observed how was the end of those before them? And the home of the Hereafter is best for those who fear Allāh; then will you not reason?
Transliteration
Wa mā arsalnā min qablika illā rijālan nūḥā ilayhim min ahlil-qurā. Afalam yasīrū fil-arḍi fayanzurū kayfa kāna ʿāqibatul-ladhīna min qablihim. Wa-l-dārul-ākhiratu khayrun lilladhīna ttaqaw. Afalā taʿqilūn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes that all of Allah's messengers sent before Prophet Muhammad were men from among the inhabitants of cities, not angels or supernatural beings, emphasizing their humanity while they received divine revelation. The verse then calls the disbelievers to travel through the land and observe the fate of previous nations who rejected their messengers, as a warning and admonition. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the concluding statements assert that the Hereafter is superior for the God-fearing and challenges the disbelievers' reasoning by asking if they fail to use their intellect to understand these lessons.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Yusuf addressing the Meccan disbelievers who rejected the message of Prophet Muhammad. It comes after the story of Prophet Joseph and serves as a reminder that the pattern of sending human messengers is consistent throughout history, refuting the objections of those who expected angels or non-human messengers instead.
Related Hadiths
The principle reflected here is supported by Hadith Qudsi where Allah states that He does not send punishment to a people while they have a messenger among them. Additionally, Surah 21:7-8 (Anbiya) contains a parallel passage: 'And We sent not before you except men to whom We revealed, so ask the people of the message if you do not know.'
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should reflect upon historical lessons and observe how nations that rejected their messengers faced destruction, using intellect and observation to strengthen faith and avoid similar outcomes. This ayah reminds us that prophets were ordinary humans endowed with revelation, making their guidance accessible and their example followable for all humanity.