Tafsir Al-Jalalayn: Ghafir, Ayah 21
۞ أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَانُوا۟ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ كَانُوا۟ هُمْ أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةًۭ وَءَاثَارًۭا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَا كَانَ لَهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَاقٍۢ
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 Allah seized them for their sins. And they had not from Allah any protector.
Common Words
30 total23 unique6 repeated
من3x
فى2x
ٱلأرض2x
كان2x
كانوا2x
ٱلله2x
أولم1x
يسيروا1x
فينظروا1x
كيف1x
عقبة1x
ٱلذين1x
قبلهم1x
هم1x
أشد1x
منهم1x
قوة1x
وءاثارا1x
فأخذهم1x
بذنوبهم1x
Other Scholars on This Ayah
Tafsir
Scholars offer complementary perspectives
(Have they not travelled) i.e. the disbelievers of Mecca (in the land to see) to reflect on (the nature of the consequence for) the requital of (those who disbelieved before them? They were mightier than these in power) in physical strength (and (in the) traces (which they left behind them) in the earth) they were more keen to possess the life of this world and to travel much farther in its pursuit. (Yet Allah sewed them for their sins) yet Allah punished them because of their sins and disbelief, (and they had no protector from Allah) from Allah's punishment.
Al-Jalalayn Commentary
Have they not travelled in the land and beheld the nature of the consequence for those who were before them? They were more powerful than them a variant reading has minkum ‘than yourselves’ in strength and in their vestiges on earth in the way of large structures and palaces. Yet God seized them He destroyed them for their sins and they had none to shield them from God from His chastisement.