Surah 35 Faatir — Ayah 44
أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَكَانُوٓا۟ أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةًۭ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُعْجِزَهُۥ مِن شَىْءٍۢ فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَلَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ عَلِيمًۭا قَدِيرًۭا
Har de aldrig begett sig ut i världen och sett [spåren som visar] hur slutet blev för dem som levde före deras tid [och som förnekade sanningen]? - Ändå var de mäktigare än dessa [senare tiders förnekare]. Ingen, vare sig i himlarna eller på jorden, kan sätta sig emot Guds [vilja]. Han vet allt och har allt i Sin makt.
awalam yasīrū fī l-arḍi fayanẓurū kayfa kāna ʿāqibatu alladhīna min qablihim wakānū ashadda min'hum quwwatan wamā kāna l-lahu liyuʿ'jizahu min shayin fī l-samāwāti walā fī l-arḍi innahu kāna ʿalīman qadīran
Word by word
- أَوَلَمْ awalam Have they not
- يَسِيرُوا۟ yasīrū traveled
- فِى fī in
- ٱلْأَرْضِ l-arḍi the land
- فَيَنظُرُوا۟ fayanẓurū and seen
- كَيْفَ kayfa how
- كَانَ kāna was
- عَـٰقِبَةُ ʿāqibatu (the) end
- ٱلَّذِينَ alladhīna (of) those who
- مِن min (were) before them
- قَبْلِهِمْ qablihim (were) before them
- وَكَانُوٓا۟ wakānū And they were
- أَشَدَّ ashadda stronger
- مِنْهُمْ min'hum than them
- قُوَّةًۭ ۚ quwwatan (in) power
- وَمَا wamā But not
- كَانَ kāna is
- ٱللَّهُ l-lahu Allah
- لِيُعْجِزَهُۥ liyuʿ'jizahu that can escape (from) Him
- مِن min any
- شَىْءٍۢ shayin thing
- فِى fī in
- ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ l-samāwāti the heavens
- وَلَا walā and not
- فِى fī in
- ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ l-arḍi the earth
- إِنَّهُۥ innahu Indeed, He
- كَانَ kāna is
- عَلِيمًۭا ʿalīman All-Knower
- قَدِيرًۭا qadīran All-Powerful
Tafsir · Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
Remember the Bad Consequences of disbelieving in the Prophets
Allah says: `say, O Muhammad, to these people who disbelieve the Message you have brought: travel in the land and see what was the punishment of those who disbelieved the Messengers, how Allah destroyed them completely, and a similar (end awaits) the disbelievers. See how their homes were emptied of them and how they lost everything after living in luxury and being so numerous and so well equipped, and having so much wealth and so many children. All of that was of no avail to them and could not protect them in the slightest from the punishment of Allah when the command of the Lord came. Nothing is impossible for Him when He wants it to happen in the heavens or on earth.'
(Verily, He is All-Knowing, All-Able.) means, He knows all that exists and is able to do all things.
The Wisdom behind delaying the Punishment Then Allah says:
(And if Allah were to punish men for that which they earned, He would not leave a moving creature on the surface of the earth;) meaning, if He were to punish them for all of their sins, He would destroy all the people of the earth and all that they own of livestock and crops. Sa`id bin Jubayr and As-Suddi commented on the Ayah:
(He would not leave a moving creature on the surface of the earth;) "This means, He would have stopped sending rain to them, and all the animals would have died as a result."
(but He gives them respite to an appointed term,) means, but He is delaying until the Day of Resurrection, when He will bring them to account and will reward or punish each one according to his deeds: He will reward those who obeyed Him and will punish those who disobeyed Him. He says:
(and when their term comes, then verily, Allah is Ever All-Seer of His servants.) This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Fatir. All praise and gratitude is due to Allah.