سُوْرَةُ الْمُؤْمِنِ
Surah Ghafir (40) — Ayah 82
أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ كَانُوٓا۟ أَكْثَرَ مِنْهُمْ وَأَشَدَّ قُوَّةً وَءَاثَارًا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَمَآ أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ ﴿82﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Have they not travelled through the earth and seen what was the end of those before them? They were more in number than them and mightier in strength, and in the traces (they have left behind them) in the land; yet all that they used to earn availed them not.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أَفَلَمْ
afalam
Do they not
يَسِيرُوا۟
yasīrū
travel
فِى
fī
through
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
the land
فَيَنظُرُوا۟
fayanẓurū
and see
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
كَانُوٓا۟
kānū
They were
أَكْثَرَ
akthara
more numerous
مِنْهُمْ
min'hum
than them
وَأَشَدَّ
wa-ashadda
and mightier
قُوَّةًۭ
quwwatan
(in) strength
وَءَاثَارًۭا
waāthāran
and impressions
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
the land
فَمَآ
famā
but not
أَغْنَىٰ
aghnā
availed
عَنْهُم
ʿanhum
them
مَّا
mā
what
كَانُوا۟
kānū
they used to
يَكْسِبُونَ
yaksibūna
earn
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
82. 1. That is, those nations who disobeyed Allah and denied His messengers. Let them look at the traces and ruins of their settlements which are right there in their regions—what was their end?
82. 2. That is, in the form of buildings, factories, and fields, their ruins make it clear that even in the field of craftsmanship, they were superior to you.
82. 3. In "فما اغنی", "ما" can be interrogative or negative. The meaning of the negative is clear from the translation. According to the interrogative, the meaning would be: What benefit did it bring them? The point is the same—that their earnings did not avail them at all.
82. 2. That is, in the form of buildings, factories, and fields, their ruins make it clear that even in the field of craftsmanship, they were superior to you.
82. 3. In "فما اغنی", "ما" can be interrogative or negative. The meaning of the negative is clear from the translation. According to the interrogative, the meaning would be: What benefit did it bring them? The point is the same—that their earnings did not avail them at all.
