سُوْرَةُ مَرْيَمَ
Surah Maryam (19) — Ayah 74
وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا قَبْلَهُم مِّن قَرْنٍ هُمْ أَحْسَنُ أَثَـٰثًا وَرِءْيًا ﴿74﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And how many a generation (past nations) have We destroyed before them, who were better in wealth, goods and outward appearance?
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَكَمْ
wakam
And how many
أَهْلَكْنَا
ahlaknā
We destroyed
قَبْلَهُم
qablahum
before them
مِّن
min
of
قَرْنٍ
qarnin
a generation
هُمْ
hum
they
أَحْسَنُ
aḥsanu
(were) better
أَثَـٰثًۭا
athāthan
(in) possessions
وَرِءْيًۭا
wari'yan
and appearance
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
74. Yet before them, We destroyed many generations who were superior to them in wealth and outward splendor [66].
[66]
Determining the Worth of Others by the Standards of Wealth and Property. Abundance of Wealth is Not a Sign of Allah’s Pleasure:
Those who deny the Day of Judgment have been called disbelievers by Allah Almighty in some places and polytheists in others. The polytheists of Makkah were also deniers of the Hereafter. The general belief of such deniers and worldly people has always been that the possession of wealth and property in this world is a sign of Allah’s favor, and they measure the worth of people—including themselves and others—by these standards of wealth, property, and status. This was also the mindset of the polytheists of Makkah. When they were informed of their fate, their response would be: “Are not our houses, furniture, lifestyle, and gatherings better than yours? And if we were on falsehood, as you claim, then how could we be better than you in every respect?” Refuting this notion, Allah Almighty said that this very standard is wrong. Because the nations whom We destroyed before you were superior to you in grandeur and means—in every respect—and the very fact that Allah’s punishment descended upon them is proof that despite their abundance of means, Allah Almighty was displeased with them.
[66]
Determining the Worth of Others by the Standards of Wealth and Property. Abundance of Wealth is Not a Sign of Allah’s Pleasure:
Those who deny the Day of Judgment have been called disbelievers by Allah Almighty in some places and polytheists in others. The polytheists of Makkah were also deniers of the Hereafter. The general belief of such deniers and worldly people has always been that the possession of wealth and property in this world is a sign of Allah’s favor, and they measure the worth of people—including themselves and others—by these standards of wealth, property, and status. This was also the mindset of the polytheists of Makkah. When they were informed of their fate, their response would be: “Are not our houses, furniture, lifestyle, and gatherings better than yours? And if we were on falsehood, as you claim, then how could we be better than you in every respect?” Refuting this notion, Allah Almighty said that this very standard is wrong. Because the nations whom We destroyed before you were superior to you in grandeur and means—in every respect—and the very fact that Allah’s punishment descended upon them is proof that despite their abundance of means, Allah Almighty was displeased with them.
