Surah Ar-Rum 30:9 — translation and meaning
الروم · Verse 9 / 60 · Page 405
ۖ ۚ أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ كَانُوا أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَأَثَارُوا الْأَرْضَ وَعَمَرُوهَا أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا عَمَرُوهَا وَجَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَكِن كَانُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
Word by Word
Transliteration
Awalm yaseeroo fil ardi fa-yanzuroo kaifa kaana 'aaqibatul lazeena min qablihim; kaanooo ashadda minhhum quwwatanw wa asaarul arda wa 'amaroohaaa aksara mimmaa 'amaroohaa wa jaaa'athum Rusuluhum bil baiyinaati famaa kaanal laahu liyazli mahum wa laakin kaanooo anfusahum yazlimoon
Translation
Have they not traveled through the earth and observed how was the end of those before them? They were greater than them in power, and they plowed the earth and built it up more than they have built it up, and their messengers came to them with clear evidences. And Allah would not ever have wronged them, but they were wronging themselves.
Verse interpretation (Tafsir)
Do these people not travel the earth so that they can ponder over what the outcome of the nations who rejected Allah before them was? Those nations were much stronger than them; they adapted the land for farming and construction, and populated it much more than these people have. Their Messengers brought clear proofs and evidences for the oneness of Allah but they were rejected. So when Allah punished them, He was not oppressive, rather they themselves were oppressive by leading themselves to destruction by disbelief.
Source: Al-Mukhtasar Tafsir — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.
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