Al-Qur'an Surah Yusuf Verse 109

Mufti Taqi Usmani

We did not send before you (messengers) other than men from the people of the towns whom We inspired with revelation. Have they not traveled in the land where they could have seen how was the fate of those before them? And surely the abode of the Hereafter is much better for those who fear Allah. Would you, then, still not understand?

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

We only sent before you ˹O Prophet˺ men inspired by Us from among the people of each society. Have the deniers not travelled through the land to see what was the end of those ˹destroyed˺ before them? And surely the ˹eternal˺ Home of the Hereafter is far better for those mindful ˹of Allah˺. Will you not then understand?

Ruwwad Translation Center

We did not send before you except men whom We gave revelation, from the people of each society. Have they not traveled in the land to see how was the end of those who came before them? But the home of the Hereafter is far better for those who fear Allah. Do you not then understand?

A. J. Arberry

We sent not forth any before thee, but men We revealed to of the people living in the cities. Have they not journeyed in the land? Have they not beheld how was the end of those before them?. Surely the abode of the world to come is better for those that are godfearing. What, do you not understand?

Abdul Haleem

All the messengers We sent before you [Muhammad] were men to whom We made revelations, men chosen from the people of their towns. Have the [disbelievers] not travelled through the land and seen the end of those who went before them? For those who are mindful of God, the Home in the Hereafter is better. Do you [people] not use your reason?

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And We sent not before thee any save men unto whom We revealed from among the people of the towns. Have then they not travelled about in the land that they might observe of what wise hath been the end of those before them! And surely the abode of the, Hereafter is best for those who fear! Reflect then ye not!

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Nor did We send before thee (as messengers) any but men, whom we did inspire,- (men) living in human habitations. Do they not travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those before them? But the home of the hereafter is best, for those who do right. Will ye not then understand?

Abul Ala Maududi

The Messengers whom We raised before you, (O Muhammad), and to whom We sent down revelations, were only human beings, and were from among those living in earthly habitations. Have these people not travelled in the earth that they may observe the end of their predecessors? Certainly the abode of the Hereafter is much better for those (who accepted the call of the Messengers and) acted in a God-fearing manner. Will you still not act with good sense?

Ahmed Ali

All the apostles We had sent before you were men of those regions, to whom We sent Our revelations. Have they not travelled on the earth and seen what befell the people before them? Surely the abode of the Hereafter is better for those who fear straying from the right path. Do you not understand?

Ahmed Raza Khan

And all the Noble Messengers We sent before you, were exclusively men – towards whom We sent the divine revelations, and were dwellers of townships; so have not these people travelled in the land and seen what sort of fate befell those before them? And undoubtedly the abode of the Hereafter is better for the pious; so do you not have sense?

Ali Quli Qarai

We did not send [any apostles] before you except as men from among the people of the towns, to whom We revealed. Have they not travelled over the land so that they may observe how was the fate of those who were before them? And the abode of the Hereafter is surely better for those who are Godwary. Do you not exercise your reason?

Ali Ünal

We did not send before you as Messengers any but men to whom We revealed, from amongst the people of the townships (where We raised them). Have they never traveled about the earth and beheld how was the outcome for those who came before them (those who persisted in associating partners with Him and in wrongdoing and transgression)? Assuredly, the abode of the Hereafter is best for those who keep from disobedience to God in reverence for Him and piety. Will you not, then, reason and understand?

Amatul Rahman Omar

And We sent none (as Messengers) before you but they were men from among the people of the townships to whom We revealed (Our will). Have they not then journeyed in the land and seen how was the end of their predecessors? Indeed, the abode of the Hereafter holds out better promises for those who guard against evil and keep their duty. Will you not then refrain (from disbelief and unrighteous deeds)?

English Literal

And We did not send from before you except men We inspire/transmit to them from (about) the villages`/urban cities` people/relation , did they not walk/move/ride in the earth/Planet Earth, so they see/wonder about how was (the) end/turn (result of) those who (were) from before them, and the end`s (other life`s) home/house (E) (is) best to those who feared and obeyed, so do you not reason/understand/comprehend?

Faridul Haque

And all the Noble Messengers We sent before you, were exclusively men - towards whom We sent the divine revelations, and were dwellers of townships; so have not these people travelled in the land and seen what sort of fate befell those before them? And undoubtedly the abode of the Hereafter is better for the pious; so do you not have sense?

Hamid S. Aziz

Say, "This is my Way; I call now unto Allah with sure knowledge (or clear proof), I and those who follow me - Glory be to Allah - for I am not of the idolaters."

Hilali & Khan

And We sent not before you (as Messengers) any but men, whom We inspired from among the people of townships. Have they not travelled through the earth and seen what was the end of those who were before them? And verily, the home of the Hereafter is the best for those who fear Allah and obey Him (by abstaining from sins and evil deeds, and by performing righteous good deeds). Do you not then understand?

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Say: This is my way: I call to Allah, with certain knowledge -- I and those who follow me. And glory be to Allah! and I am not of the polytheists.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And We have not sent before you but men from (among) the people of the towns, to whom We sent revelations. Have they not then travelled in the land and seen what was the end of those before them? And certainly the abode of the hereafter is best for those who guard (against evil); do you not then understand?

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

We sent not before thee (any messengers) save men whom We inspired from among the folk of the townships - Have they not travelled in the land and seen the nature of the consequence for those who were before them? And verily the abode of the Hereafter, for those who ward off (evil), is best. Have ye then no sense? -

Muhammad Sarwar

The Messengers whom We sent before you were mere men of the people of the towns. We gave them revelations. Have they (the unbelievers) not travelled sufficiently through the land to see how terrible the end was of those who lived before. The next life is, certainly, better for the pious ones. Will you not then take heed?

Qaribullah & Darwish

We did not send any before you from the inhabitants of the village, but men to whom a revelation was sent. Have they not traveled in the land and seen what was the end of those before them? Better is the dwelling in the Everlasting Life for those who keep from evil. Do you not understand?

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And We sent not before you (as Messengers) any but men unto whom We revealed, from among the people of townships. Have they not traveled in the land and seen what was the end of those who were before them And verily, the home of the Hereafter is the best for those who have Taqwa. Do you not then understand

Wahiduddin Khan

All the messengers We sent before you [Muhammad] were human beings to whom We made revelations; they were men chosen from the people of their towns. Did they not travel across the earth and see the end of those before them? Those who are mindful of God prefer the life to come. Will you not then understand?

Talal Itani

We did not send before you except men, whom We inspired, from the people of the towns. Have they not roamed the earth and seen the consequences for those before them? The Home of the Hereafter is better for those who are righteous. Do you not understand?

Tafsir jalalayn

And We did not send before you [any messengers] save men inspired by revelation (yh ilayhim; a variant reading has nh ilayhim, `to whom We revealed') -- and not angels -- from among the people of the towns, the principal towns, since they are more knowledgeable and wiser than the people of the desert, who are crude and ignorant. Have they, the people of Mecca, not travelled in the land and seen the nature of the consequence for those who were before them?, that is, how they ended up, when they were destroyed for denying their messengers? And verily the abode of the Hereafter, that is, Paradise, is better for those who are wary, of God. Will they not understand? (read a-fa-l ya`qiln, or a-fa-l ta`qiln. `Will you not understand?'), this, O people of Mecca, and so have faith?

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

All of the Prophets are Humans and Men

Allah says;

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ إِلاَّ رِجَالاً نُّوحِي إِلَيْهِم

And We sent not before you (as Messengers) any but men unto whom We revealed,

Allah states that He only sent Prophets and Messengers from among men and not from among women, as this Ayah clearly states.

Allah did not reveal religious and legislative laws to any woman from among the daughters of Adam. This is the belief of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah.

Sheikh Abu Al-Hasan, Ali bin Ismail Al-Ash`ari mentioned that;

it is the view of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah, that there were no female Prophets, but there were truthful believers from among women. Allah mentions the most honorable of the truthful female believers, Maryam, the daughter of Imran, when He said,

مَّا الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ إِلاَّ رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ وَأُمُّهُ صِدِّيقَةٌ كَانَا يَأْكُلَنِ الطَّعَامَ

The Messiah ('Isa), son of Maryam (Mary), was no more than a Messenger; many were the Messengers that passed away before him. His mother was a Siddiqah (truthful believer). They both used to eat food. (5;75)

Therefore, the best description Allah gave her is Siddiqah.

Had she been a Prophet, Allah would have mentioned this fact when He was praising her qualities and honor. Therefore, Mary was a truthful believer according to the words of the Qur'an.
All Prophets were Humans not Angels

Ad-Dahhak reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on Allah's statement,
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ إِلاَّ رِجَالاً
(And We sent not before you (as Messengers) any but men),

"They were not from among the residents of the heaven (angels), as you claimed."

This statement of Ibn Abbas is supported by Allah's statements,

وَمَأ أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِلاَّ إِنَّهُمْ لَيَأْكُلُونَ الطَّعَامَ وَيَمْشُونَ فِى الاٌّسْوَاقِ

And We never sent before you any of the Messengers, but verily, they ate food and walked in the markets. (25;20)

وَمَا جَعَلْنَـهُمْ جَسَداً لاَّ يَأْكُلُونَ الطَّعَامَ وَمَا كَانُواْ خَـلِدِينَ

ثُمَّ صَدَقْنَـهُمُ الْوَعْدَ فَأَنجَيْنَـهُمْ وَمَن نَّشَأءُ وَأَهْلَكْنَا الْمُسْرفِينَ

And We did not create them with bodies that ate not food, nor were they immortals. Then We fulfilled to them the promise. So We saved them and those whom We willed, but We destroyed extravagant, (21;8-9)

and,

قُلْ مَا كُنتُ بِدْعاً مِّنَ الرُّسُلِ

Say;"I am not a new thing among the Messengers." (46;9)

Allah said next,

مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى

from among the people of townships,

meaning, from among the people of cities, not that they were sent among the Bedouins who are some of the harshest and roughest of all people.
Drawing Lessons from the Incidents of the Past

Allah said next,

أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُواْ فِي الَارْضِ

Have they not traveled in the land,

meaning, `Have not these people who rejected you, O Muhammad, traveled in the land,'

فَيَنظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ

and seen what was the end of those who were before them,

that is, the earlier nations that rejected the Messengers, and how Allah destroyed them. A similar end is awaiting all disbelievers.

Allah said in another Ayah,

أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُواْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَتَكُونَ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ يَعْقِلُونَ بِهَأ

Have they not traveled through the land, and have they hearts wherewith to understand! (22;46)

When they hear this statement, they should realize that Allah destroyed the disbelievers and saved the believers, and this is His way with His creation.

This is why Allah said,

وَلَدَارُ الاخِرَةِ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ اتَّقَواْ

And verily, the home of the Hereafter is the best for those who have Taqwa.

Allah says, `Just as We saved the faithful in this life, We also wrote safety for them in the Hereafter, which is far better for them than the life of the present world.'

Allah said in other Ayah,

إِنَّا لَنَنصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ فِى الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الاٌّشْهَـدُ

يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ الظَّـلِمِينَ مَعْذِرَتُهُمْ وَلَهُمُ الْلَّعْنَةُ وَلَهُمْ سُوءُ الدَّارِ

Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our Messengers and those who believe in this world's life and on the Day when the witnesses will stand forth (i.e. Day of Resurrection). The Day when their excuses will be of no profit to the wrongdoers. Theirs will be the curse, and theirs will be the evil abode (in Hellfire). (40;51-52)

أَفَلَ تَعْقِلُونَ



Do you not then understand