Al-Qur'an Surah Ar-Rum Verse 9

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Have they not traveled on earth to see how was the end of those before them? They were stronger than these in power, and they had tilled the land and had made it more populous than these have made it, and their messengers had come to them with clear proofs. So Allah was not such as could do injustice to them, but they used to do injustice to themselves.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Have they not travelled throughout the land to see what was the end of those ˹destroyed˺ before them? They were far superior in might; they cultivated the land and developed it more than these ˹Meccans˺ ever have. Their messengers came to them with clear proofs. Allah would have never wronged them, but it was they who wronged themselves.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Have they not traveled through the land to see how was the end of those who came before them? They were more powerful than them, and they tilled the land and built it more than these people have ever built. Their messengers came to them with clear proofs. It was not Allah Who wronged them, but it was they who wronged themselves.

A. J. Arberry

What, have they not journeyed in the land and beheld how was the end of those before them? They were stronger than themselves in might, and they ploughed up the earth and cultivated it more than they themselves have cultivated it; and their Messengers came to them with the clear signs; and God would never wrong them, but themselves they wronged.

Abdul Haleem

Have they not travelled through the land and seen how their predecessors met their end? They were mightier than them: they cultivated the earth more and built more upon it. Their own mes-sengers also came to them with clear signs: God did not wrong them; they wronged themselves.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Have they not journeyed in the land and observed what wise hath been the end of those before them? They were stronger than they in power and they brake up the earth and they inhabited it with greater affluence than these have inhabited it, and their apostles came unto them with evidences. And Allah was not one to wrong them, but themselves they were wont to wrong.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Do they not travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those before them? They were superior to them in strength; they tilled the soil and populated it in greater numbers than these have done; there came to them their messengers with Clear (Signs). (Which they rejected, to their own destruction); It was not Allah Who wronged them, but they wronged their own souls.

Abul Ala Maududi

Have they not travelled through the earth that they may observe what was the end of their predecessors who were far mightier and tilled the land and built upon it more than these have ever built? And Allah's Messengers came to them with Clear Signs. It was not Allah Who wronged them, but it is they who wronged themselves.

Ahmed Ali

Have they not travelled on the earth and seen how the others before them had met their end? They were far more powerful than them, furrowed the earth and colonised it far more than they; and their apostles came to them with visible signs. It was surely not for God to wrong them, they wronged themselves.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And did they not travel in the land to see what sort of fate befell those before them? They were stronger than them, and they cultivated the land and inhabited it more than them, and their Noble Messengers came to them with clear proofs; so it did not befit Allah’s Majesty to oppress them, but it was they who used to wrong themselves.

Ali Quli Qarai

Have they not travelled in the land and seen how was the fate of those who were before them? They were more powerful than them, and they plowed the earth and developed it more than they have developed it. Their apostles brought them manifest proofs. So it was not Allah who wronged them, but it was they who used to wrong themselves.

Ali Ünal

Have they never traveled about the earth and seen what was the outcome for those before them (who also obstinately disbelieved in Our signs)? They were greater than them in power. They cultivated the soil and mined it (for minerals and water resources), and built it up more and better than these have done. And in time their Messengers came to them with clear proofs of the truth (which they rejected to their own doom). God would never wrong them, but it was they themselves who were wronging themselves.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Have they not travelled through the land and seen how (evil) was the end of those who were before them? They (- their predecessors) were superior to them in prowess and strength. They tilled the land (built structures and dug up minerals from it), and populated it more and better than these have populated it. And their Messengers (of God) had come to them with manifest signs (but they denied them and were destroyed). It was indeed far from Allâh to have done injustice to them but they themselves wronged their own souls.

English Literal

Do they not walk/move/ride in the earth/Planet Earth, so they look/wonder about how was those from before them`s end/turn (result)? They were stronger than them (in) strength/power, and they erupted and spread/plowed the earth/Planet Earth and they inhabited/built it more than what they inhabited/built it , and their messengers came to them with the evidences, so God was not to cause injustice to/oppress them, and but they were themselves causing injustice/oppression.

Faridul Haque

And did they not travel in the land to see what sort of fate befell those before them? They were stronger than them, and they cultivated the land and inhabited it more than them, and their Noble Messengers came to them with clear proofs; so it did not befit Allah’s Majesty to oppress them, but it was they who used to wrong themselves.

Hamid S. Aziz

Do they not reflect within themselves: Allah did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them but with Truth, and for an appointed term (or destined end)? But truly most of the people are disbelievers in the meeting with their Lord.

Hilali & Khan

Do they not travel in the land, and see what was the end of those before them? They were superior to them in strength, and they tilled the earth and populated it in greater numbers than these (pagans) have done, and there came to them their Messengers with clear proofs. Surely, Allah wronged them not, but they used to wrong themselves.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

They know the outward of this world’s life, but of the Hereafter they are heedless.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Have they not travelled in the earth and seen how was the end of those before them? They were stronger than these in prowess, and dug up the earth, and built on it in greater abundance than these have built on it, and there came to them their apostles with clear arguments; so it was not beseeming for Allah that He should deal with them unjustly, but they dealt unjustly with their own souls.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Have they not travelled in the land and seen the nature of the consequence for those who were before them? They were stronger than these in power, and they dug the earth and built upon it more than these have built. Messengers of their own came unto them with clear proofs (of Allah's Sovereignty). Surely Allah wronged them not, but they did wrong themselves.

Muhammad Sarwar

Have they not travelled through the land to see how terrible was the end of the people who lived before them. The people who lived before them were stronger than them in might, in tilling, and in developing the earth. Our Messengers came to them with clear miracles. God did not do an injustice to them but they wronged themselves.

Qaribullah & Darwish

What, have they never journeyed in the land and seen what was the end of those before them? They were stronger in might than themselves, and they plowed the land and cultivated it more than they themselves have cultivated it. And to them, their Messengers came with clear signs, and Allah did not wrong them, but they wronged themselves.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

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.

Wahiduddin Khan

Have they not travelled through the land and seen what end their predecessors met? They were mightier than them: they cultivated the earth more and built more upon it than these have ever built. Their own messengers also came to them with clear signs: God did not wrong them; they wronged themselves.

Talal Itani

Have they not travelled the earth and seen how those before them ended up? They were more powerful than them, and they cultivated the land and developed it more than they developed it, and their messengers came to them with clear signs. God would never wrong them, but they used to wrong themselves.

Tafsir jalalayn

Have they not travelled in the land and beheld how was the consequence for those before them?, of [past] communities, which was that they were destroyed for denying their messengers. They were more powerful than them -- such were `d and Thamd -- and they effected the land, they tilled it and churned it up to sow crops and cultivate [trees], and developed it more than these, the Meccan disbelievers, have developed it; and their messengers brought them clear signs, manifest proofs, for God would never wrong them, by destroying them without being guilty, but they used to wrong themselves, by denying their messengers.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الاَْرْضِ

Do they not travel in the land,

means, `do they not understand and think and see and hear about the people of the past,'

Allah says;

فَيَنظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ كَانُوا أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً
..

and see what was the end of those before them! They were superior to them in strength,

meaning, `the nations of the past who came before you were stronger than you to whom Muhammad has been sent; they had more wealth and more sons. You have not been given one-tenth of what they were given. They stayed longer in this world than you will stay. They were more civilized than you and were more prosperous in the land than you.' Yet despite all that, when their Messengers came to them with clear signs, while they were enjoying their life of luxury, Allah punished them for their sins and they had no one who could protect them from Allah. Their wealth and sons could not protect them from the wrath of Allah in the slightest, and Allah was not at all unjust towards them when He sent His punishment upon them. It is as Allah says;
.
وَأَثَارُوا الاْأَرْضَ وَعَمَرُوهَا أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا عَمَرُوهَا

وَجَاءتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ

they tilled the soil and populated it in greater numbers than these have done;there came to them their apostles with Clear (Signs);it was not Allah Who wronged them,

وَلَكِن كَانُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ



but they used to wrong themselves.

They brought destruction upon themselves, when they rejected and mocked the signs of Allah. All of this only happened because of their previous sins and their rejection (of the Messengers).

Allah says;

ثُمَّ كَانَ عَاقِبَةَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاوُوا السُّوأَى أَن كَذَّبُوا بِأيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَكَانُوا بِهَا يَسْتَهْزِوُون