Al-Qur'an Surah Muhammad Verse 13

Mufti Taqi Usmani

How many a town, stronger in might than your town that has expelled you, have We destroyed! Then, there was none to help them.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

˹Imagine, O  Prophet,˺ how many societies We destroyed that were far superior in might than your society—which drove you out—and there was none to help them!

Ruwwad Translation Center

How many towns We destroyed that were more powerful than your town that expelled you, and there was none to help them.

A. J. Arberry

How many a city that was stronger in might than thy city which has expelled thee have We destroyed! And there was no helper for them.

Abdul Haleem

We have destroyed many a town stronger than your own [Prophet]- the town which [chose to] expel you- and they had no one to help them.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And many a city, mightier In strength than the city which drave thee forth, We destroyed them, and there was no helper of theirs.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And how many cities, with more power than thy city which has driven thee out, have We destroyed (for their sins)? and there was none to aid them.

Abul Ala Maududi

(O Prophet), how many are the cities that had greater power than your city that drove you out? We destroyed them and there was none to protect them.

Ahmed Ali

How many were the habitations, mightier than your city which has turned you out, which We destroyed; and they did not have a helper.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And many a township existed which was stronger than your town (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) – those who removed you from your town – We destroyed them, so they do not have a supporter!

Ali Quli Qarai

How many a town We have destroyed which was more powerful than your town which expelled you, and they had no helper.

Ali Ünal

How many a township there has been, greater in power (and more abundant in wealth) than your township, which has driven you out, (O Messenger). We destroyed them and they had no helper (against Us).

Amatul Rahman Omar

(Prophet!) so many townships were more powerful than this your town (of Makkah) which has driven you out, but We destroyed them, and they had no helper.

English Literal

And how many from a village/urban city it is stronger (in) strength/power than your village/urban city which brought/drove you out? We destroyed them , so (there is) no victorior/savior for them.

Faridul Haque

And many a township existed which was stronger than your town (O dear Prophet Mohammed - peace and blessings be upon him) - those who removed you from your town - We destroyed them, so they do not have a supporter!

Hamid S. Aziz

And how many a town which was far more powerful than your town (Mecca) which has driven you out, did We destroy, so there was no helper for them.

Hilali & Khan

And many a town, stronger than your town (Makkah) (O Muhammad SAW) which has driven you out We have destroyed. And there was none to help them.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Surely Allah will make those who believe and do good enter Gardens wherein flow rivers. And those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat as the cattle eat, and the Fire is their abode.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And how many a town which was far more powerful than the town of yours which has driven you out: We destroyed them so there was no helper for them.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And how many a township stronger than thy township (O Muhammad) which hath cast thee out, have We destroyed, and they had no helper!

Muhammad Sarwar

(Muhammad), how many towns, much more powerful than the one from which you have been expelled, have We destroyed and left helpless?

Qaribullah & Darwish

How many a village mightier than your own village, which has expelled you, We have destroyed there was none to help them!

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And how many a town mightier than your town that has driven you out We have destroyed, with none to help them!

Wahiduddin Khan

How many towns We have destroyed, greater in strength than your city which has driven you out, and there was no one to help them.

Talal Itani

How many a town was more powerful than your town which evicted you? We destroyed them, and there was no helper for them.

Tafsir jalalayn

And how many (ka-ayyin means kam) a town, by which is meant the inhabitants thereof, mightier in power than your town, Mecca, that is to say, its inhabitants, which expelled you (akhrajatka [is feminine despite the plural sense of inhabitants meant is because it] takes into account the [feminine] form of qarya, `town'), have We destroyed (ahlaknhum takes into account the former [plural] import of qarya, `town'), and they had none to help them, against Our destruction [of them].

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ هِيَ أَشَدُّ قُوَّةً مِّن قَرْيَتِكَ الَّتِي أَخْرَجَتْكَ

And how many a town mightier than your town that has driven you out, (meaning, Makkah).

أَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ فَلَ نَاصِرَ لَهُمْ



We have destroyed, with none to help them!

This is a great threat and severe warning to the people of Makkah because they rejected Allah's Messenger, who was the chief of the Messengers and the last of the Prophets. If Allah had destroyed the previous nations because of their denial of their Messengers, what then would those (people of Makkah) expect that Allah would do to them in the worldly life and the Hereafter And if the torment were to be lifted off some of them in this life by the blessing of the presence of the Messenger, the Prophet of Mercy, the torment will be stored for them in their next life, as Allah says,

يُضَاعَفُ لَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مَا كَانُواْ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ السَّمْعَ وَمَا كَانُواْ يُبْصِرُونَ

Their torment will be doubled! They could not bear to hear (the preaching), and they used not to see (the truth). (11;20)

Concerning Allah's saying,
مِّن قَرْيَتِكَ الَّتِي أَخْرَجَتْكَ
(than Your town that has driven you out),

This means, `its people who have driven you (Muhammad) out from amongst them (the people of Makkah).'

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that when Allah's Messenger left Makkah (at the time of Hijrah -- migration), and he reached the cave and hid inside it, he looked back toward Makkah and said,

أَنْتِ أَحَبُّ بِلَدِ اللهِ إِلَى اللهِ وَأَنْتِ أَحَبُّ بِلَدِ اللهِ إِلَيَّ وَلَوْلَا أَنَّ الْمُشْرِكِينَ أَخْرَجُونِي لَمْ أَخْرُجْ مِنْك

You are the most beloved to Allah among Allah's lands, and you are also the most beloved to me among Allah's lands. Were it not that the idolators have driven me out from you, I would never have left you.

Ibn Abbas then said,

"The worst of enemies is he who transgresses against Allah in His own sacred place, who kills a person who is not trying to kill him, or who kills because of Jahiliyyah vengeance. Allah then revealed to His Prophet,

وَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ هِيَ أَشَدُّ قُوَّةً مِّن قَرْيَتِكَ الَّتِي أَخْرَجَتْكَ

أَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ فَلَ نَاصِرَ لَهُمْ


And how many a town mightier than your town that has driven you out have We destroyed, with none to help them!