Al-Qur'an Surah Al-An'am Verse 42

Mufti Taqi Usmani

We did send messengers to communities before you and put them to hardships and sufferings, so that they may supplicate in humility.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Indeed, We have sent messengers before you ˹O Prophet˺ to other people who We put through suffering and adversity ˹for their denial˺, so perhaps they would be humbled.

Ruwwad Translation Center

We sent messengers to nations before you and seized them with poverty and hardship, so that they may humble themselves.

A. J. Arberry

Indeed We sent to nations before thee, and We seized them with misery and hardship that haply they might be humble;

Abdul Haleem

We sent messengers before you [Prophet] to many communities and afflicted their people with suffering and hardships, so that they could learn humility.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And assuredly We sent apostles unto communities before thee; then We laid hold of them with adversity and distress, that haply they may humble themselves.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Before thee We sent (messengers) to many nations, and We afflicted the nations with suffering and adversity, that they might learn humility.

Abul Ala Maududi

And We did indeed send Messengers to other nations before you and then We seized those nations with misfortune and hardship so that they might humble themselves (before Us).

Ahmed Ali

We have indeed sent (apostles) to many a people before you, and inflicted upon them hardships and afflictions so that they might submit.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And We have indeed sent Noble Messengers towards the nations that were before you – We therefore seized them with hardship and adversity so that, in some way, they may humbly plead.

Ali Quli Qarai

We have certainly sent [apostles] to nations before you, then We seized them with stress and distress so that they might entreat [Us].

Ali Ünal

And We did indeed send Messengers to the communities before you, and We seized those (communities) with trials and tribulations so that they might invoke Us with humility (seeking the truth and forgiveness).

Amatul Rahman Omar

We have already sent (Messengers) towards the communities before you, then (on their rejecting the Messengers) We afflicted them with destitution, calamities and adversities so that they might become humble (before Us).

English Literal

And We had sent to nations from before you, so We took/punished them with the misery/hardship/fear and the calamity, maybe they become humble and humiliate themselves (to God).

Faridul Haque

And We have indeed sent Noble Messengers towards the nations that were before you - We therefore seized them with hardship and adversity so that, in some way, they may humbly plead.

Hamid S. Aziz

If only, when Our violence falls upon them, they had been humble, but their heart was hard, and Satan made seemly to them all that they used to do.

Hilali & Khan

Verily, We sent (Messengers) to many nations before you (O Muhammad SAW). And We seized them with extreme poverty (or loss in wealth) and loss in health with calamities so that they might believe with humility.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Nay, Him you call upon, so He removes that for which you pray, if He pleases, and you forget what you set up (with Him).

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And certainly We sent (apostles) to nations before you then We seized them with distress and affliction in order that they might humble themselves.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

We have sent already unto peoples that were before thee, and We visited them with tribulation and adversity, in order that they might grow humble.

Muhammad Sarwar

We had sent (Our guidance) to the nations who lived before you and afflicted them with distress and adversity so that they might submit themselves (to God).

Qaribullah & Darwish

Before you We sent forth to other nations, and then seized them with misery and hardship so that they might humble themselves.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Verily, We sent (Messengers) to many nations before you. And We seized them with extreme poverty and loss of health so that they might believe with humility.

Wahiduddin Khan

We sent messengers before you [Prophet] to many communities and afflicted their people with suffering and hardship, so that they might humble themselves.

Talal Itani

We sent messengers to communities before you, and We afflicted them with suffering and hardship, that they may humble themselves.

Tafsir jalalayn

Indeed We sent to communities before you (min qablika; min is extra), messengers, but they denied them, and We seized them with misery, abject poverty, and hardship, illness, so that they might be humble, abased, that they might believe.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلنَأ إِلَى أُمَمٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ

فَأَخَذْنَاهُمْ بِالْبَأْسَاء

Verily, We sent (Messengers) to many nations before you. And We seized them with extreme poverty...

That is, loss of wealth and diminished provisions,

وَالضَّرَّاء

and loss of health,

various illnesses, diseases and pain,

لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَضَرَّعُونَ



so that they might believe with humility.

and call Allah and supplicate to Him with humbleness and humility.

Allah said