Al-Qur'an Surah At-Tawbah Verse 70

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Has there not reached them the news of those before them, the people of NūH and ‘Ād and Thamūd and the people of Ibrāhīm and the people of Madyan, and (the news) of the towns overturned? Their messengers came to them with clear signs; so, Allah was not such as would wrong them, but they have been doing wrong to their own selves.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Have they not received the stories of those ˹destroyed˺ before them: the people of Noah, ’Âd, and Thamûd, the people of Abraham, the residents of Midian, and the overturned cities ˹of Lot˺?[[ The overturned cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.]] 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 received the stories of those who came before them: the people of Noah, ‘Ād, Thamūd, the people of Abraham, the dwellers of Midian, and the overturned cities [of Lot]? Their messengers came to them with clear signs. It was not Allah who wronged them, but it was they who wronged themselves.

A. J. Arberry

Has there not come to you the tidings of those who were before you -- the people of Noah, Ad, Thamood, the people of Abraham, the men of Midian and the subverted cities? Their Messengers came to them with the clear signs God would not wrong them, but themselves they wronged.

Abdul Haleem

Have they never heard the stories about their predecessors, the peoples of Noah, Ad, Thamud, Abraham, Midian, and the ruined cities? Their messengers came to them with clear evidence of the truth: God would not deceive them; they deceived themselves.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Have not come to them the tidings of those before them: the people of Nuh and 'Ad and Thamud and the people of Ibrahim and the dwellers of Madyan and of the overturned cities! There came unto them their apostles with evidences. Wherefore Allah was not one to wrong them, but themselves they were wont to wrong.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Hath not the story reached them of those before them?- the People of Noah, and 'Ad, and Thamud; the People of Abraham, the men of Midian, and the cities overthrown. To them came their messengers with clear signs. It is not Allah Who wrongs them, but they wrong their own souls.

Abul Ala Maududi

Have they not heard the accounts of those who came before them - of the people of Noah and 'Ad and Thamud, and the people of Abraham and the dwellers of Madyan (Midian), and the cities that were overturned? Their Messengers came to them with Clear Signs. Then, it was not Allah Who caused them any wrong; they rather wronged themselves.

Ahmed Ali

Has not the account of those before them come to them, -- of the people of Noah and 'Ad and Thamud, of Abraham and Midian, and all the habitations that were destroyed? Their apostles had come to them with clear proofs; and God did not surely wrong them, they wronged themselves.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Did not the news of those before them reach them – the people of Nooh, and the A’ad, and the Thamud – the people of Ibrahim, the people of Madyan and the dwellings that were overturned? Their Noble Messengers had brought clear proofs to them; so it did not befit Allah’s Majesty to oppress them, but in fact they wronged themselves.

Ali Quli Qarai

Has there not come to them the account of those who were before them—the people of Noah, ‘Ad, and Tham£d, and the people of Abraham, the inhabitants of Midian, and the towns that were overturned? 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 there not reached them the exemplary histories of those who lived before them – the people of Noah, the Ad, the Thamud, and the people of Abraham, and the dwellers of Madyan (Midian), and the overthrown cities (of Sodom and Gomorrah)? Their Messengers came to them with the clear proofs (of the truth, in which they would not believe.) It was not, then, God who wronged them but they wronged their own selves.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Have they not heard the news of their predecessors, of the people of Noah, `Âd and Thamûd and of the people of Abraham and of the dwellers of Midian, and of the cities (of Sodom and Gomorrah) which were overthrown? There had come to them their Messengers (of God) with clear proofs (but they denied them and suffered the consequences thereof). So it was not Allâh who dealt with them unjustly but they did injustice to themselves.

English Literal

Did not (the) information/news come to them (about) those from before them, Noah`s nation, and Aad , and Thamud and Abraham`s nation, and owners (of) Madya/Madyan, and the overturned cities ?Their messengers came to them with the evidences, so God was not to cause injustice to them/oppress them, and but they were themselves causing injustice/oppression.

Faridul Haque

Did not the news of those before them reach them - the people of Nooh, and the A’ad, and the Thamud - the people of Ibrahim, the people of Madyan and the dwellings that were overturned? Their Noble Messengers had brought clear proofs to them; so it did not befit Allah’s Majesty to oppress them, but in fact they wronged themselves.

Hamid S. Aziz

Did there not come to them the story of those who were before them? Of the people of Noah and A´ad and Thamud, and of the people of Abraham, and the people of Midian? And of their overthrown cities? Their messengers came to them with manifest signs; for Allah surely wrongs them not, but it was themselves that they wronged.

Hilali & Khan

Has not the story reached them of those before them? - The people of Nuh (Noah), 'Ad, and Thamud, the people of Ibrahim (Abraham), the dwellers of Madyan (Midian) and the cities overthrown [i.e. the people to whom Lout (Lot) preached], to them came their Messengers with clear proofs. So it was not Allah Who wronged them, but they used to wrong themselves.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Like those before you -- they were stronger than you in power and had more wealth and children. So they enjoyed their portion; thus have you enjoyed your portion as those before you enjoyed their portion, and you indulge in idle talk as they did. These are they whose works are null in this world and the Hereafter, and these are they who are the losers.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Has not the news of those before them come to them; of the people of Nuh and Ad and Samood, and the people of Ibrahim and the dwellers of Madyan and the overthrown cities; their apostles came to them with clear arguments; so it was not Allah Who should do them injustice, but they were unjust to themselves.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Hath not the fame of those before them reached them - the folk of Noah, A'ad, Thamud, the folk of Abraham, the dwellers of Midian and the disasters (which befell them)? Their messengers (from Allah) came unto them with proofs (of Allah's Sovereignty). So Allah surely wronged them not, but they did wrong themselves.

Muhammad Sarwar

Have they not heard the stories of the people of Noah, the tribe of Ad, Thamud, the people of Abraham, the dwellers of the city of Midian, and those of the Subverted Cities? God's Messengers came to each of them with miracles. God did not do any injustice to them, but they wronged themselves.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Have they not heard the news of those who have gone before them? The news of the nations of Noah, Aad and Thamood, of Abraham's nation, and the people of Midian and the ruined cities? Their Messengers showed them clear signs. Allah did not harm them, but they harmed themselves.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Has not the story reached them of those before them -- The people of Nuh,`Ad, Thamud, the people of Ibrahim, the dwellers of Madyan and the overturned cities; to them came their Messengers with clear proofs. So it was not Allah Who wronged them, but they used to wrong themselves.

Wahiduddin Khan

Have they never heard the stories about their predecessors, the peoples of Noah, 'Ad, Thamud, Abraham, Midian, and of the ruined cities? Their messengers brought them clear evidence of the truth. It was not God who wronged them; they wronged themselves.

Talal Itani

Have they not heard the stories of those before them? The people of Noah, and Aad, and Thamood; and the people of Abraham, and the inhabitants of Median, and the Overturned Cities? Their messengers came to them with the clear proofs. God never wronged them, but they used to wrong their own selves.

Tafsir jalalayn

Has not the tidings, the tale, of those before them reached them -- the folk of Noah, and `d, the folk of Hd, and Thamd, the folk of Slih, and the folk of Abraham, and the dwellers of Midian, the folk of Shu`ayb, and the Deviant [cities]?, the cities of the folk of Lot, meaning, its inhabitants. Their messengers brought them clear proofs, with miracles, but they denied them, and so were destroyed. God would never have wronged them, by punishing them for no sin [on their part], but they wronged themselves, by committing sin.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Advising the Hypocrites to learn a Lesson from Those before Them

Allah advises the hypocrites who reject the Messengers,

أَلَمْ يَأْتِهِمْ نَبَأُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ

Has not the story reached them of those before them!

have you (hypocrites) not learned the end of the nations before you who rejected the Messengers,

قَوْمِ نُوحٍ

The people of Nuh,

and the flood that drowned the entire population of the earth, except those who believed in Allah's servant and Messenger Nuh, peace be upon him,

وَعَادٍ

and `Ad,

who perished with the barren wind when they rejected Hud, peace be upon him,

وَثَمُودَ

and Thamud,

who were overtaken by the Sayhah (awful cry) when they denied Salih, peace be upon him, and killed the camel,

وَقَوْمِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ

and the people of Ibrahim,

over whom He gave Ibrahim victory and the aid of clear miracles. Allah destroyed their king Nimrod, son of Canaan, son of Koch from Canaan, may Allah curse him,

وِأَصْحَابِ مَدْيَنَ

and the dwellers of Madyan,

the people of Shu`ayb, peace be upon him, who were destroyed by the earthquake and the torment of the day of the Shade,

وَالْمُوْتَفِكَاتِ

and the overturned cities,

the people of Lut who used to live in Madyan.

Allah said in another Ayah,

وَالْمُوْتَفِكَةَ أَهْوَى

And He destroyed the overturned cities. (53;53),

meaning the people of the overturned cities in reference to Sadum (Sodom), their major city. Allah destroyed them all because they rejected Allah's Prophet Lut, peace be upon him, and because they committed the sin that none before them had committed (homosexuality).

أَتَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ

to them came their Messengers with clear proofs.

and unequivocal evidence,

فَمَا كَانَ اللّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ

So it was not Allah Who wronged them,

when He destroyed them, for He established the proofs against them by sending the Messengers and dissipating the doubts,

وَلَـكِن كَانُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ



but they used to wrong themselves.

on account of their denying the Messengers and defying the Truth; this is why they earned the end, torment and punishment, that they did