Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And We destroyed stronger than them in might; and the example of the former peoples has gone before.

فَاَهْلَكْـنَٓا اَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ بَطْشاً وَمَضٰى مَثَلُ الْاَوَّل۪ينَ
Faahlakna ashadda minhum batshanwamada mathalu al-awwaleen
#wordmeaningroot
1fa-ahlaknāThen We destroyedهلك
2ashaddastrongerشدد
3min'humthan them
4baṭshan(in) powerبطش
5wamaḍāand has passedمضي
6mathalu(the) exampleمثل
7l-awalīna(of) the former (people)اول
  • Aisha Bewley

    and so We destroyed people with greater power than they have and the pattern of the previous peoples has gone before.

  • Progressive Muslims

    We have destroyed those who were even more powerful than these, and the example of the previous generations has already been given.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    And so, We annihilated them. They were mightier in prowess than these are. They were made history and this fact should serve as an example for these people. ('Madha mathal' = An image of the past, lost and gone).

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And We destroyed stronger than them in might; and the example of the former peoples has gone before.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    We have destroyed those who were even more powerful than these, and the example of the previous generations has already been given.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    We have destroyed those who were even more powerful than these, and the example of the previous generations has already been given.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    Consequently, we annihilated people who were even more powerful than these. We thus set the examples from the previous communities.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    So We destroyed far more powerful (nations) than they. The example of earlier people is there.

  • Sahih International (Umm Muhammad, Mary Kennedy, Amatullah Bantley)

    And We destroyed greater than them in power, and the example of the former peoples has preceded.

  • Muhammad Asad

    and so, We destroyed them of greater might than these: and the image of those people of old became a thing of the past.

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    Then We destroyed men mightier than these in prowess; and the example of the men of old hath gone (before them).

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    We utterly destroyed them although they were greater in might than these. The examples of ancient peoples have gone before.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    They conceit themselves if they contemplate possession of control, power and authority. We did away with nations far mightier, prosecuted with activity and perseverance, whose diligence never wearied and We reduced them into a useless form; and so the fateful events of those of the distant past had served as a warning to those who follow.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    Beware; I (God) severely punished those people and they were much stronger than you to set an example.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    Then We destroyed men stronger (in power) than these - and the example of the ancients has passed away (before them).

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    So We destroyed (them)- stronger in power than these;- and (thus) has passed on the Parable of the peoples of old.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    So We destroyed those who were far mightier than these ˹Meccans˺. The examples of ˹their˺ predecessors have ˹already˺ been related. 

  • Taqi Usmani

    So We have destroyed those who were stronger than these (people of Makkah) in power, and the example of the earlier people has already passed.

  • Abdul Haleem

    so We have destroyed mightier people than and their example has gone down in history.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    so We destroyed men stronger in valour than they, and the example of the ancients passed away.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    then we destroyed them - more valiant than these; and the example of those of yore passed away.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    Then We destroyed those who were stronger than these in prowess, and the case of the ancients has gone before them,

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    So We caused to perish (people) more valiant in assault than they, and the similitude of the earliest (people) has passed away.

  • George Sale

    Wherefore We destroyed nations who were more mighty than these in strength; and the example of those who were of old, hath been already set before them.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    Then We destroyed (them)— (Even) stronger in power than these (people)— The stories of the olden peoples have been passed (to you to learn from them).

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    Look! We destroyed those who were stronger than these (Makkans) in valour, and the example of the former peoples has already gone before. (So how can they escape meeting the same fate?)

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    So We destroyed those who were stronger than these, and the example of the ancients has passed.