فَجَعَلْنَـٰهُمْ سَلَفًۭا وَمَثَلًۭا لِّلْـَٔاخِرِينَ
And We made them a precedent and an example for the later peoples.
fajaʿalnāhum salafan wamathalan lil'ākhirīna
Tap words to select them. Long-press for a range.
Az-Zukhruf · verse 56 of 89
Surah Az-Zukhruf, verse 56
Word by word
4 words1فَجَعَلْنَـٰهُمْfajaʿalnāhumAnd We made them
2سَلَفًۭاsalafana precedent
3وَمَثَلًۭاwamathalanand an example
4لِّلْـَٔاخِرِينَlil'ākhirīnafor the later (generations)
About this verse
In context
Read the whole surahفَٱسْتَخَفَّ قَوْمَهُۥ فَأَطَاعُوهُ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ قَوْمًۭا فَـٰسِقِينَ
So he bluffed his people, and they obeyed him. Indeed, they were [themselves] a people defiantly disobedient [of Allāh].
فَلَمَّآ ءَاسَفُونَا ٱنتَقَمْنَا مِنْهُمْ فَأَغْرَقْنَـٰهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ
And when they angered Us, We took retribution from them and drowned them all.
فَجَعَلْنَـٰهُمْ سَلَفًۭا وَمَثَلًۭا لِّلْـَٔاخِرِينَ
And We made them a precedent and an example for the later peoples.
۞ وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ مَثَلًا إِذَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْهُ يَصِدُّونَ
And when the son of Mary was presented as an example, immediately your people laughed aloud.
وَقَالُوٓا۟ ءَأَـٰلِهَتُنَا خَيْرٌ أَمْ هُوَ ۚ مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلَّا جَدَلًۢا ۚ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ
And they said, "Are our gods better, or is he?" They did not present it [i.e., the comparison] except for [mere] argument. But, [in fact], they are a people prone to dispute.