Surah 6. Al-An'am, Ayah 6
| أَلَمْ يَرَوْا كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ مِنْ قَرْنٍ مَكَّنَّاهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَا لَمْ نُمَكِّنْ لَكُمْ وَأَرْسَلْنَا السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِدْرَارًا وَجَعَلْنَا الْأَنْهَارَ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهِمْ فَأَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَأَنْشَأْنَا مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ قَرْنًا آخَرِينَ |
| Asad | : | Do they not see how many a generation We have destroyed before their time - [people] whom We had given a [bountiful] place on earth, the like of which We never gave unto you, and upon whom We showered heavenly blessings abundant, and at whose feet We made running waters flow? And yet We destroyed them for their sins, and gave rise to other people in their stead.5 |
| Malik | : | Have they not seen how many generations We have destroyed before them? We had made those nations more powerful in the land than yourselves. We sent down for them abundant rain from the sky and made the rivers to flow beneath their feet: yet for their sins We destroyed them all and raised up other generations in their places. |
| Pickthall | : | See they not how many a generation We destroyed before them, whom We had established in the earth more firmly than We have established you, and We shed on them abundant showers from the sky, and made the rivers flow beneath them. Yet We destroyed them for their sins, and created after them another generation. |
| Yusuf Ali | : | See they not how many of those before them We did destroy? Generations We had established on the earth in strength such as We have not given to you for whom We poured out rain from the skies in abundance and gave (fertile) streams flowing beneath their (feet): yet for their sins We destroyed them and raised in their wake fresh generations (to succeed them). 839 |
| Transliteration | : | 'a- lam yaraw kam ahlaknaa min qabli -him min qarn makkannaa -hum fe al- 'ard. maa lam numakkin la- -kum wa- arsalnaa as- samaa' calay -him midraar(an) wa- jacalnaa al- anhaar tajre min tah.ti -him fa- ahlaknaa -hum bi- dhunob -him wa- ansha'naa min bacdi -him qarn(an) 'aakharen |
Note - 5Lit., "a generation of others after them". However, in
Qur'anic usage, the term qarn does not always denote "a
generation", but - rather more frequently - "an epoch",
or "people belonging to one particular epoch", as well as
"a civilization" in the historical sense of this word.
|
Note - 839Now comes the argument from history, looking backwards
and forwards. If we are so short-sighted or arrogant as
to suppose that we are firmly established on this earth,
secure in our privileges,we are reminded of much greater
nations in the past, who failed in their duty and were
wiped out. In their fate we must read our own fate, if we
fail likewise! But those without faith, instead of facing
facts squarely "turn away therefrom." A) Qirtas, in the
Apostle's life, could only mean "parchment," which was
commonly used as writing material in Western Asia from
the 2nd century B.C. The word was derived from the Greek,
Charles (Cf. Latin, "Charta"). Paper, as we know it, made
from rags, was first used by the Arabs after the conquest
of Samarqand in 751 A.D. The Chinese had used it by the
2nd century B.C. The Arabs introduced it into Europe; it
was used in Greece in the 11th and 12th century, and in
Spain through Sicily in the 12th century. The Papyrus,
made from an Egyptian reed, was in Egypt as early as 2500
B.C. It gave place to paper in Egypt in the 10th century.
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Lit., "a generation of others after them". However, in Qur'anic usage, the term qarn does not always denote "a generation", but - rather more frequently - "an epoch", or "people belonging to one particular epoch", as well as "a civilization" in the historical sense of this word. |
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Now comes the argument from history, looking backwards and forwards. If we are so short-sighted or arrogant as to suppose that we are firmly established on this earth, secure in our privileges,we are reminded of much greater nations in the past, who failed in their duty and were wiped out. In their fate we must read our own fate, if we fail likewise! But those without faith, instead of facing facts squarely "turn away therefrom." A) Qirtas, in the Apostle's life, could only mean "parchment," which was commonly used as writing material in Western Asia from the 2nd century B.C. The word was derived from the Greek, Charles (Cf. Latin, "Charta"). Paper, as we know it, made from rags, was first used by the Arabs after the conquest of Samarqand in 751 A.D. The Chinese had used it by the 2nd century B.C. The Arabs introduced it into Europe; it was used in Greece in the 11th and 12th century, and in Spain through Sicily in the 12th century. The Papyrus, made from an Egyptian reed, was in Egypt as early as 2500 B.C. It gave place to paper in Egypt in the 10th century. |
