Surah 43 · verse 56
Az-Zukhruf 43:56
Sign in to listenفَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ سَلَفًا وَمَثَلًا لِّلْآخِرِينَ
fa-ja'alnahum salafan wa-mathalan lil-akhirin
And We made them a precedent and an example for the later peoples.
Saheeh International translation
Context in the surah
فَلَوْلَا أُلْقِيَ عَلَيْهِ أَسْوِرَةٌ مِّن ذَهَبٍ أَوْ جَاءَ مَعَهُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ مُقْتَرِنِينَ
Then why have there not been placed upon him bracelets of gold or come with him the angels in conjunction?"
Verse 54فَاسْتَخَفَّ قَوْمَهُ فَأَطَاعُوهُ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَوْمًا فَاسِقِينَ
So he bluffed his people, and they obeyed him. Indeed, they were [themselves] a people defiantly disobedient [of Allah].
Verse 55فَلَمَّا آسَفُونَا انتَقَمْنَا مِنْهُمْ فَأَغْرَقْنَاهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ
And when they angered Us, We took retribution from them and drowned them all.
فَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ سَلَفًا وَمَثَلًا لِّلْآخِرِينَ
And We made them a precedent and an example for the later peoples.
وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ مَثَلًا إِذَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْهُ يَصِدُّونَ
And when the son of Mary was presented as an example, immediately your people laughed aloud.
Verse 58وَقَالُوا أَآلِهَتُنَا خَيْرٌ أَمْ هُوَ ۚ مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلَّا جَدَلًا ۚ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ
And they said, "Are your gods better, or is he?" They did not present the comparison except for [mere] argument. But, [in fact], they are a people prone to dispute.
Verse 59إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا عَبْدٌ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَجَعَلْنَاهُ مَثَلًا لِّبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ
Jesus was not but a servant upon whom We bestowed favor, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel.