Transliteration:( Fa ahlaknaaa ashadda minhum batshanw wa madaa masalul awwaleen )
"And We destroyed those who were stronger [9] in power than these, and the example [10] of the earlier people has gone before."
This verse refers to the nations of the past who were far stronger in might and wealth than the Arabs of the Prophet’s time—such as the people of ʿĀd and Thamūd. These ancient civilizations possessed advanced structures, vast lands, and formidable physical strength.
Yet despite their worldly superiority, they were destroyed due to their denial of the truth and their arrogance toward the messengers. This serves as a warning: power and wealth are no protection against divine punishment when guidance is rejected.
The verse concludes by stating that the example of earlier people has already passed, meaning their stories and outcomes are known and recorded.
This makes it incumbent upon the Arabs—and by extension, all of mankind—to take heed from these events. The verse also validates the use of analogy and historical comparison in reasoning and learning, as Allah Himself uses prior nations as examples.
Thus, this verse emphasizes both the justice of divine punishment and the importance of reflection on history to avoid repeating the mistakes of those who came before.
The tafsir of Surah Zukhruf verse 8 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Zukhruf ayat 1 which provides the complete commentary from verse 1 through 8.
(43:8) We utterly destroyed them although they were greater in might than these. The examples of ancient peoples have gone before.[6]
6. That is, the result of the senselessness of some particular people could not be that the entire mankind should be deprived of the guidance of the Prophethood and the Book. The result has always been that the worshippers of falsehood, with the pride of power, did not desist from mocking the Prophets and were ultimately destroyed. When Allah’s wrath descended upon the people, those who possessed thousands of times greater power than that possessed by the chiefs of the Quraish, they were crushed to annihilation like mosquitoes and fleas.
[1432]- The disbelievers of the Quraysh, who denied Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ).
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