Interpretation of Sura al-Fatir - Verse 44

44.“Have they not travelled in the earth and seen how was the end of those before them while they were stronger than them in power? Nor is Allah to be frustrated by anything whatever in the heavens or on the earth; verily He is Knowing, Powerful.”

Commentary

None should become proud of his power since there have been many more powerful people than them who have been destroyed; and nothing can overcome the Will of Allah.

This verse invites the guilty polytheists to study the traces of the former nations and the fate which they afflicted with. This is for the sake that whatever they have studied in the history about those nations, they would see by their eyes in the lands belonging to them, and they would observe those things among their effects so that they actually see what they have studied in the statements. It says:

“Have they not travelled in the earth and seen how was the end of those before them …”

If they think that they are stronger than those nations, they are in an earnest error, because the Qur’a-n continues saying:

“… while they were stronger than them in power? …”

The people of Pharaoh who had taken the land of Egypt under the control of their own power, the people of Namru-d who were governing over the land of Babylon and some other countries all were so strong that the idolaters of Mecca, compared with them, were counted naught.

Moreover, the more men are powerful, comparing the power of Allah, their power is naught, because nothing in the heavens nor in the earth can escape from the realm of His Power, and will not frustrate Him. The verse says:

“… Nor is Allah to be frustrated by anything whatever in the heavens or on the earth; …”

Allah is both Knowing and Powerful. Neither does anything remain concealed from His sight nor anything is difficult for His Power, nor can anybody overcome Him.

If these blind-hearted, arrogant and deceitful persons think that they can escape from the grips of His Power, they are in error, and if they do not leave their committing ugly deeds, at last they will confront the same fatal end of the former arrogant ones.

We repeatedly recite in the verses of the Qur’a-n that Allah invites the faithless and disobedient persons ‘to travel in the earth’ and see the traces of the nations who have afflicted the Divine chastisement.

In Sura Ar-Room, No. 30, verse 9 we recite: “Have they not travelled in the earth and seen how was the end of those before them? …” These are those who had a stronger power than these and changed the earth, and they made it more populated than the amount these have done. Their prophets came to them with clear proofs, but they continued their own egotism, and were encompassed with painful divine punishment.

Never did Allah injustice to them, but they were unjust to themselves. This verse from Sura Ar-Room continues saying: “… they were stronger than them in strength, and they ploughed up the earth and cultivated it more than they themselves have cultivated it; and their messenger came to them with clear proofs (miracles) (which they rejected to their own destruction); so Allah would never deal with them unjustly, but they deal unjustly with their own selves.”

These frequent emphases of the Qur’a-n are some proofs upon the extraordinary effect of these observations in the selves of human beings. They must go to see by their eyes that which they have studied in the history or heard from people.

They should go and see the former destroyed land of the Pharaohs, the ruined castles of the ancient kings, the scattered graves of Caesars, the rotten bones of people such as Numru-d, and the afflicted lands of the people of Lu-t and Thamu-d from near and close distance, they can hear the advice of these silent people and pay attention to the cry of those who are buried under the dust, and watch by their eyes what will finally happen to them.

Adopted from the book : "The Light of the Holy Qur'an; Interpretation of Surah al-Fatir" by : "Sayyid Kamal Faghih Imani and a Group of Muslim Scholars"