Key Verses

Showing 12 of 27 verses that mention this concept.

1. 7:80Al-Araf
   وَلُوطًا إِذۡ قَالَ لِقَوۡمِهِۦٓ أَتَأۡتُونَ ٱلۡفَٰحِشَةَ مَا سَبَقَكُم بِهَا مِنۡ أَحَدٖ مِّنَ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ
   And Lot! (Remember) when he said unto his folk: Will ye commit abomination such as no creature ever did before you?
   In context

   Allah sent Lot to his people to call them to belief in the Oneness of Allah and to stop them from rebelling against Him. He said: 'Do you commit such a forbidden and shameful act as sodomy, when no one before you has committed such a crime!'

2. 8:59Al-AnfalWarning
   وَلَا يَحۡسَبَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ سَبَقُوٓاْۚ إِنَّهُمۡ لَا يُعۡجِزُونَ
   And let not those who disbelieve suppose that they can outstrip (Allah's Purpose). Lo! they cannot escape.
   In context

   The disbelievers should not think that they have escaped from Allah’s punishment, because they cannot do so. Instead, it will surely fall upon them.

3. 8:68Al-AnfalWarning
   لَّوۡلَا كِتَٰبٞ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ سَبَقَ لَمَسَّكُمۡ فِيمَآ أَخَذۡتُمۡ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٞ
   Had it not been for an ordinance of Allah which had gone before, an awful doom had come upon you on account of what ye took.
   In context

   Were it not for a decree from Allah – in which it had already been decided that He would make the gains of war lawful for you and permit you to ransom captives – a severe punishment from Allah would have afflicted you because of the gains of war and ransom you took from the captives at Badr before the coming of revelation from Allah that permitted it.

4. 10:19YunusCommand
   وَمَا كَانَ ٱلنَّاسُ إِلَّآ أُمَّةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ فَٱخۡتَلَفُواْۚ وَلَوۡلَا كَلِمَةٞ سَبَقَتۡ مِن رَّبِّكَ لَقُضِيَ بَيۡنَهُمۡ فِيمَا فِيهِ يَخۡتَلِفُونَ
   Mankind were but one community; then they differed; and had it not been for a word that had already gone forth from thy Lord it had been judged between them in respect of that wherein they differ.
   In context

   People were just one believing, unified nation, then they differed: some of them still had faith, while others disbelieved. If it had not been for the decree of Allah that He would not judge between them in what they differed about, then it would have been made clear which of them were guided and which of them were astray.

5. 11:40Hud
   حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَ أَمۡرُنَا وَفَارَ ٱلتَّنُّورُ قُلۡنَا ٱحۡمِلۡ فِيهَا مِن كُلّٖ زَوۡجَيۡنِ ٱثۡنَيۡنِ وَأَهۡلَكَ إِلَّا مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيۡهِ ٱلۡقَوۡلُ وَمَنۡ ءَامَنَۚ وَمَآ ءَامَنَ مَعَهُۥٓ إِلَّا قَلِيلٞ
   (Thus it was) till, when Our commandment came to pass and the oven gushed forth water, We said: Load therein two of every kind, a pair (the male and female), and thy household, save him against whom the word hath gone forth already, and those who believe. And but a few were they who believed with him.
   In context

   Noah (peace be upon him) finished building the Ark that Allah had commanded him to build. Then His command came to destroy them, and the water boiled up from the furnace they used to bake in, signalling the beginning of the Flood.

6. 11:110HudWarning
   وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا مُوسَى ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ فَٱخۡتُلِفَ فِيهِۚ وَلَوۡلَا كَلِمَةٞ سَبَقَتۡ مِن رَّبِّكَ لَقُضِيَ بَيۡنَهُمۡۚ وَإِنَّهُمۡ لَفِي شَكّٖ مِّنۡهُ مُرِيبٖ
   And we verily gave unto Moses the Scripture, and there was strife thereupon; and had it not been for a Word that had already gone forth from thy Lord, the case would have been judged between them, and lo! they are in grave doubt concerning it.
   In context

   I had given Moses the Torah, but people differed with respect to it: some of them believed, while others did not. Had it not been for Allah’s prior decree that the punishment will not come quickly, but will be postponed until the Day of Judgement for a reason, the punishment they deserve would have come down on them in this world.

7. 15:5Al-Hijr
   مَّا تَسۡبِقُ مِنۡ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلَهَا وَمَا يَسۡتَـٔۡخِرُونَ
   No nation can outstrip its term nor can they lag behind.
   In context

   A nation will not be destroyed before its appointed time, and its destruction will not be delayed when its time arrives. The wrongdoers should not have hope in Allah delaying their fate.

8. 20:99Ta-Ha
   كَذَٰلِكَ نَقُصُّ عَلَيۡكَ مِنۡ أَنۢبَآءِ مَا قَدۡ سَبَقَۚ وَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَٰكَ مِن لَّدُنَّا ذِكۡرٗا
   Thus relate We unto thee (Muhammad) some tidings of that which happened of old, and We have given thee from Our presence a reminder.
   In context

   Just as I related to you, O Messenger, the story of Moses, Pharaoh and their people, I relate to you the incidents of the prophets and nations before you, so that they are a solace for you. And I have given you from Myself a Qur’ān through which those who seek reminders are reminded.

9. 20:129Ta-Ha
   وَلَوۡلَا كَلِمَةٞ سَبَقَتۡ مِن رَّبِّكَ لَكَانَ لِزَامٗا وَأَجَلٞ مُّسَمّٗى
   And but for a decree that had already gone forth from thy Lord, and a term already fixed, the judgment would have been inevitable (in this world).
   In context

   O Messenger, had a word not preceded from your Lord that He will not punish anyone before establishing the proof against him, and had there not been a time which is fixed with Him, the punishment would have come to them quickly, due to their deserving it.

10. 21:27Al-AnbiyaCommand
    لَا يَسۡبِقُونَهُۥ بِٱلۡقَوۡلِ وَهُم بِأَمۡرِهِۦ يَعۡمَلُونَ
    They speak not until He hath spoken, and they act by His command.
    In context

    They do not proceed before their Lord in any saying, so they do not speak until He orders them, and they act according to His command and do not oppose any command of His.

11. 21:101Al-Anbiya
    إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ سَبَقَتۡ لَهُم مِّنَّا ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰٓ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ عَنۡهَا مُبۡعَدُونَ
    Lo! those unto whom kindness hath gone forth before from Us, they will be far removed from thence.
    In context

    When the idolaters said, “Indeed, Jesus and the angels whom were worshipped, will therefore enter the hellfire!” Allah said, “Verily, those regarding whom it was decreed in the Knowledge of Allah that they would be from the people of good fortune, like Jesus (peace be upon him), will be kept away from the hellfire.”

12. 23:27Al-Muminun
    فَأَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَيۡهِ أَنِ ٱصۡنَعِ ٱلۡفُلۡكَ بِأَعۡيُنِنَا وَوَحۡيِنَا فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَمۡرُنَا وَفَارَ ٱلتَّنُّورُ فَٱسۡلُكۡ فِيهَا مِن كُلّٖ زَوۡجَيۡنِ ٱثۡنَيۡنِ وَأَهۡلَكَ إِلَّا مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيۡهِ ٱلۡقَوۡلُ مِنۡهُمۡۖ وَلَا تُخَٰطِبۡنِي فِي ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوٓاْ إِنَّهُم مُّغۡرَقُونَ
    Then We inspired in him, saying: Make the ship under Our eyes and Our inspiration. Then, when Our command cometh and the oven gusheth water, introduce therein of every (kind) two spouses, and thy household save him thereof against whom the Word hath already gone forth. And plead not with Me on behalf of those who have done wrong. Lo! they will be drowned.
    In context

    So I revealed to him: Make a ship under My supervision and tutorage. Then, when My command to destroy them is issued and water gushes forth from the place where bread is baked, start taking a male and female from every living species onto the ship, so that they can procreate and not become extinct.