Key Verses

1. 6:38Al-Anam
   وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٖ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا طَـٰٓئِرٖ يَطِيرُ بِجَنَاحَيۡهِ إِلَّآ أُمَمٌ أَمۡثَالُكُمۚ مَّا فَرَّطۡنَا فِي ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ مِن شَيۡءٖۚ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمۡ يُحۡشَرُونَ
   There is not an animal in the earth, nor a flying creature flying on two wings, but they are peoples like unto you. We have neglected nothing in the Book (of Our decrees). Then unto their Lord they will be gathered.
   In context

   There is no animal on earth or any bird flying in the sky except that they are species like you, O children of Adam, with respect to their creation and provision. I have not left out anything in the Preserved Tablet. The knowledge of all of them is with Allah.

2. 6:42Al-Anam
   وَلَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أُمَمٖ مِّن قَبۡلِكَ فَأَخَذۡنَٰهُم بِٱلۡبَأۡسَآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَضَرَّعُونَ
   We have sent already unto peoples that were before thee, and We visited them with tribulation and adversity, in order that they might grow humble.
   In context

   I sent messengers to many communities before you, O Messenger, but those communities denied their messengers and turned away from what they brought. I then tried them with poverty and sickness in order for them to submit and humble themselves before their Lord.

3. 7:38Al-ArafWarning
   قَالَ ٱدۡخُلُواْ فِيٓ أُمَمٖ قَدۡ خَلَتۡ مِن قَبۡلِكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ وَٱلۡإِنسِ فِي ٱلنَّارِۖ كُلَّمَا دَخَلَتۡ أُمَّةٞ لَّعَنَتۡ أُخۡتَهَاۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا ٱدَّارَكُواْ فِيهَا جَمِيعٗا قَالَتۡ أُخۡرَىٰهُمۡ لِأُولَىٰهُمۡ رَبَّنَا هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ أَضَلُّونَا فَـَٔاتِهِمۡ عَذَابٗا ضِعۡفٗا مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِۖ قَالَ لِكُلّٖ ضِعۡفٞ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تَعۡلَمُونَ
   He saith: Enter into the Fire among nations of the jinn and humankind who passed away before you. Every time a nation entereth, it curseth its sister (nation) till, when they have all been made to follow one another thither, the last of them saith unto the first of them: Our Lord! These led us astray, so give them double torment of the Fire. He saith: For each one there is double (torment), but ye know not.
   In context

   The angels will say: 'Enter you O idolaters the fire of Hell with the crowds of nations of jinn and people who passed away before you in disbelief and error!'. Whenever a nation enters Hell it condemns its sister nation which entered the fire of Hell before it, until they all reach one another and are gathered together.

4. 7:160Al-Araf
   وَقَطَّعۡنَٰهُمُ ٱثۡنَتَيۡ عَشۡرَةَ أَسۡبَاطًا أُمَمٗاۚ وَأَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰٓ إِذِ ٱسۡتَسۡقَىٰهُ قَوۡمُهُۥٓ أَنِ ٱضۡرِب بِّعَصَاكَ ٱلۡحَجَرَۖ فَٱنۢبَجَسَتۡ مِنۡهُ ٱثۡنَتَا عَشۡرَةَ عَيۡنٗاۖ قَدۡ عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُنَاسٖ مَّشۡرَبَهُمۡۚ وَظَلَّلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلۡغَمَٰمَ وَأَنزَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلۡمَنَّ وَٱلسَّلۡوَىٰۖ كُلُواْ مِن طَيِّبَٰتِ مَا رَزَقۡنَٰكُمۡۚ وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَٰكِن كَانُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ يَظۡلِمُونَ
   We divided them into twelve tribes, nations; and We inspired Moses, when his people asked him for water, saying: Smite with thy staff the rock! And there gushed forth therefrom twelve springs, so that each tribe knew their drinking-place. And we caused the white cloud to overshadow them and sent down for them the manna and the quails (saying): Eat of the good things wherewith we have provided you. They wronged Us not, but they were wont to wrong themselves.
   In context

   Allah divided the Israelites into twelve tribes. Then, when his people were asking him to call upon Allah to give them water, He inspired Moses to hit the stone with his stick. Moses hit it and twelve springs gushed out of it, which was the same number as the number of tribes. Each of the tribes knew which one was their own drinking place, which none of the other tribes shared with them.

5. 7:168Al-Araf
   وَقَطَّعۡنَٰهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ أُمَمٗاۖ مِّنۡهُمُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحُونَ وَمِنۡهُمۡ دُونَ ذَٰلِكَۖ وَبَلَوۡنَٰهُم بِٱلۡحَسَنَٰتِ وَٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ
   And We have sundered them in the earth as (separate) nations. Some of them are righteous, and some far from that. And We have tried them with good things and evil things that haply they might return.
   In context

   And I broke and separated them up in the earth, dividing them into communities, after they had been united. Among them were those who were righteous and who upheld the rights of Allah and the rights of His creatures; among them were those who were moderate; and among them were those who were excessive in their disobedience.

6. 11:48Hud
   قِيلَ يَٰنُوحُ ٱهۡبِطۡ بِسَلَٰمٖ مِّنَّا وَبَرَكَٰتٍ عَلَيۡكَ وَعَلَىٰٓ أُمَمٖ مِّمَّن مَّعَكَۚ وَأُمَمٞ سَنُمَتِّعُهُمۡ ثُمَّ يَمَسُّهُم مِّنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ
   It was said (unto him): O Noah! Go thou down (from the mountain) with peace from Us and blessings upon thee and some nations (that will spring) from those with thee. (There will be other) nations unto whom We shall give enjoyment a long while and then a painful doom from Us will overtake them.
   In context

   Allah told Noah (peace be upon him) to get down from the Ark on to the ground in safety and security, and with many blessings from Allah upon him and on the believing descendants of those who were with him on the Ark, who would come after them.

7. 13:30Ar-Rad
   كَذَٰلِكَ أَرۡسَلۡنَٰكَ فِيٓ أُمَّةٖ قَدۡ خَلَتۡ مِن قَبۡلِهَآ أُمَمٞ لِّتَتۡلُوَاْ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ وَهُمۡ يَكۡفُرُونَ بِٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِۚ قُلۡ هُوَ رَبِّي لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيۡهِ تَوَكَّلۡتُ وَإِلَيۡهِ مَتَابِ
   Thus We send thee (O Muhammad) unto a nation, before whom other nations have passed away, that thou mayst recite unto them that which We have inspired in thee, while they are disbelievers in the Beneficent. Say: He is my Lord; there is no Allah save Him. In Him do I put my trust and unto Him is my recourse.
   In context

   Just as we sent previous messengers to their communities, We sent you, O Messenger, to your community so that you may recite to them the Qur’ān that We revealed to you, for it is sufficient evidence of your truthfulness. Yet the condition of your people is that they reject this miracle because they deny the Benevolent One as they associate others with Him as partners.

8. 16:63An-NahlWarning
   تَٱللَّهِ لَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أُمَمٖ مِّن قَبۡلِكَ فَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ أَعۡمَٰلَهُمۡ فَهُوَ وَلِيُّهُمُ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ
   By Allah, We verily sent messengers unto the nations before thee, but the devil made their deeds fairseeming unto them. So he is their patron this day, and theirs will be a painful doom.
   In context

   By Allah, We sent Messengers to communities before you - O Messenger, but Satan made their evil deeds of idolatry, disbelief and sins seem good to them. He is their so-called helper on the Day of Judgement so let them ask him for help. They will have a painful punishment of the Day of Judgement.

9. 29:18Al-AnkabutWarning
   وَإِن تُكَذِّبُواْ فَقَدۡ كَذَّبَ أُمَمٞ مِّن قَبۡلِكُمۡۖ وَمَا عَلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ إِلَّا ٱلۡبَلَٰغُ ٱلۡمُبِينُ
   But if ye deny, then nations have denied before you. The messenger is only to convey (the message) plainly.
   In context

   O idolaters, if you deny what Muhammad (peace be upon him) brought, then nations before you also denied, such as the nation of Noah, and Aad and Thamud. It is only upon the Messenger to clearly convey, and he has conveyed what his Lord ordered him to convey to you.

10. 35:42FatirCommand
    وَأَقۡسَمُواْ بِٱللَّهِ جَهۡدَ أَيۡمَٰنِهِمۡ لَئِن جَآءَهُمۡ نَذِيرٞ لَّيَكُونُنَّ أَهۡدَىٰ مِنۡ إِحۡدَى ٱلۡأُمَمِۖ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمۡ نَذِيرٞ مَّا زَادَهُمۡ إِلَّا نُفُورًا
    And they swore by Allah, their most binding oath, that if a warner came unto them they would be more tractable than any of the nations; yet, when a warner came unto them it aroused in them naught save repugnance,
    In context

    These denying disbelievers swore a solemn and affirmed oath that if a messenger from Allah came to them to warn them of His punishment, they would be more guided and follow the truth more than the Jews, Christians and others.

11. 41:25FussilatWarning
    ۞وَقَيَّضۡنَا لَهُمۡ قُرَنَآءَ فَزَيَّنُواْ لَهُم مَّا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡ وَحَقَّ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلۡقَوۡلُ فِيٓ أُمَمٖ قَدۡ خَلَتۡ مِن قَبۡلِهِم مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ وَٱلۡإِنسِۖ إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ خَٰسِرِينَ
    And We assigned them comrades (in the world), who made their present and their past fairseeming unto them. And the Word concerning nations of the jinn and humankind who passed away before them hath effect for them. Lo! they were ever losers.
    In context

    I sent upon these disbelievers, companions from the satans. who would constantly be around them and beautifying disbelief, sins and rejection of the resurrection and requital. the punishment became incumbent upon them as the nations before from the humans and Jinn. Indeed they were the losers, who will lose themselves and their families on the Day of Judgement when they enter the fire.

12. 46:18Al-AhqafWarning
    أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ حَقَّ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلۡقَوۡلُ فِيٓ أُمَمٖ قَدۡ خَلَتۡ مِن قَبۡلِهِم مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ وَٱلۡإِنسِۖ إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ خَٰسِرِينَ
    Such are those on whom the Word concerning nations of the jinn and mankind which have passed away before them hath effect. Lo! they are the losers.
    In context

    Those are the ones for whom punishment is established amongst the nations before them from the jinns and men. They were the losers, as they lost themselves and their children by entering the fire.