Surah 43

Surah 43:23

"In this way We have not sent any warner before you to a town, except that its affluent ones said, ‘Surely we found our fathers (set) on a community, and surely we are following in their footsteps.’"
The Idolaters have no Proof Verses 43:21-25
Show Full Scripture Context (43:21-25) — 5 Verses
Verse 21

أَمۡ ءَاتَيۡنَٰهُمۡ كِتَٰبٗا مِّن قَبۡلِهِۦ فَهُم بِهِۦ مُسۡتَمۡسِكُونَ

Or have We given them a Book before it, and do they hold fast to it?

Verse 22

بَلۡ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا وَجَدۡنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا عَلَىٰٓ أُمَّةٖ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَٰرِهِم مُّهۡتَدُونَ

No! They say, ‘Surely we found our fathers (set) on a community, and surely we are guided in their footsteps.’

Verse 23

وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مِن قَبۡلِكَ فِي قَرۡيَةٖ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ إِلَّا قَالَ مُتۡرَفُوهَآ إِنَّا وَجَدۡنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا عَلَىٰٓ أُمَّةٖ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَٰرِهِم مُّقۡتَدُونَ

In this way We have not sent any warner before you to a town, except that its affluent ones said, ‘Surely we found our fathers (set) on a community, and surely we are following in their footsteps.’

Verse 24

۞قَٰلَ أَوَلَوۡ جِئۡتُكُم بِأَهۡدَىٰ مِمَّا وَجَدتُّمۡ عَلَيۡهِ ءَابَآءَكُمۡۖ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرۡسِلۡتُم بِهِۦ كَٰفِرُونَ

He said, ‘Even if I bring you better guidance than what you found your fathers (set) on?’ They said, ‘Surely we are disbelievers in what you are sent with.’

Verse 25

فَٱنتَقَمۡنَا مِنۡهُمۡۖ فَٱنظُرۡ كَيۡفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ

So We took vengeance on them. See how the end was for the ones who called (it) a lie!

Allah condemns the idolaters for worshipping others instead of Allah with no evidence or proof for doing so.

{Or have We given them any Book before this} means, before their idolatry.

{to which they are holding fast?} means, with regard to what they are doing. This is not the case. This is like the Ayah:

Quoted Scripture
"Or have We revealed to them an authority (a Scripture), And similarly, We sent not a warner before you to any town (people) but the luxurious ones among them said: "We found our fathers following a certain way and religion, and we will indeed follow their footsteps.""

Then He says:

{Say} - 'O Muhammad, to these idolators'

Quoted Scripture
""Even if I bring you better guidance than that which you found your fathers following?" They said: "Verily, we disbelieve in that with which you have been sent.""

'Even if they were convinced of the truth of what you have brought to them, they will not follow it, because of their evil intentions and their arrogance towards the truth and its people.'

{So We took revenge on them} means, on the disbelieving nations, by inflicting various kinds of punishments, as Allah has described in the stories of those nations.

{then see what was the end of those who denied} means, see what became of them, how they were destroyed and how Allah saved the believers.

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 8, Page 629-630)

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.