وَاعْلَمُوا 427 التوبة

كَالَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ كَانُوا أَشَدَّ مِنْكُمْ قُوَّةً وَأَكْثَرَ أَمْوَالًا وَأَوْلَادًا فَاسْتَمْتَعُوا بِخَلَاقِهِمْ فَاسْتَمْتَعْتُمْ بِخَلَاقِكُمْ كَمَا اسْتَمْتَعَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ بِخَلَاقِهِمْ وَخُضْتُمْ كَالَّذِي خَاضُوا أُولَئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ ﴿۶۹﴾ أَلَمْ يَأْتِهِمْ نَبَأُ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَعَادٍ وَثَمُودَ وَقَوْمِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَأَصْحَابِ مَدْيَنَ وَالْمُؤْتَفِكَاتِ أَتَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَكِنْ كَانُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ ﴿۷۰﴾

﴾69﴿ Kallazeena min qablikum kaanoo ashadda minkum quwwatanw wa aksara amwaalanw wa awlaadan fastamta'oo bikhalaaqihim fastamta'tum bikhalaaqikum kamas tamta'al lazeena min qablikum bikhalaa qihim wa khudtum kallazee khaadooo; ulaaa'ika habitat a'maaluhum fid dunyaa wal Aakhirati wa ulaaa'ika humul khaasiroon
﴾70﴿ Alam ya'tihim naba ul lazeena min qablihim qawmi Noohinw wa 'Aadinw wa Samooda wa qawmi Ibraaheema wa ashaabi Madyana wal mu'tafikaat; atathum Rusuluhum bilbaiyinaati famaa kaanal laahu liyazlimahum wa laakin kaanooo anfusahum yazlimoon

﴾69﴿ You are like those who came before you: they were greater than you in strength and more abundant in wealth and children. They enjoyed their share (of worldly pleasure), so you have enjoyed your share just as those before you enjoyed theirs, and you have indulged just as they indulged. The deeds of these people are in vain in this world and the Hereafter, and they are the losers.
﴾70﴿ Has not the news come to them of those who came before them—the people of Noah (peace be upon him), ‘Ad, Thamud, the people of Abraham (peace be upon him), the inhabitants of Midian, and the overturned cities (of the people of Lot, peace be upon him)? Their messengers came to them with clear proofs, so Allah did not wrong them, but they used to wrong themselves.

[69] In this verse, the hypocrites and disbelievers are compared to the disbelievers of the past, in the same disgraceful traits previously mentioned, and specifically in the traits of indulgence (استمتاع) and idle talk (خوض). These two are collective disgraceful traits in terms of punishment.
(فَاسْتَمْتَعُوا بِخَلَاقِهِمْ) – refers to the sinful and immoral ones who indulged in worldly pleasures as they wished.
(وَخُضْتُمْ) – points to the disease of the innovators and those who deny the truth, who invent religion according to their desires.
(كَالَّذِينَ) – before this, the implied subject is (أَنْتُمْ), meaning “you (hypocrites) are like those who…”
(قُوَّةً) – refers to either physical strength or oppressive power used to dominate the weak.
(فَاسْتَمْتَعُوا بِخَلَاقِهِمْ) – here, خَلاق refers to worldly wealth and status, which is a share allotted by Allah the Exalted. This word is used to imply the disgrace of previous nations who used their share in corrupt ways.
Then, in the following part of the verse, their deeds are likened to those of the previous people.
(فِي الدُّنْيَا) – the meaning of futility in the world is that their deeds brought no true good result.
Likewise, people do not praise them for their worship, saying things like “he is pious,” “he is a person of prayer,” or “he is a pilgrim.”
(وَالْآخِرَةِ) – and in the Hereafter, they will receive no reward for their deeds.
[70] This verse is an explanation of the previous verse in which Allah said "كَالَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ" – meaning, it refers to the disbelieving nations of the past.
It points to their worldly punishments, which are mentioned in various Makki surahs.
These nations are mentioned in verses (42, 43, 44) of Surah Al-Hajj, and verses (12, 13) of Surah Sad.
(أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ) – here, wronging themselves refers to their denial of the truth and disbelief, which led to their punishment.