walawlā an tuṣībahum muṣībatun bimā qaddamat aydīhim fayaqūlū rabbanā lawlā arsalta ilaynā rasūlan fanattabiʿa āyātika wanakūna mina l-mu'minīna
Translation
And if not that a disaster should strike them for what their hands put forth [of sins] and they would say, "Our Lord, why did You not send us a messenger so we could have followed Your verses and been among the believers?"...1109
Notes
[1109] The conclusion of the sentence is understood to be "...We would not have sent messengers," meaning that Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) sent messengers and sent Muḥammad (ﷺ) with the final scripture to mankind so that no one could claim that punishment was imposed unjustly without warning.
Verse 47 of Surah Al-Qasas (28:47), a Meccan surah, is in juz 20, on page 391 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 73 reciters.
Listen to verse 47 of Surah Al-Qasas
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Tafsir of verse 47
Al-Mukhtasar
And if a divine punishment were to afflict them due to the sins and disbelief they were upon, they would have argued: “why did you not send a messenger to us, so we could have followed your ayaat and acted upon them, and have been from the true believers who follow your commandments. If it was not for that we would have hastened the punishment. However, we delayed it so that we may be excused by sending a messenger to them.”
So they would not say – if struck by a calamity because of what their hands have sent forth, “Our Lord, if only You had sent us a messenger, so we could follow Your verses and be among the believers?”
And if (We had) not (sent you to the people of Makkah) - in case a calamity should seize them for (the deeds) that their hands have sent forth, they would have said: "Our Lord! Why did You not send us a Messenger? We would then have followed Your Ayât (Verses of the Qur’ân) and would have been among the believers."
Otherwise, if disaster should afflict them because of that which their own hands have sent before (them), they might say: Our Lord! Why sentest Thou no messenger unto us, that we might have followed Thy revelations and been of the believers?
If (We had) not (sent thee to the Quraish),- in case a calamity should seize them for (the deeds) that their hands have sent forth, they might say: "Our Lord! why didst Thou not sent us a messenger? We should then have followed Thy Signs and been amongst those who believe!"
And were it not that there should befall them a disaster for what their hands have sent before, then they should say: Our Lord! why didst Thou not send to us a messenger so that we should have followed Thy communications and been of the believers!
And had it not been (that you are sent to them), an affliction would afflict them for what their hands have forwarded, then they might say, "Our Lord, had You sent a Messenger to us, then we should have closely followed Your signs and been among the believers."
[We sent] messengers as bringers of good tidings and warners so that mankind will have no argument against Allāh after the messengers. And ever is Allāh Exalted in Might and Wise.
O People of the Scripture, there has come to you Our Messenger to make clear to you [the religion] after a period [of suspension] of messengers, lest you say, "There came not to us any bringer of good tidings or a warner." But there has come to you a bringer of good tidings and a warner. And Allāh is over all things competent.
Verses with similar wording
They share a sequence of words with this verse: useful for telling them apart when memorising.
And if We had destroyed them with a punishment before him, they would have said, "Our Lord, why did You not send to us a messenger so we could have followed Your verses [i.e., teachings] before we were humiliated and disgraced?"
So how [will it be] when disaster strikes them because of what their hands have put forth and then they come to you swearing by Allāh, "We intended nothing but good conduct and accommodation."
