سورة الصافات، الآية ١٦٨
لَوْ أَنَّ عِندَنَا ذِكْرًا مِّنَ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ ١٦٨
law anna ʿindanā dhik'ran mina l-awalīna
"If we had a message from [those of] the former peoples,
Verse 168 of Surah As-Saffat (37:168), a Meccan surah, is in juz 23, on page 452 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 73 reciters.
79 recitations by 73 reciters: pick one and it plays in the player.
167-170. And the idolaters from the people of Makkah used to say before Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent: “If we had a book of the previous people, such as the Torah for example, we would have worshipped Allah sincerely”. But they are lying in that, as Muhammad (peace be upon him) brought them the Qur’ān but they disbelieved in it. So soon they will know the severe punishment that is waiting for them on the day of judgment.
“If only we had a scripture43 like the previous people,
[43] Such as the Torah and the Gospel.
"If we had a reminder as had the men of old (before the coming of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم as a Messenger of Allâh),
If we had but a reminder from the men of old
"If only we had had before us a Message from those of old,
Had we a reminder from those of yore,
"If only we had in our presence a Remembrance (i.e., Scriptures) from the earliest (people).
وَأَقْسَمُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَٰنِهِمْ لَئِن جَآءَهُمْ نَذِيرٌ لَّيَكُونُنَّ أَهْدَىٰ مِنْ إِحْدَى ٱلْأُمَمِ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ نَذِيرٌ مَّا زَادَهُمْ إِلَّا نُفُورًا
And they swore by Allāh their strongest oaths that if a warner came to them, they would be more guided than [any] one of the [previous] nations. But when a warner came to them, it did not increase them except in aversion
أَن تَقُولُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَآ أُنزِلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبُ عَلَىٰ طَآئِفَتَيْنِ مِن قَبْلِنَا وَإِن كُنَّا عَن دِرَاسَتِهِمْ لَغَٰفِلِينَ …
[We revealed it] lest you say, "The Scripture was only sent down to two groups before us, but we were of their study unaware," …
