And those before them denied, and they [i.e., the people of Makkah] have not attained a tenth of what We had given them. But they [i.e., the former peoples] denied My messengers, so how [terrible] was My reproach.
Verse 45 of Surah Saba (34:45), a Meccan surah, is in juz 22, on page 433 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 73 reciters.
Listen to verse 45 of Surah Saba
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Tafsir of verse 45
Al-Mukhtasar
And the previous nations such as Aad, Thamud and the people of Lot denied. And the idolaters from your people have not reached even a tenth of the strength, might and numbers the previous nations reached. Every one of them denied their Messenger, so the wealth, strength and numbers they were given did not benefit, and so My punishment befell them. So see the outcome of My reproachment and that of My punishment.
Those who came before them also rejected [the truth], while these [Makkans] have not been given even one-tenth of what We had given those [earlier nations], yet they rejected My messengers; how severe was My response!
And those before them belied; these have not received even a tenth of what We had granted to those (of old); yet they belied My Messengers. Then how (terrible) was My denial (punishment)!
Those before them denied, and these have not attained a tithe of that which We bestowed on them (of old); yet they denied My messengers. How intense then was My abhorrence (of them)!
And their predecessors rejected (the Truth); these have not received a tenth of what We had granted to those: yet when they rejected My messengers, how (terrible) was My rejection (of them)!
And those before them rejected (the truth), and these have not yet attained a tenth of what We gave them, but they gave the lie to My messengers, then how was the manifestation of My disapproval?
And (the ones) before them cried lies, and in no way did they reach a tenth of what We brought them. So they cried lies to My Messengers. Then how was My disclaiming!
And We had certainly established them in such as We have not established you, and We made for them hearing and vision and hearts [i.e., intellect]. But their hearing and vision and hearts availed them not from anything [of the punishment] when they were [continually] rejecting the signs of Allāh; and they were enveloped by what they used to ridicule.
Have they not traveled through the land and observed how was the end of those before them? They were more numerous than themselves and greater in strength and in impression on the land, but they were not availed by what they used to earn.
Verses with similar wording
They share a sequence of words with this verse: useful for telling them apart when memorising.
Do they [i.e., the disbelievers] await except that the angels should come to them or there comes the command of your Lord? Thus did those do before them. And Allāh wronged them not, but they had been wronging themselves.
