Quran Universe
27:69

قُلۡ سِيرُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَٱنظُرُواْ كَيۡفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ

Qul seeroo fee alardi faonthuroo kayfa kana AAaqibatu almujrimeena

Say, [O Muhammad], "Travel through the land and observe how was the end of the criminals."

Word by word
  1. قُلۡSay
  2. سِيرُواْTravel
  3. فِيin
  4. ٱلۡأَرۡضِthe land
  5. فَٱنظُرُواْand see
  6. كَيۡفَhow
  7. كَانَwas
  8. عَٰقِبَةُ(the) end
  9. ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ(of) the criminals
An-Naml · 27:69Makkah

Go and look at how it ended for them.

History as evidence

The instruction
travel the landgo and look
see
the endof those who denied
and who was savedmessengers, believers
What travel is for
sightseeingphotos and food
seeing lessonshow things end

Ibn Kathir says the Prophet ﷺ was told to answer them this way: look at how the punishment struck those who denied the Messengers and how Allah saved the Messengers and the believers who followed them. That itself shows the Message is true.

You visit old ruins on holiday, or read about a family empire that collapsed. Do not just take the photo. Ask what they relied on, and how it ended.

History is a list of old facts.

The endings of past people are evidence I am meant to look at and learn from.

Try this

On your next trip or history read, find one lesson about how something ended.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 27:67)

And those who disbelieve say: "When we have become dust – we and our fathers – shall we really be brought forth? (67)"Indeed we were promised this – we and our forefathers before, verily, these are nothing but tales of ancients. (68)Say to them: "Travel in the land and see how has been the end of the criminals. (69)And grieve you not over them, nor be straitened (in distress) because of what they plot (70)

Scepticism about the Resurrection and Its Refutation

Allah tells us about the idolators who deny the Resurrection, considering it extremely unlikely that bodies will be re-created after they have become bones and dust. Then He says:

لَقَدْ وُعِدْنَا هَٰذَا نَحْنُ وَآبَاؤُنَا مِنْ قَبْلُ

(Indeed we were promised this – we and our forefathers before,) meaning, 'we and our forefathers have been hearing this for a long time, but in reality, we have never seen it happen.'

إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ

(verily, these are nothing but tales of ancients.) the promises that bodies will be restored are

 إِلَّا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ

(nothing but tales of ancients.) meaning that they were taken by the people who came before us from books which were handed down from one to the other, but they have no basis in reality. Responding to their thoughts of disbelief and their belief that there would be no Resurrection, Allah said,

قُلْ

(Say) 'O Muhammad, to these people,'

سِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ

(Travel in the land and see how has been the end of the criminals.) meaning, those who denied the Messengers and their message of the Resurrection and other matters. See how the punishment and vengeance of Allah struck them and how Allah saved from among them the noble Messengers and the believers who followed them. This will be an indication of the truth of the Message brought by the Messengers. Then, to comfort the Prophet ﷺ, Allah says:

وَلَا تَحْزَنْ عَلَيْهِمْ 

(And grieve you not over them,) meaning, 'but do not feel sorry for them or kill yourself with regret for them,'

وَلَا تَكُنْ فِي ضَيْقٍ مِمَّا يَمْكُرُونَ

(nor be straitened because of what they plot.) means, 'because they plot against you and reject what you have brought, for Allah will help and support you, and cause your religion to prevail over those who oppose you and stubbornly resist you in the east and in the west.'