Quran Universe
64:5

أَلَمۡ يَأۡتِكُمۡ نَبَؤُاْ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن قَبۡلُ فَذَاقُواْ وَبَالَ أَمۡرِهِمۡ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ

Alam yatikum nabao allatheena kafaroo min qablu fathaqoo wabala amrihim walahum AAathabun aleemun

Has there not come to you the news of those who disbelieved before? So they tasted the bad consequence of their affair, and they will have a painful punishment.

Word by word
  1. أَلَمۡHas not
  2. يَأۡتِكُمۡcome to you
  3. نَبَؤُاْ(the) news
  4. ٱلَّذِينَ(of) those who
  5. كَفَرُواْdisbelieved
  6. مِنfrom
  7. قَبۡلُbefore
  8. فَذَاقُواْSo they tasted
  9. وَبَالَ(the bad) consequence
  10. أَمۡرِهِمۡ(of) their affair
  11. وَلَهُمۡand for them
  12. عَذَابٌ(is) a punishment
  13. أَلِيمٞpainful
At-Taghabun · 64:5Madinah

Did the news of those before not reach you?

History is a warning letter

The pattern
nations beforethey denied
tasted
the bad resultin this life
and
painful punishmentin the next
Why the story is told
old historynothing to do with me
a message to methe same choices repeat

The surah now turns to those who refused the message. Ibn Kathir says Allah reminds them of past nations who tasted the evil results of their denial and sins in this world, with a painful punishment still to come after.

You read about someone who lost their family through a habit, or a company that fell through greed. You shake your head and scroll on. Those stories are letters addressed to you. The ending can still be different for you.

Stories of the past are interesting but not about me.

Every story of those before me is a warning I can still learn from.

Try this

Think of one person whose mistake you have seen up close. Write down the one lesson you want to keep.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Has not the news reached you of those who disbelieved aforetime? And so they tasted the evil result of their disbelief, and theirs will be a painful torment (5)That was because there came to them their Messengers with Bayyinat, but they said: "Shall mere men guide us?" So they disbelieved and turned away. But Allah was not in need. And Allah is not in need, Worthy of all praise (6)

A Warning delivered through mentioning the End of the Disbelieving Nations

Informing about the past nations and the torment and disciplinary lessons that they suffered because of opposing the Messengers and denying the truth. Allah says;

أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ نَبَأُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ

(Has not the news reached you of those who disbelieved aforetime?) meaning, information about them and what happened to them,

فَذَاقُوا وَبَالَ أَمْرِهِمْ

(And so they tasted the evil result of their disbelief.) They tasted the evil consequences of their denial and sinful actions. And it refers to the punishment and humiliation they received in the life of the world,

وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

(and theirs will be a painful torment.) in the Hereafter, added to the torment they received in this life. Allah explained why;

ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُ كَانَتْ تَأْتِيهِمْ رُسُلُهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ

(That was because there came to them their Messengers with Bayyinat,) supporting arguments, evidence, and clear proofs,

 فَقَالُوا أَبَشَرٌ يَهْدُونَنَا

(but they said:"Shall mere men guide us?") They discounted and dismissed the possibility that the Message would be sent to a human and that their guidance would come by the hands of a man like themselves,

فَكَفَرُوا وَتَوَلَّوْا

(So they disbelieved and turned away.) they denied the truth and turned away from abiding by it,

 وَاسْتَغْنَى اللَّهُ ۚ 

(But Allah was not in need.) of them,

وَاللَّهُ غَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ

(And Allah is not need, Worthy of all praise.)