Quran Universe
35:44

أَوَلَمۡ يَسِيرُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَيَنظُرُواْ كَيۡفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ وَكَانُوٓاْ أَشَدَّ مِنۡهُمۡ قُوَّةٗۚ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُعۡجِزَهُۥ مِن شَيۡءٖ فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَلَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ عَلِيمٗا قَدِيرٗا

Awalam yaseeroo fee alardi fayanthuroo kayfa kana AAaqibatu allatheena min qablihim wakanoo ashadda minhum quwwatan wama kana Allahu liyuAAjizahu min shayin fee alssamawati wala fee alardi innahu kana AAaleeman qadeeran

Have they not traveled through the land and observed how was the end of those before them? And they were greater than them in power. But Allah is not to be caused failure by anything in the heavens or on the earth. Indeed, He is ever Knowing and Competent.

Word by word
  1. أَوَلَمۡHave they not
  2. يَسِيرُواْtraveled
  3. فِيin
  4. ٱلۡأَرۡضِthe land
  5. فَيَنظُرُواْand seen
  6. كَيۡفَhow
  7. كَانَwas
  8. عَٰقِبَةُ(the) end
  9. ٱلَّذِينَ(of) those who
  10. مِن(were) before them
  11. قَبۡلِهِمۡ(were) before them
  12. وَكَانُوٓاْAnd they were
  13. أَشَدَّstronger
  14. مِنۡهُمۡthan them
  15. قُوَّةٗۚ(in) power
  16. وَمَاBut not
  17. كَانَis
  18. ٱللَّهُAllah
  19. لِيُعۡجِزَهُۥthat can escape (from) Him
  20. مِنany
  21. شَيۡءٖthing
  22. فِيin
  23. ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِthe heavens
  24. وَلَاand not
  25. فِيin
  26. ٱلۡأَرۡضِۚthe earth
  27. إِنَّهُۥIndeed,He
  28. كَانَis
  29. عَلِيمٗاAll-Knower
  30. قَدِيرٗاAll-Powerful
Fatir · 35:44Makkah

Go and look at how the stronger ones ended.

Past nations were mightier, and none escaped Him

The ruins teach
earlier peoplesmore power, wealth, children
ended as
empty homesnothing protected them
All-Knowing, All-Ablenothing escapes Him
What keeps me safe
my strengthsavings, network, health
nothing escapes Himonly obedience protects

Makkan traders passed the ruins of older nations on their journeys. Ibn Kathir says to look how their homes were emptied after luxury, numbers, wealth, and children. None of it helped. Nothing in the heavens or earth escapes Allah.

You walk through an old part of the city where grand buildings now stand empty, or scroll a history page about a fallen empire. They felt permanent too. Ask what you are really leaning on.

With enough resources, I am safe.

The strongest before me could not escape Allah. My only safety is in Him.

Try this

Next time you pass something old or ruined, pause and ask what you will leave behind.

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

Have they not traveled in the land, and seen what was the end of those before them – though they were superior to them in power? Allah is not such that anything in the heavens or in the earth escapes Him. Verily, He is All-Knowing, All-Able (44)And if Allah were to punish men for that which they earned, He would not leave a moving creature on the surface of the earth; but He gives them respite to an appointed term, and when their term comes, then verily, Allah is Ever All-Seer of His servants (45)

Remember the Bad Consequences of disbelieving in the Prophets

Allah says: 'say, O Muhammad, to these people who disbelieve the Message you have brought: travel in the land and see what was the punishment of those who disbelieved the Messengers, how Allah destroyed them completely, and a similar (end awaits) the disbelievers. See how their homes were emptied of them and how they lost everything after living in luxury and being so numerous and so well equipped, and having so much wealth and so many children. All of that was of no avail to them and could not protect them in the slightest from the punishment of Allah when the command of the Lord came. Nothing is impossible for Him when He wants it to happen in the heavens or on earth.'

إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَلِيمًا قَدِيرًا 

(Verily, He is All-Knowing, All-Able.) means, He knows all that exists and is able to do all things.

The Wisdom behind delaying the Punishment

Then Allah says:

وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ اللَّهُ النَّاسَ بِمَا كَسَبُوا مَا تَرَكَ عَلَىٰ ظَهْرِهَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ

(And if Allah were to punish men for that which they earned, He would not leave a moving creature on the surface of the earth;) meaning, if He were to punish them for all of their sins, He would destroy all the people of the earth and all that they own of livestock and crops.

Sa'id bin Jubayr and As-Suddi commented on the Ayah:

مَا تَرَكَ عَلَىٰ ظَهْرِهَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ

(He would not leave a moving creature on the surface of the earth;) "This means, He would have stopped sending rain to them, and all the animals would have died as a result."

وَلَٰكِنْ يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى

(but He gives them respite to an appointed term,) means, but He is delaying until the Day of Resurrection, when He will bring them to account and will reward or punish each one according to his deeds: He will reward those who obeyed Him and will punish those who disobeyed Him. He says:

فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِعِبَادِهِ بَصِيرًا

(and when their term comes, then verily, Allah is Ever All-Seer of His servants.)

This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Fatir. All praise and gratitude is due to Allah.