Quran Universe
40:21

۞أَوَلَمۡ يَسِيرُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَيَنظُرُواْ كَيۡفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَانُواْ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡۚ كَانُواْ هُمۡ أَشَدَّ مِنۡهُمۡ قُوَّةٗ وَءَاثَارٗا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمۡ وَمَا كَانَ لَهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَاقٖ

Awa lam yaseeroo fee alardi fayanthuroo kayfa kana AAaqibatu allatheena kanoo min qablihim kanoo hum ashadda minhum quwwatan waatharan fee alardi faakhathahumu Allahu bithunoobihim wama kana lahum mina Allahi min waqin

Have they not traveled through the land and observed how was the end of those who were before them? They were greater than them in strength and in impression on the land, but Allah seized them for their sins. And they had not from Allah any protector.

Word by word
  1. ۞أَوَلَمۡDo not
  2. يَسِيرُواْthey travel
  3. فِيin
  4. ٱلۡأَرۡضِthe earth
  5. فَيَنظُرُواْand see
  6. كَيۡفَhow
  7. كَانَwas
  8. عَٰقِبَةُ(the) end
  9. ٱلَّذِينَ(of) those who
  10. كَانُواْwere
  11. مِنbefore them
  12. قَبۡلِهِمۡۚbefore them
  13. كَانُواْThey were
  14. هُمۡ[they]
  15. أَشَدَّsuperior
  16. مِنۡهُمۡto them
  17. قُوَّةٗ(in) strength
  18. وَءَاثَارٗاand (in) impressions
  19. فِيin
  20. ٱلۡأَرۡضِthe land
  21. فَأَخَذَهُمُbut Allah seized them
  22. ٱللَّهُbut Allah seized them
  23. بِذُنُوبِهِمۡfor their sins
  24. وَمَاand not
  25. كَانَwas
  26. لَهُمfor them
  27. مِّنَagainst
  28. ٱللَّهِAllah
  29. مِنany
  30. وَاقٖprotector
Ghafir · 40:21Makkah

Stronger nations built more, and it did not save them.

Travel and look at the ruins

Those before
great strengthmore than Quraysh
buildings, tracesstill in the land
but
seized for their sinsno protector
What protects
strength and buildingwill keep me safe
Allah onlyno one shields from Him

Ibn Kathir says the past nations were stronger than Quraysh and left buildings and dwellings the Makkans could not match. Yet they were seized for rejecting their messengers, and no one could protect them from Allah.

You walk past an old ruin on holiday and take a photo. Someone once thought those walls would last forever. Your career, your house, your savings are walls too. Good to build. Not enough to lean on.

If I build enough, I will be safe.

Stronger people built more and still had no protector except Allah.

Try this

Next time you pass an old building, ask: what am I building that lasts past me?

Related46:2630:9
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 who were before them? They were superior to them in strength, and in the traces in the land. But Allah seized them with punishment for their sins. And none had they to protect them from Allah (21)That was because there came to them their Messengers with clear evidences but they disbelieved (in them). So Allah seized them. Verily, He is All-Strong, Severe in punishment (22)

The Severe Punishment for the Disbelievers

أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا 

(Have they not traveled), 'these people who disbelieve in your Message, O Muhammad,'

فِي الْأَرْضِ فَيَنْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ

(in the land and seen what was the end of those who were before them?) means, the nations of the past who disbelieved in their Prophets (peace be upon them), for which the punishment came upon them even though they were stronger than Quraysh.

وَآثَارًا فِي الْأَرْضِ 

(and in the traces in the land.) means, they left behind traces in the earth, such as structures, buildings and dwellings which these people [i.e., the Quraysh] cannot match. This is like the Ayat:

وَلَقَدْ مَكَّنَّاهُمْ فِيمَا إِنْ مَكَّنَّاكُمْ فِيهِ

(And indeed We had firmly established them with that wherewith We have not established you!)(46:26)

وَأَثَارُوا الْأَرْضَ وَعَمَرُوهَا أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا عَمَرُوهَا

(and they tilled the earth and populated it in greater numbers than these have done)(30:9). Yet despite this great strength, Allah punished them for their sin, which was their disbelief in their Messengers.

وَمَا كَانَ لَهُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ وَاقٍ

(And none had they to protect them from Allah.) means, they had no one who could protect them or ward off the punishment from them.

Then Allah mentions the reason why He punished them, and the sins which they committed. Allah says:

ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانَتْ تَأْتِيهِمْ رُسُلُهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ

(That was because there came to them their Messengers with clear evidences) meaning with clear proof and definitive evidence.

 فَكَفَرُوا

(but they disbelieved.) means, despite all these signs, they disbelieved and rejected the Message.

فَأَخَذَهُمُ اللَّهُ

(So Allah seized them.) means, He destroyed them utterly, and a similar fate awaits the disbelievers.

إِنَّهُ قَوِيٌّ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ

(Verily, He is All-Strong, Severe in punishment) means, He is possessed of great strength and might.

شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ 

(Severe in punishment,) means, His punishment is severe and agonizing; we seek refuge with Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, from that.