Quran Universe
10:13

وَلَقَدۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَا ٱلۡقُرُونَ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ لَمَّا ظَلَمُواْ وَجَآءَتۡهُمۡ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِ وَمَا كَانُواْ لِيُؤۡمِنُواْۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجۡزِي ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ

Walaqad ahlakna alquroona min qablikum lamma thalamoo wajaathum rusuluhum bialbayyinati wama kanoo liyuminoo kathalika najzee alqawma almujrimeena

And We had already destroyed generations before you when they wronged, and their messengers had come to them with clear proofs, but they were not to believe. Thus do We recompense the criminal people

Word by word
  1. وَلَقَدۡAnd verily
  2. أَهۡلَكۡنَاWe destroyed
  3. ٱلۡقُرُونَthe generations
  4. مِنbefore you
  5. قَبۡلِكُمۡbefore you
  6. لَمَّاwhen
  7. ظَلَمُواْthey wronged
  8. وَجَآءَتۡهُمۡand came to them
  9. رُسُلُهُمtheir Messengers
  10. بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِwith clear proofs
  11. وَمَاbut not
  12. كَانُواْthey were
  13. لِيُؤۡمِنُواْۚto believe
  14. كَذَٰلِكَThus
  15. نَجۡزِيWe recompense
  16. ٱلۡقَوۡمَthe people
  17. ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ(who are) criminals
Yunus · 10:13Makkah

Earlier generations had clear proofs and still refused.

What happened to past nations who did wrong

Past generations
messengers camewith clear proofs
met with
wrongdoingthey would not believe
ended in
destructionthe due of criminals
What was missing
not enough proofif only they had seen more
not willingthe proofs were clear

The Makkans were reminded of nations before them. Ibn Kathir says they belied the Messengers and the clear signs brought to them. The proof was never the problem. They were not willing to believe.

You already know the sleep schedule that would help, the call you should make, the apology you owe. You keep waiting for one more sign. Maybe you have enough already.

I would change if I had more proof.

Usually the proof is clear. What is missing is my willingness.

Try this

Pick one thing you already know is right but keep delaying. Take the first step today.

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

And indeed, We destroyed generations before you when they did wrong, while their Messengers came to them with clear proofs, but they were not such as to believe! Thus do We requite the people who are criminals (13)Then We made you successors after them, generations after generations in the land, that We might see how you would work (14)

The Admonition held in the Destruction of the Previous Generations

Allah tells us about what happened to past generations when they belied the Messengers and the clear signs and proofs the latter brought to them. Allah then made this nation successors after them. He sent to them a Messenger to test their obedience to Him and following His Messenger. Muslim recorded that Abu Nadrah reported from Abu Sa'id that he said: "Allah's Messenger said:

إِنَّ الدُّنْيَا حُلْوَةٌ خَضِرَةٌ، وَإِنَّ اللهَ مُسْتَخْلِفُكُمْ فِيهَا، فَنَاظِرٌ كَيْفَ تَعْمَلُونَ، فَاتَّقُوا الدُّنْيَا وَاتَّقُوا النِّسَاءَ، فَإِنَّ أَوَّلَ فِتْنَةِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ كَانَتْ فِي النِّسَاءِ

(The world is indeed sweet and green; and verily Allah is going to install you generations after generations in it in order to see how you act. So safeguard yourselves against the world and avoid (the trial caused by) women. For the first trial of the Children of Israel was due to women..)

Ibn Jarir reported from 'Abdur-Rahman from Ibn Abi Layla that 'Awf bin Malik said to Abu Bakr: "In a dream, I saw a rope hanging from the sky and Allah's Messenger ﷺ was being raised. The rope was suspended again and Abu Bakr was raised. Then people were given different measurements around the Minbar, and 'Umar was favored with three forearm measurements." 'Umar said: "Keep your dream away from us, we have no need for it." When 'Umar succeeded, he called for 'Awf and said to him, "Tell me about your dream." 'Awf said: "Do you need to hear about my dream now? Did you not scold me before?" He then said, "Woe unto you! I hated for you to announce it to the successor of Allah's Messenger ﷺ himself." So 'Awf related his dream until he got to the three forearms, he said: "One that he was Khalifah, second he did not – for the sake of Allah – fear the blame of blamers, and third he was a martyr." Allah said:

ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ خَلَائِفَ فِي الْأَرْضِ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ لِنَنظُرَ كَيْفَ تَعْمَلُونَ

(Then We made you successors after them, generations after generations in the land, that We might see how you would work.)(10:14)

Then he said: "Son of the mother of 'Umar, you have been appointed as Khalifah, so look at what you will do! About not fearing the blame of blamers, that is Allah's will. About becoming a martyr, how can 'Umar reach that when the Muslims are in support of him?"