Al-Hijr Verse 24

We certainly know those who have gone before you and those who will come after ˹you˺.

We surely know those of you who have gone before and those who are yet to come.

We know the ones of you who press forward, and We know the laggards;

We know exactly those of you who come first and those who come later.

And assuredly We know those of you who have gone before and those who will come hereafter.

To Us are known those of you who hasten forward, and those who lag behind.

Surely We know those of you who have passed before and those who will come later.

We surely know those of you who go forward and those of you who lag behind.

And indeed We know those among you who came forward and indeed We know those among you who remained behind.

Certainly We know the predecessors among you and certainly We know the successors,

And well do We know those of you who have gone before and those who are to come later.

And indeed We know those among you who are the foremost in accepting the truth, and We indeed know those who are the laggards.

And We had known the advanced from you, and We had known the delayed/lagging behind.

And indeed We know those among you who came forward and indeed We know those among you who remained behind.

And We already know the foremost of you, and We know the laggards.

And indeed, We know the first generations of you who had passed away, and indeed, We know the present generations of you (mankind), and also those who will come afterwards.

And surely it is We, Who give life and cause death, and We are the Inheritors.

And certainly We know those of you who have gone before and We certainly know those who shall come later.

And verily We know the eager among you and verily We know the laggards.

We know the people who lived before you and those who will come into existence after you.

We know those of you who press forward, and We know the laggards,

And indeed, We know the first generations of you who have passed away, and indeed, We know the present generations of you (mankind), and also those who will come afterwards.

We know those who lived before you and those who will come after you.

And We know those of you who go forward, and We know those who lag behind.

And verily We know the predecessors among you, that is, those creatures from Adam who have already passed, and verily We know the successors, those who will come afterwards, until the Day of Resurrection.

وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْنَا الْمُسْتَقْدِمِينَ مِنكُمْ

And indeed, We know the first generations of you who had passed away....

Ibn Abbas said,

"The first generations are all those who have passed away since the time of Adam. The present generations and those who will come afterward refer to those who are alive now and who are yet to come, until the Day of Resurrection."

Something similar was narrated from Ikrimah, Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, Muhammad bin Ka`b, Ash-Sha`bi and others.

Ibn Jarir reported from Muhammad bin Abi Ma`shar, from his father, that;

he heard Awn bin Abdullah discussing the following Ayah with Muhammad bin Ka`b;

وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْنَا الْمُسْتَقْدِمِينَ مِنكُمْ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْنَا الْمُسْتَأْخِرِينَ



And indeed, We know the first generations of you who had passed away, and indeed, We know the present generations of you (mankind), and also those who will come afterwards,

and it was stated that it refers to the rows for prayer.

Muhammad bin Ka`b said, "This is not the case.
وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْنَا الْمُسْتَقْدِمِينَ مِنكُمْ
(And indeed, We know the first generations of you who had passed away),

it refers to those who are dead or have been killed,

and;

الْمُسْتَأْخِرِينَ
(and also those who will come afterwards),

meaning those who have yet to be created.

وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ يَحْشُرُهُمْ إِنَّهُ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ