ٱلزُّخْرُف : ٥٦

  • فَجَعَلۡنَٰهُمۡ And We made them
  • سَلَفٗا a precedent
  • وَمَثَلٗا and an example
  • لِّلۡأٓخِرِينَ for the later (generations)
And We made them a precedent and an example for the later peoples.
And We made them a thing past (salaf, is the plural of saalif, similar [in pattern] to khaadim, khadam) that is to say, a precedent, as a lesson, and an example for others, after them, that they [posterity] might take their predicament as a lesson and so not engage in actions similar to theirs.