30:42
قُلْ سِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَٱنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلُ ۚ كَانَ أَكْثَرُهُم مُّشْرِكِينَ
Say, [O Muhammad], "Travel through the land and observe how was the end of those before. Most of them were associators [of others with Allah].
Translation · Saheeh International
Tafsir
Ibn Kathīr (abridged)
The Effects of Sin in this World
Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrimah, Ad-Dahhak, As-Suddi and others said: "What is meant by Al-Barr here is the empty land or wilderness, and by Al-Bahr is towns and cities." According to a report narrated from Ibn `Abbas and `Ikrimah, Al-Bahr refers to towns and cities which are on the banks of rivers. Others said that what was meant was the usual meaning of the words, i.e., land and sea. Zayd bin Rafi` said:
ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ
(Evil has appeared) "The rain is withheld from the land and this is followed by famine, and it is withheld from the sea, adversely affecting the animals which live in it." This was recorded by Ibn Abi Hatim, who said: "Muhammad bin `Abdullah bin Yazid Al-Muqri' told us, from Sufyan from Humayd bin Qays Al-A`raj from Mujahid:
ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِى الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ
(Evil has appeared on land and sea) "Evil on land means the killing of the son of Adam, and evil on the sea means piracy." According to the first opinion, the phrase,