And We divided them throughout the earth into nations. Of them some were righteous, and of them some were otherwise. And We tested them with good [times] and bad that perhaps they would return [to obedience].
Sahih International
وَقَطَّعْنَـٰهُمْ
waqaṭṭaʿnāhum
And We divided them
Word breakdown
وَ
Harf · Resumption particleand
قَطَّعْ
Fi'l · VerbAnd We divided them
to cut, cut off, separate, turn aside
36× in the Quran · Occasional
نَٰ
Ism · Personal pronounus/our
هُمْ
Ism · Personal pronounthem/their
Grammar rules
وَقَطَّعْنَـٰهُمْ (And We divided them) is a past tense verb — the action already happened and is complete.
We translate it in past tense — "did", "created", "said", etc.
Lesson 8 · Verbs — Past & Presentوَقَطَّعْنَـٰهُمْ (And We divided them) uses form II (فَعَّلَ) — the middle letter is doubled, which makes the meaning stronger or causative.
The meaning is more intense than the basic form, or means "to make someone do [action]".
Lesson 12 · Verb Families II–IV