Say to the ingrates: "If they cease, then what has passed before will be forgiven to them, and if they return to it, then the example of the previous generations has already been given."
Translation endnotes
[8:38] The expression of sunnat alawalyn (the path/laws of previous generations) reminds God's punishment to the past communities who transgressed. The word sunna means "law," and there is only one valid sunna, God's sunna (33:38,62; 35:43; 40:85; 48:23). Muhammed could not have his own sunna (law) besides God's sunna in the Quran.