Al-Hijr: 4

Ayah

Word by Word

وَمَآ

And not

أَهۡلَكۡنَا

We destroyed

مِن

any

قَرۡيَةٍ

town

إِلَّا

but

وَلَهَا

(there was) for it

كِتَابٞ

a decree

مَّعۡلُومٞ

known

Translation

Never did We destroy a population that had not a term decreed and assigned beforehand.

Tafsir

Every Township has its allotted Time Allah says: وَمَا أَهْلَكْنَا مِن قَرْيَةٍ إِلاَّ وَلَهَا كِتَابٌ مَّعْلُومٌ مَّا تَسْبِقُ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلَهَا وَمَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ And never did We destroy a township but there was a known decree for it. No nation can advance its term, nor delay it. Allah is informing that He never destroys a township until He has established evidences for it and its allotted time has ended. When the time for a nation's destruction has come, He never delays it, and He never moves its appointed time forward. This was a message and a warning to the people of Makkah, telling them to give up their Shirk, their stubbornness and disbelief for which they deserved to be destroyed.