Al-Ahqaf: 23

Ayah

Word by Word

قَالَ

He said

إِنَّمَا

Only

ٱلۡعِلۡمُ

the knowledge

عِندَ

(is) with Allah

ٱللَّهِ

(is) with Allah

وَأُبَلِّغُكُم

and I convey to you

مَّآ

what

أُرۡسِلۡتُ

I am sent

بِهِۦ

with it

وَلَٰكِنِّيٓ

but

أَرَىٰكُمۡ

I see you

قَوۡمٗا

a people

تَجۡهَلُونَ

ignorant

Translation

He said: "The Knowledge (of when it will come) is only with Allah: I proclaim to you the mission on which I have been sent: But I see that ye are a people in ignorance!"..

Tafsir

The Story of `Ad

Allah says, consoling His Prophet in regard to the rejection of those who opposed him among his people,

وَاذۡكُرۡ أَخَا عَادٍ

And remember the brother of `Ad,

This refers to Hud, peace be upon in him.

إِذۡ أَنذَرَ قَوۡمَهُ بِالاَۡحۡقَافِ

when he warned his people in Al-Ahqaf.

Allah sent him to the first people of `Ad who inhabited Al-Ahqaf.

Ahqaf is plural of Haqf. According to Ibn Zayd, it means a sand dune; and according to Ikrimah, it means a mountain or a cave.

Qatadah said:

We were informed that `Ad was a tribe in Yemen. They dwelt among sand (hills), and overlooked the sea in a land called Ash-Shihr.

Under the chapter, He Who supplicates should first mention Himself, Ibn Majah recorded that Ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet said:

يَرۡحَمُنَا اللهُ وَأَخَا عَاد

May Allah have mercy on us and the Brother of `Ad.

Allah then says,

وَقَدۡ خَلَتۡ النُّذُرُ مِن بَيۡنِ يَدَيۡهِ وَمِنۡ خَلۡفِهِ

And surely, warners had already passed on before him and after him.

meaning, Allah had sent Messengers and warners to the towns surrounding the land of `Ad.

This is similar to Allah's saying,

فَجَعَلۡنَـهَا نَكَـلً لِّمَا بَيۡنَ يَدَيۡهَا وَمَا خَلۡفَهَا

And We made it a deterrent punishment for those who were present and those who succeeded them. (2:66)

And it is also similar to Allah's saying,

فَإِنۡ أَعۡرَضُواۡ فَقُلۡ أَنذَرۡتُكُمۡ صَـعِقَةً مِّثۡلَ صَـعِقَةِ عَادٍ وَثَمُودَ إِذۡ جَأءَتۡهُمُ الرُّسُلُ مِن بَيۡنِ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمِنۡ خَلۡفِهِمۡ أَلاَّ تَعۡبُدُواۡ إِلاَّ اللَّهَ

But if they turn away, then say:I have warned you of a thunderbolt like the thunderbolt that struck `Ad and Thamud. (That occurred) when the Messengers had come to them from before them and after them (saying):Worship none but Allah. (41:13-14)

أَلاَّ تَعۡبُدُوا إِلاَّ اللَّهَ

Worship none but Allah;

Allah then says,

إِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ عَذَابَ يَوۡمٍ عَظِيمٍ

truly, I fear for you the torment of a mighty Day.

meaning, Hud said this to them (his people), and they responded to him saying

قَالُوا أَجِيۡتَنَا لِتَأۡفِكَنَا عَنۡ الِهَتِنَا

Have you come to delude us from our gods,

meaning, to prevent us

عَنۡ الِهَتِنَا

(from our gods),

فَأۡتِنَا بِمَا تَعِدُنَا إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ

Then bring us that with which you threaten us, if you are one of the truthful!

They sought to hasten Allah's torment and punishment, believing that it will not happen.

This is similar to Allah's saying,

يَسۡتَعۡجِلُ بِهَا الَّذِينَ لَا يُوۡمِنُونَ بِهَا

Those who do not believe in it (the Last Hour) seek to hasten it, (42:18).

Hud's response was,

قَالَ إِنَّمَا الۡعِلۡمُ عِندَ اللَّهِ

He said:The knowledge (of that) is only with Allah.

which means, `Allah knows best about you. If you deserve the punishment to be hastened, He will do that to you.

وَأُبَلِّغُكُم مَّا أُرۡسِلۡتُ بِهِ

And I convey to you that wherewith I have been sent,

i.e. As for me, my duty is to deliver my message to you.'

وَلَكِنِّي أَرَاكُمۡ قَوۡمًا تَجۡهَلُونَ

But I see that you are a people given to ignorance!

which means, `you have no comprehension or understanding.'

Allah then says

فَلَمَّا رَأَوۡهُ عَارِضًا مُّسۡتَقۡبِلَ أَوۡدِيَتِهِمۡ

Then, when they ﷺ it as a dense cloud approaching their valleys,

meaning, when they ﷺ the punishment coming towards them, they thought it to be clouds full of rain. That made them happy and joyful, because they had a drought and needed rain.

قَالُوا هَذَا عَارِضٌ مُّمۡطِرُنَا

they said:This is a cloud bringing us rain!

Allah then said,

بَلۡ هُوَ مَا اسۡتَعۡجَلۡتُم بِهِ رِيحٌ فِيهَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

Nay, but it is that which you were asking to be hastened -- a wind wherein is a painful torment!

meaning, this is the torment that you called for saying, Bring to us what you promise us if you should be of the truthful.

تُدَمِّرُ كُلَّ شَيۡءٍ

Destroying every thing,

meaning, destroying every part of their land that could normally be destroyed.

بِأَمۡرِ رَبِّهَا

by the command of its Lord!

meaning, it had Allah's permission to do that.

This is similar to Allah's saying,

مَا تَذَرُ مِن شَىۡءٍ أَتَتۡ عَلَيۡهِ إِلاَّ جَعَلَتۡهُ كَالرَّمِيمِ

It spared nothing that it reached, but blew it into broken spreads of rotten ruins. (51:42)

meaning, like something dilapidated (or decrepit). Because of this,

Allah says,

فَأَصۡبَحُوا لَاأ يُرَى إِلاَّ مَسَاكِنُهُمۡ

So they became such that nothing could be seen except their dwellings!

means, all of them were destroyed, and none of them were spared.

Allah then says:

كَذَلِكَ نَجۡزِي الۡقَوۡمَ الۡمُجۡرِمِينَ

Thus do We recompense the criminal people!

which means that this is Our judgement regarding those who reject Our Messengers and disobey Our commands.

Imam Ahmad recorded from A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that she said,

I never ﷺ Allah's Messenger fully laughing so that I would see his uvula. He would only smile.

She added that when Allah's Messenger ﷺ clouds or wind, that would reflect on his face (as discomfort). She asked him:

O Allah's Messenger! When the people see clouds, they become happy, hoping that they bring them rain. But I notice that when you see them, displeasure appears on your face.

Allah's Messenger replied,

يَا عَايِشَةُ مَا يُوۡمِنُنِي أَنۡ يَكُونَ فِيهِ عَذَابٌ قَدۡ عُذِّبَ قَوۡمٌ بِالرِّيحِ وَقَدۡ رَأَى قَوۡمٌ الۡعَذَابَ وَقَالُوا هذَا عَارِضٌ مُمۡطِرُنَا

O `A'ishah! What would guarantee to me that they do not bring punishment Some nations had been punished with wind. On seeing the punishment approaching them, a nation once said:This is a cloud bringing us rain.

This is also recorded by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Imam Ahmad recorded that A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said that when Allah's Messenger ﷺ clouds on any of the horizons, he would leave whatever he was doing -- even if he was in prayer -- and say:

اللۡهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنۡ شَرِّ مَا فِيه

O Allah! I seek refuge with you from any harm that it (the cloud) contains.

If Allah removed those clouds, the Prophet would praise Allah, and if rain fell, he would say:

اللۡهُمَّ صَيِّبًا نَافِعًا

O Allah! Make it pouring and beneficent.

Muslim also recorded in his Sahih from A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that when the wind blew, Allah's Messenger would say,

اللۡهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسۡأَلُكَ خَيۡرَهَا وَخَيۡرَ مَا فِيهَا وَخَيۡرَ مَا أُرۡسِلَتۡ بِهِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنۡ شَرِّهَا وَشَرِّ مَا فِيهَا وَشَرِّ مَا أُرۡسِلَتۡ بِه

O Allah! I ask You of its good, the good that it contains, and the good with which it has been sent. And I seek refuge in You from its evil, the evil that it contains, and the evil with which it has been sent.

She added that if the sky became cloudy, his color would change; he would exit, enter, come, and go.

When it rained, his anxiety would be relieved.

When A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, noticed that, she asked him about it and he said:

لَعَلَّهُ يَا عَايِشَةُ كَمَا قَالَ قَوۡمُ عَادٍ

فَلَمَّا رَأَوۡهُ عَارِضًا مُّسۡتَقۡبِلَ أَوۡدِيَتِهِمۡ قَالُوا هَذَا عَارِضٌ مُّمۡطِرُنَا

O `A'ishah! It could be like what the people of `Ad said,

(Then, when they ﷺ it as a dense cloud approaching their valleys, they said:This is a cloud bringing us rain!)

We have previously mentioned the story of the destruction of the people of `Ad in both Surah Al-A`raf and Surah Hud. Thus, there is no need to repeat it here; and verily Allah is worthy of all praise and gratitude

Allah says,

وَلَقَدۡ مَكَّنَّاهُمۡ فِيمَا إِن مَّكَّنَّاكُمۡ فِيهِ

And indeed We had firmly established them with that wherewith We have not established you!

means, `We have granted the earlier nations wealth and offspring in the worldly life. That which We granted them, we did not give you anything similar or close to it.'

Furthermore,

وَجَعَلۡنَا لَهُمۡ سَمۡعًا وَأَبۡصَارًا وَأَفۡيِدَةً

فَمَا أَغۡنَى عَنۡهُمۡ سَمۡعُهُمۡ وَلَا أَبۡصَارُهُمۡ وَلَا أَفۡيِدَتُهُم مِّن شَيۡءٍ

إِذۡ كَانُوا يَجۡحَدُونَ بِأيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسۡتَهۡزِوُون

We also gave them hearing, vision, and hearts. But their hearing, vision, and hearts availed them nothing when they used to deny Allah's signs, and they were completely encircled by that which they used to ridicule!

meaning, they were encircled by the torment and exemplary punishment that they denied and whose occurrence they doubted.

This means, you listeners must beware of being like them lest a punishment similar to theirs strikes you in this life and the Hereafter.

Allah then says

وَلَقَدۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَا مَا حَوۡلَكُم مِّنَ الۡقُرَى

And indeed We have destroyed towns round about you,

This is addressed to the people of Makkah.

Allah destroyed the nations who disbelieved in the Messengers who lived around Makkah, such as

`Ad who were at Al-Ahqaf in Hadramawt near Yemen,

Thamud whose dwellings were between Makkah and Ash-Sham (Greater Syria),

Saba' who were in Yemen,

the people of Madyan who were on the route and passage to Ghazzah (Western Palestine), and

the people of Lut who dwelt by the lake (the Dead Sea) which they used to pass by (on the way to Jordan) as well.

Allah then says,

وَصَرَّفۡنَا الاۡيَاتِ

and We have shown (them) the signs in various ways,

meaning, `We explained and clarified them.'

لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ

فَلَوۡلَا نَصَرَهُمُ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ قُرۡبَانًا الِهَةً

so that perhaps they might return.

As for those whom they had taken for gods besides Allah, as the means of approach to Him, why then did they not aid them?

meaning, did they help them when they were in the greatest need for them?

بَلۡ ضَلُّوا عَنۡهُمۡ

but they vanished completely from them.

Rather, they completely left them alone when they needed them the most.

وَذَلِكَ إِفۡكُهُمۡ

And that was their falsehood, (meaning, their lie).

وَمَا كَانُوا يَفۡتَرُونَ

and what they were fabricating.

which means that they fabricated lies by taking them as gods, and they lost and failed in their worship of them and their reliance upon them -- and Allah knows best.

Al-Ahqaf: 23

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