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Ayah
Word by Word
وَكَأَيِّن
And how many
مِّن
of
قَرۡيَةٍ
a township
أَمۡلَيۡتُ
I gave respite
لَهَا
to it
وَهِيَ
while it
ظَالِمَةٞ
(was) doing wrong
ثُمَّ
Then
أَخَذۡتُهَا
I seized it
وَإِلَيَّ
and to Me
ٱلۡمَصِيرُ
(is) the destination
وَكَأَيِّن
And how many
مِّن
of
قَرۡيَةٍ
a township
أَمۡلَيۡتُ
I gave respite
لَهَا
to it
وَهِيَ
while it
ظَالِمَةٞ
(was) doing wrong
ثُمَّ
Then
أَخَذۡتُهَا
I seized it
وَإِلَيَّ
and to Me
ٱلۡمَصِيرُ
(is) the destination
Translation
And to how many populations did I give respite, which were given to wrong-doing? in the end I punished them. To me is the destination (of all).
Tafsir
To how many a town did I give respite while it was doing wrong; [but] then I seized it, meaning, [I seized] its inhabitants, and with Me lies the journey's end, the [final] return.
The Disbelievers Demand for the Punishment
Allah tells His Prophet:
وَيَسۡتَعۡجِلُونَكَ بِالۡعَذَابِ
And they ask you to hasten on the torment!
meaning, these disbelievers who disbelieve in Allah and His Book and His Messenger and the Last Day.
This is like the Ayat:
وَإِذۡ قَالُواۡ اللَّهُمَّ إِن كَانَ هَـذَا هُوَ الۡحَقَّ مِنۡ عِندِكَ فَأَمۡطِرۡ عَلَيۡنَا حِجَارَةً مِّنَ السَّمَأءِ أَوِ ايۡتِنَا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
And (remember) when they said:O Allah! If this is indeed the truth from You, then rain down stones on us from the sky or bring on us a painful torment. (8:32)
وَقَالُواۡ رَبَّنَا عَجِّل لَّنَا قِطَّنَا قَبۡلَ يَوۡمِ الۡحِسَابِ
They say:Our Lord! Hasten to us Qittana (our punishment) before the Day of Reckoning! (38:16)
وَلَن يُخۡلِفَ اللَّهُ وَعۡدَهُ
And Allah fails not His promise.
means, His promise to bring about the Hour and wreak vengeance upon His enemies, and to honor His close friends.
وَإِنَّ يَوۡمًا عِندَ رَبِّكَ كَأَلۡفِ سَنَةٍ مِّمَّا تَعُدُّونَ
And verily a day with your Lord is as a thousand years of what you reckon.
means, He does not hasten, for what is counted as a thousand years with His creation is as one day with Him, and He knows that He is able to exact revenge and that He will not miss a thing, even if He delays and waits and postpones.
Hence He then says:
وَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرۡيَةٍ أَمۡلَيۡتُ لَهَا وَهِيَ ظَالِمَةٌ ثُمَّ أَخَذۡتُهَا وَإِلَيَّ الۡمَصِيرُ
And many a township did I give respite while it was given to wrongdoing. Then I seized it (with punishment). And to Me is the (final) return (of all).
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah said:
يَدۡخُلُ فُقَرَاءُ الۡمُسۡلِمِينَ الۡجَنَّةَ قَبۡلَ الاَۡغۡنِيَاءِ بِنِصۡفِ يَوۡمٍ خَمۡسِمِايَةِ عَام
The poor among the Muslims will enter Paradise half a day before the rich -- five hundred years.
This was recorded by At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i from the Hadith of Ath-Thawri from Muhammad bin `Amr.
At-Tirmidhi said, Hasan Sahih.
Abu Dawud recorded at the end of Book of Al-Malahim in his Sunan from Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas that the Prophet said:
إِنِّي لَاَرۡجُو أَنۡ لَا تَعۡجِزَ أُمَّتِي عِنۡدَ رَبِّهَا أَنۡ يُوَخِّرَهُمۡ نِصۡفَ يَوۡم
I hope that it will not be too much for my Ummah if Allah delays them for half a day.
It was said to Sa`d, What does half a day mean?
He said, Five hundred years.
The Recompense of the Righteous and the Unrighteous
Allah said to His Prophet, when the disbelievers asked him to hasten on the punishment for them:
قُلۡ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا أَنَا لَكُمۡ نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ
Say:O mankind!
I am (sent) to you only as a plain warner.
meaning, `Allah has sent me to you to warn you ahead of the terrible punishment, but I have nothing to do with your reckoning. Your case rests with Allah:
if He wills, He will hasten on the punishment for you; and if He wills, He will delay it for you. If He wills he will accept the repentance of those who repent to Him; and if He wills, He will send astray those who are decreed to be doomed. He is the One Who does whatsoever He wills and wants and chooses.
لَا مُعَقِّبَ لِحُكۡمِهِ وَهُوَ سَرِيعُ الۡحِسَابِ
There is none to put back His judgement and He is swift at reckoning. (13:41)
إِنَّمَا أَنَا لَكُمۡ نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ
فَالَّذِينَ امَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ
I am (sent) to you only as a plain warner. So those who believe and do righteous good deeds,
means, whose hearts believe and whose actions confirm their faith.
لَهُم مَّغۡفِرَةٌ وَرِزۡقٌ كَرِيمٌ
for them is forgiveness and Rizq Karim.
means, forgiveness for their previous bad deeds, and a great reward in return for a few good deeds.
Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi said,
When you hear Allah's saying:
وَرِزۡقٌ كَرِيمٌ
(Rizq Karim) this means Paradise.
وَالَّذِينَ سَعَوۡا فِي ايَاتِنَا مُعَاجِزِينَ
But those who strive against Our Ayat to frustrate them,
Mujahid said,
To discourage people from following the Prophet.
This was also the view of Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr, to discourage.
Ibn Abbas said,
To frustrate them means to resist the believers stubbornly.
أُوۡلَيِكَ أَصۡحَابُ الۡجَحِيمِ
they will be dwellers of the Hellfire.
This refers to the agonizingly hot Fire with its severe punishment, may Allah save us from it.
Allah says:
الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ وَصَدُّواۡ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ زِدۡنَـهُمۡ عَذَابًا فَوۡقَ الۡعَذَابِ بِمَا كَانُواۡ يُفۡسِدُونَ
Those who disbelieved and hinder (men) from the path of Allah, for them We will add torment to the torment because they used to spread corruption. (16:88
How the Shaytan threw some Falsehood into the Words of the Messengers, and how Allah abolished that
Allah says:
وَمَا أَرۡسَلۡنَا مِن قَبۡلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ وَلَا نَبِيٍّ إِلاَّ إِذَا تَمَنَّى أَلۡقَى الشَّيۡطَانُ فِي أُمۡنِيَّتِهِ فَيَنسَخُ اللَّهُ مَا يُلۡقِي الشَّيۡطَانُ ثُمَّ يُحۡكِمُ اللَّهُ ايَاتِهِ
وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
Never did We send a Messenger or a Prophet before you but when he did recite (the revelation or narrated or spoke), Shaytan threw (some falsehood) in his recitation (of the revelation).
But Yansakh Allah that which Shaytan throws in. Then Allah establishes His revelations. And Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise:
At this point many of the scholars of Tafsir mentioned the story of the Gharaniq and how many of those who had migrated to Ethiopia came back when they thought that the idolators of the Quraysh had become Muslims, but these reports all come through Mursal chains of narration and I do not think that any of them may be regarded as Sahih. And Allah knows best.
Al-Bukhari narrated that Ibn Abbas said,
فِي أُمۡنِيَّتِهِ
(in his recitation (of the revelation),
When he spoke, the Shaytan threw (some falsehood) into his speech, but Allah abolished that which the Shaytan threw in.
ثُمَّ يُحۡكِمُ اللَّهُ ايَاتِهِ
Then Allah establishes His revelations.
Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas said,
إِذَا تَمَنَّى أَلۡقَى الشَّيۡطَانُ فِي أُمۡنِيَّتِهِ
(when he did recite (the revelation), Shaytan threw (some falsehood) in it).
When he spoke, the Shaytan threw (some falsehood) into his speech.
Mujahid said:
إِذَا تَمَنَّى
(when he did recite),
When he spoke.
It was said that it refers to his recitation, whereas,
إِلاَّ أَمَانِىَّ
(but they trust upon Amani),
means they speak but they do not write.
Al-Baghawi and the majority of the scholars of Tafsir said:
تَمَنَّى
(he did recite),
Reciting the Book of Allah.
أَلۡقَى الشَّيۡطَانُ فِي أُمۡنِيَّتِهِ
(Shaytan threw (some falsehood) in it),
In his recitation.
Ad-Dahhak said:
إِذَا تَمَنَّى
(when he did recite),
When he recited.
Ibn Jarir said,
This comment is more akin to interpretation.
فَيَنسَخُ اللَّهُ مَا يُلۡقِي الشَّيۡطَانُ
But Yansakh Allah that which Shaytan throws in.
The meaning of the word Naskh in Arabic is to remove or lift away.
Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas said,
This means, Allah cancels out that which the Shaytan throws in.
وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ
And Allah is All-Knower,
means, He knows all matters and events that will happen, and nothing whatsoever is hidden from Him.
حَكِيمٌ
All-Wise.
means, in His decree, creation and command, He has perfect wisdom and absolute proof, hence He says
لِيَجۡعَلَ مَا يُلۡقِي الشَّيۡطَانُ فِتۡنَةً لِّلَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ
That He (Allah) may make what is thrown in by Shaytan a trial for those in whose hearts is a disease,
meaning, doubt, Shirk, disbelief and hypocrisy.
Ibn Jurayj said:
لِّلَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ
those in whose hearts is a disease,
The hypocrites, and
وَالۡقَاسِيَةِ قُلُوبُهُمۡ
and whose hearts are hardened.
means the idolators.
وَإِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ لَفِي شِقَاقٍ بَعِيدٍ
And certainly, the wrongdoers are in an opposition far-off.
means, far away in misguidance, resistance and stubbornness, i.e., far from the truth and the correct way
وَلِيَعۡلَمَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الۡعِلۡمَ أَنَّهُ الۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ فَيُوۡمِنُوا بِهِ
And that those who have been given knowledge may know that it is the truth from your Lord, so that they may believe therein,
means, `so that those who have been given beneficial knowledge with which they may differentiate between truth and falsehood, those who believe in Allah and His Messenger, may know that what We have revealed to you is the truth from your Lord, Who has revealed it by His knowledge and under His protection, and He will guard it from being mixed with anything else.' Indeed, it is the Wise Book which,
لااَّ يَأۡتِيهِ الۡبَـطِلُ مِن بَيۡنِ يَدَيۡهِ وَلَا مِنۡ خَلۡفِهِ تَنزِيلٌ مِّنۡ حَكِيمٍ حَمِيدٍ
Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it, (it is) sent down by the All-Wise, Worthy of all praise (Allah). (41:42)
فَيُوۡمِنُوا بِهِ
(so that they may believe therein),
means, that they may believe that it is true and act upon it.
فَتُخۡبِتَ لَهُ قُلُوبُهُمۡ
and their hearts may submit to it with humility.
means, that their hearts may humble themselves and accept it.
وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَهَادِ الَّذِينَ امَنُوا إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسۡتَقِيمٍ
And verily, Allah is the Guide of those who believe, to the straight path.
means, in this world and in the Hereafter. In this world, He guides them to the truth and helps them to follow it and to resist and avoid falsehood; in the Hereafter, He will guide them to the straight path which leads to the degrees of Paradise, and He will save them from the painful torment and the dismal levels of Hell
The Disbelievers will remain in Doubt and Confusion
Allah tells:
وَلَا يَزَالُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي مِرۡيَةٍ مِّنۡهُ
And those who disbelieved, will not cease to be in doubt about it,
Allah tells us that the disbelievers will remain in doubt concerning this Qur'an.
This was the view of Ibn Jurayj and was the view favored by Ibn Jarir.
حَتَّى تَأۡتِيَهُمُ السَّاعَةُ بَغۡتَةً
until the Hour comes suddenly upon them,
Mujahid said:
By surprise.
Qatadah said:
بَغۡتَةً
(suddenly),
means, the command of Allah will catch the people unaware. Allah never seizes a people except when they are intoxicated with pride, enjoying a life of luxury, and they think that the punishment will never come upon them, but Allah does not punish anyone except the evildoers.
أَوۡ يَأۡتِيَهُمۡ عَذَابُ يَوۡمٍ عَقِيمٍ
or there comes to them the torment of Yawm `Aqim.
Mujahid said,
Ubay bin Ka`b said:`Yawm `Aqim means the day of Badr.'
Ikrimah and Mujahid said:
Yawm `Aqim means the Day of Resurrection, following which there will be no night.
This was also the view of Ad-Dahhak and Al-Hasan Al-Basri.
Allah says
الۡمُلۡكُ يَوۡمَيِذٍ لِّلَّهِ يَحۡكُمُ بَيۡنَهُمۡ
The sovereignty on that Day will be that of Allah. He will judge between them.
This is like the Ayat:
مَـلِكِ يَوۡمِ الدِّينِ
The Only Owner of the Day of Recompense. (1:4)
الۡمُلۡكُ يَوۡمَيِذٍ الۡحَقُّ لِلرَّحۡمَـنِ وَكَانَ يَوۡماً عَلَى الۡكَـفِرِينَ عَسِيراً
The sovereignty on that Day will be the true (sovereignty), belonging to the Most Gracious (Allah), and it will be a hard Day for the disbelievers. (25:26)
فَالَّذِينَ امَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ
So those who believed and did righteous good deeds,
means, their hearts believed in Allah and His Messenger, and they acted in accordance with what they knew; their words and deeds were in harmony.
فِي جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ
in Gardens of Delight.
means, they will enjoy eternal bliss which will never end or fade away
وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِأيَاتِنَا
And those who disbelieved and denied Our Ayat,
means, their hearts rejected and denied the truth; they disbelieved in it and resisted the Messengers and were too proud to follow them.
فَأُوۡلَيِكَ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ
for them will be a humiliating torment.
means, in recompense for arrogantly turning away from the truth.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسۡتَكۡبِرُونَ عَنۡ عِبَادَتِى سَيَدۡخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَخِرِينَ
Verily, those who scorn My worship they will surely enter Hell in humiliation! (40:60)
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