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Ayah
Word by Word
أَوَلَمۡ
Does it not
يَهۡدِ
guide
لَهُمۡ
[for] them
كَمۡ
(that) how many
أَهۡلَكۡنَا
We have destroyed
مِن
before them
قَبۡلِهِم
before them
مِّنَ
of
ٱلۡقُرُونِ
the generations
يَمۡشُونَ
they walk about
فِي
in
مَسَٰكِنِهِمۡۚ
their dwellings
إِنَّ
Indeed
فِي
in
ذَٰلِكَ
that
لَأٓيَٰتٍۚ
surely, are Signs
أَفَلَا
Then do not
يَسۡمَعُونَ
they hear
أَوَلَمۡ
Does it not
يَهۡدِ
guide
لَهُمۡ
[for] them
كَمۡ
(that) how many
أَهۡلَكۡنَا
We have destroyed
مِن
before them
قَبۡلِهِم
before them
مِّنَ
of
ٱلۡقُرُونِ
the generations
يَمۡشُونَ
they walk about
فِي
in
مَسَٰكِنِهِمۡۚ
their dwellings
إِنَّ
Indeed
فِي
in
ذَٰلِكَ
that
لَأٓيَٰتٍۚ
surely, are Signs
أَفَلَا
Then do not
يَسۡمَعُونَ
they hear
Translation
Does it not teach them a lesson, how many generations We destroyed before them, in whose dwellings they (now) go to and fro? Verily in that are Signs: Do they not then listen?
Tafsir
Or is it not an indication for them how many generations, communities, on account of their disbelief, We destroyed before them, that is to say, has [not] Our destruction of many [generations] become clear to the disbelievers of Mecca, amid whose dwellings they walk (yamshoona is a circumstantial qualifier referring to the person of the pronoun lahum, 'for them') during their travels to Syria and other places, so that they might take heed? Surely in that there are signs, indications of Our power. Are they not able to hear?, in a way so as to reflect and be admonished.
The Book of Musa and the Leadership of the Children of Israel
Allah says;
وَلَقَدۡ اتَيۡنَا مُوسَى الۡكِتَابَ
And indeed We gave Musa the Scripture.
Allah tells us that He gave the Book -- the Tawrah -- to His servant and Messenger Musa, peace be upon him.
فَلَ تَكُن فِي مِرۡيَةٍ مِّن لِّقَايِهِ
So, be not you in doubt of meeting him.
Qatadah said,
This refers to the Night of Isra',
then he narrated that Abu Al-Aliyah Ar-Riyahi said,
The cousin of your Prophet, meaning Ibn Abbas, told me that the Messenger of Allah said:
أُرِيتُ لَيۡلَةَ أُسۡرِيَ بِي مُوسى بۡنَ عِمۡرَانَ رَجُلً ادَمَ طِوَالاً جَعۡدًا كَأَنَّهُ مِنۡ رِجَالِ شَنُوءَةَ وَرَأَيۡتُ عِيسى رَجُلً مَرۡبُوعَ الۡخَلۡقِ إِلَى الۡحُمۡرَةِ وَالۡبَيَاضِ سَبۡط الرَّأۡسِ وَرَأَيۡتُ مَالِكًا خَازِنَ النَّارِ وَالدَّجَّال
On the night of Isra', I ﷺ Musa bin Imran, a tall, brown-skinned man with curly hair, looking like the men of Shanu'ah; and I ﷺ `Isa, a man of medium stature and ruddy white skin, and with lank hair. And I ﷺ Malik the Keeper of Hell, and the Dajjal.
Among the signs which Allah showed him were:
فَلَ تَكُن فِي مِرۡيَةٍ مِّن لِّقَايِهِ
(So, be not you in doubt of meeting him). i.e., he ﷺ Musa and met with him on the Night of Isra'.
وَجَعَلۡنَاهُ
And We made it
means, `the Book which We gave to him, '
هُدًى لِّبَنِي إِسۡرَايِيلَ
a guide to the Children of Israel.
This is similar to what Allah says in Surah Al-Isra':
وَءَاتَيۡنَأ مُوسَى الۡكِتَـبَ وَجَعَلۡنَاهُ هُدًى لِّبَنِى إِسۡرَءِيلَ أَلاَّ تَتَّخِذُواۡ مِن دُونِى وَكِيلً
And We gave Musa the Scripture and made it a guidance for the Children of Israel (saying):Take none other than Me as Trustee. (17:2)
وَجَعَلۡنَا مِنۡهُمۡ أَيِمَّةً يَهۡدُونَ بِأَمۡرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُوا وَكَانُوا بِأيَاتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ
And We made from among them, leaders, giving guidance under Our command, when they were patient and used to believe with certainty in Our Ayat.
means, because they were patient in adhering to the commands of Allah and avoiding what He prohibited, and they believed in His Messengers and followed what they brought, there were among them leaders who guided others to the truth by the command of Allah, calling for goodness, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong. Then when they changed (the Words of Allah), twisting and distorting them, they lost that position and their hearts became hard. They change the words from their places, so they do no righteous deeds and have no correct beliefs.
Allah says:
وَجَعَلۡنَا مِنۡهُمۡ أَيِمَّةً يَهۡدُونَ بِأَمۡرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُوا
And We made from among them (Children of Israel), leaders, giving guidance under Our command, when they were patient,
Qatadah and Sufyan said:
When they patiently shunned the temptations of this world.
This was also the view of Al-Hasan bin Salih.
Sufyan said,
This is how these people were. A man cannot be an example to be followed unless he shuns the temptation of this world.
Allah says:
وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا بَنِى إِسۡرَءِيلَ الۡكِتَـبَ وَالۡحُكۡمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ وَرَزَقۡنَـهُمۡ مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَـتِ وَفَضَّلۡنَـهُمۡ عَلَى الۡعَـلَمينَ وَءاتَيۡنَـهُم بَيِّنَـتٍ مِّنَ الاٌّمۡرِ
And indeed We gave the Children of Israel the Scripture, and the understanding of the Scripture and its laws, and the Prophethood; and provided them with good things, and preferred them above the nations. And We gave them clear proofs in matters. (45:16-17)
And He says here:
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ يَفۡصِلُ بَيۡنَهُمۡ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيَامَةِ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخۡتَلِفُونَ
Verily, your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection, concerning that wherein they used to differ.
meaning, with regard to beliefs and actions
Learning the Lessons of the Past
Allah says;
أَوَلَمۡ يَهۡدِ لَهُمۡ كَمۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَا مِن قَبۡلِهِم مِّنَ الۡقُرُونِ
Is it not guidance for them:how many generations We have destroyed before them
Allah says:will these people who deny the Messengers not learn from the nations who came before them, whom Allah destroyed for their rejection of His Messengers and their opposition to what the Messengers brought them of the straight path. No trace is left of them whatsoever.
هَلۡ تُحِسُّ مِنۡهُمۡ مِّنۡ أَحَدٍ أَوۡ تَسۡمَعُ لَهُمۡ رِكۡزاً
Can you find a single one of them or hear even a whisper of them. (19:98)
Allah says:
يَمۡشُونَ فِي مَسَاكِنِهِمۡ
in whose dwellings they do walk about,
meaning, these disbelievers walk about in the places where those disbelievers used to live, but they do not see any of those who used to live there, for they have gone --
كَأَن لَّمۡ يَغۡنَوۡاۡ فِيهَأ
As if they had never lived there. (11:68)
This is like the Ayat:
فَتِلۡكَ بُيُوتُهُمۡ خَاوِيَةً بِمَا ظَلَمُواۡ
These are their houses in utter ruin, for they did wrong. (27:52)
فَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرۡيَةٍ أَهۡلَكۡنَـهَا وَهِىَ ظَالِمَةٌ فَهِىَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَى عُرُوشِهَا وَبِيۡرٍ مُّعَطَّلَةٍ وَقَصۡرٍ مَّشِيدٍ أَفَلَمۡ يَسِيرُواۡ فِى الاٌّرۡضِ
And many a township did We destroy while they were given to wrongdoing, so that it lie in ruins, and (many) a deserted well and lofty castle! Have they not traveled through the land! until:
وَلَـكِن تَعۡمَى الۡقُلُوبُ الَّتِى فِى الصُّدُورِ
but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that grow blind. (22:45-46)
Allah says here:
إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَايَاتٍ
Verily, therein indeed are signs.
meaning, in the fact that these people are gone and have been destroyed, and in what happened to them because they disbelieved the Messengers, and how those who believed in them were saved, there are many signs, proofs and important lessons.
أَفَلَ يَسۡمَعُونَ
Would they not then listen!
means, to the stories of those who came before and what happened to them.
The Revival of the Earth with Water is Proof of the Resurrection to come
Allah says;
أَوَلَمۡ يَرَوۡا أَنَّا نَسُوقُ الۡمَاء إِلَى الاَۡرۡضِ الۡجُرُزِ
Have they not seen how We drive water to the dry land,
Here Allah explains His kindness and goodness towards them by His sending water to them, whether from the sky or from water flowing through the land, water carried by rivers down from the mountains to the lands that need it at particular times.
Allah says:
إِلَى الاَۡرۡضِ الۡجُرُزِ
(to the dry land) which means the land where nothing grows, as in the Ayah,
وَإِنَّا لَجَاعِلُونَ مَا عَلَيۡهَا صَعِيداً جُرُزاً
And verily, We shall make all that is on it a bare dry soil. (18:8)
i.e., barren land where nothing grows.
Allah says here:
أَوَلَمۡ يَرَوۡا أَنَّا نَسُوقُ الۡمَاء إِلَى الاَۡرۡضِ الۡجُرُزِ فَنُخۡرِجُ بِهِ زَرۡعًا تَأۡكُلُ مِنۡهُ أَنۡعَامُهُمۡ وَأَنفُسُهُمۡ أَفَلَ يُبۡصِرُونَ
Have they not seen how We drive water to the dry land that has no vegetation, and therewith bring forth crops providing food for their cattle and themselves. Will they not then see!
This is like the Ayah,
فَلۡيَنظُرِ الاِنسَـنُ إِلَى طَعَامِهِ أَنَّا صَبَبۡنَا الۡمَأءَ صَبّاً
Then let man look at his food:We pour forth water in abundance. (80:24-25)
Allah says here:
أَفَلَ يُبۡصِرُونَ
Will they not then see
How the Disbelievers sought to hasten on the Punishment, and what happened to Them
Allah tells us how the disbelievers sought to hasten on the punishment, and to bring the wrath and vengeance of Allah upon themselves, because they thought this punishment would never happen, and because of their disbelief and stubbornness.
وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَى هَذَا الۡفَتۡحُ
They say:When will this Fath be...
meaning, `when will you prevail over us, O Muhammad, since you claim that there will be a time when you will gain the upper hand over us and take your revenge on us, so when will that happen! All we see of you and your companions is that you are hiding, afraid and humiliated.'
إِن كُنتُمۡ صَادِقِينَ
if you are telling the truth
Allah says
قُلۡ يَوۡمَ الۡفَتۡحِ
Say:On the Day of Al-Fath...
meaning, `when the wrath and punishment of Allah befall you, in this world and the next,'
لَاا يَنفَعُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِيمَانُهُمۡ وَلَاا هُمۡ يُنظَرُونَ
no profit will it be to those who disbelieve if they (then) believe! Nor will they be granted a respite.
This is like the Ayah,
فَلَمَّا جَأءَتۡهُمۡ رُسُلُهُم بِالۡبَيِّنَـتِ فَرِحُواۡ بِمَا عِندَهُمۡ مِّنَ الۡعِلۡمِ
Then when their Messengers came to them with clear proofs, they were glad with that which they had of the knowledge... (40:83-85)
Those who claim that this refers to the conquest of Makkah go too far, and have made a grievous mistake, for on the day of the conquest of Makkah, the Messenger of Allah accepted the Islam of the freed Makkan prisoners-of-war, who numbered nearly two thousand. If what was meant by this Ayah was the conquest of Makkah, he would not have accepted their Islam, because Allah says:
قُلۡ يَوۡمَ الۡفَتۡحِ لَا يَنفَعُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِيمَانُهُمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يُنظَرُونَ
Say:On the Day of Al-Fath, no profit will it be to those who disbelieve if they (then) believe! Nor will they be granted a respite.
What is meant by Al-Fath here is Judgement, as in the Ayat:
فَافۡتَحۡ بَيۡنِى وَبَيۡنَهُمۡ فَتۡحاً
(Nuh said:) So Aftah (judge) between me and them. (26:118)
and:
قُلۡ يَجۡمَعُ بَيۡنَنَا رَبُّنَا ثُمَّ يَفۡتَحُ بَيۡنَنَا بِالۡحَقِّ
Say:Our Lord will assemble us all together, then He will judge between us with truth. (34:26)
وَاسۡتَفۡتَحُواۡ وَخَابَ كُلُّ جَبَّارٍ عَنِيدٍ
And they sought judgement and every obstinate, arrogant dictator was brought to a complete loss and destruction. (14:15)
وَكَانُواۡ مِن قَبۡلُ يَسۡتَفۡتِحُونَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ
although aforetime they had invoked Allah to pass judgement over those who disbelieved. (2:89)
إِن تَسۡتَفۡتِحُواۡ فَقَدۡ جَأءَكُمُ الۡفَتۡحُ
If you ask for a judgement, now has the judgement come unto you? (8:19)
Then Allah says:
فَأَعۡرِضۡ عَنۡهُمۡ وَانتَظِرۡ إِنَّهُم مُّنتَظِرُونَ
So turn aside from them and await, verily, they (too) are awaiting.
meaning, `turn away from these idolators, and convey that which has been revealed to you from your Lord.'
This is like the Ayah,
اتَّبِعۡ مَأ أُوحِىَ إِلَيۡكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ
Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord, there is no God but Him. (6:106)
`Wait until Allah fulfills that which He has promised you, and grants you victory over those who oppose you, for He never breaks His promise.'
عَنۡهُمۡ وَانتَظِرۡ
(verily, they (too) are awaiting).
means, `you are waiting, and they are waiting and plotting against you,'
أَمۡ يَقُولُونَ شَاعِرٌ نَّتَرَبَّصُ بِهِ رَيۡبَ الۡمَنُونِ
Or do they say:A poet! We await for him some calamity by time! (52:30)
`You will see the consequences of your patience towards them, and the fulfillment of the promise of your Lord in your victory over them, and they will see the consequences of their wait for something bad to befall you and your Companions, in that Allah's punishment will come upon them.'
Sufficient unto us is Allah, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs.
This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Al-Sajdah; all praise is due to Allah and all the favors come from Him Alone.
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