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Ayah
Word by Word
وَكَأَيِّن
And how many
مِّن
of
قَرۡيَةٍ
a town
هِيَ
which
أَشَدُّ
(was) stronger
قُوَّةٗ
(in) strength
مِّن
than
قَرۡيَتِكَ
your town
ٱلَّتِيٓ
which
أَخۡرَجَتۡكَ
has driven you out
أَهۡلَكۡنَٰهُمۡ
We destroyed them
فَلَا
so no
نَاصِرَ
helper
لَهُمۡ
for them
وَكَأَيِّن
And how many
مِّن
of
قَرۡيَةٍ
a town
هِيَ
which
أَشَدُّ
(was) stronger
قُوَّةٗ
(in) strength
مِّن
than
قَرۡيَتِكَ
your town
ٱلَّتِيٓ
which
أَخۡرَجَتۡكَ
has driven you out
أَهۡلَكۡنَٰهُمۡ
We destroyed them
فَلَا
so no
نَاصِرَ
helper
لَهُمۡ
for them
Translation
And how many cities, with more power than thy city which has driven thee out, have We destroyed (for their sins)? and there was none to aid them.
Tafsir
And how many (ka-ayyin means kam) a town, by which is meant the inhabitants thereof, mightier in power than your town, Mecca, that is to say, its inhabitants, which expelled you (akhrajatka [is feminine despite the plural sense of inhabitants meant is because it] takes into account the [feminine] form of qarya, 'town'), have We destroyed (ahlaknaahum takes into account the former [plural] import of qarya, 'town'), and they had none to help them, against Our destruction [of them].
Support Allah's Cause, He will then support You
Allah then says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُوا إِن تَنصُرُوا اللَّهَ يَنصُرۡكُمۡ وَيُثَبِّتۡ أَقۡدَامَكُمۡ
O you who believe!
If you support (the cause of) Allah, He will support you and make your foothold firm.
This is similar to His saying,
وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُ
Indeed, Allah will surely support those who support Him (His cause). (22:40)
That is because the reward is comparable to the type of deed that is performed. Thus, Allah says here,
وَيُثَبِّتۡ أَقۡدَامَكُمۡ
(and make your foothold firm).
Allah then says
وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَتَعۡسًا لَّهُمۡ
But as for those who disbelieve -- misery awaits them,
This misery is the opposite of making firm the footholds of the believers who support the cause of Allah and His Messenger.
It has been confirmed in a Hadith that Allah's Messenger said,
تَعِسَ عَبۡدُالدِّينَارِ تَعِسَ عَبۡدُالدِّرۡهَمِ تَعِسَ عَبۡدُالۡقَطِيفَةِ تَعِسَ وَانۡتَكَسَ وَإِذَا شِيكَ فَلَ انۡتَقَش
Misery awaits the servant of the Dinar; misery awaits the servant of the Dirham; misery awaits the servant of velvet. Misery awaits him, and degeneracy; and if he is pricked by a thorn, may he not find anyone to pull it for him.
This means may Allah not cure him.
Then Allah says,
وَأَضَلَّ أَعۡمَالَهُمۡ
and (Allah) will make their deeds vain.
meaning, He will nullify them and make them fruitless.
Thus, Allah says
ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمۡ كَرِهُوا مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ
That is because they hate that which Allah has sent down;
which means that they did not want or like what Allah revealed.
فَأَحۡبَطَ أَعۡمَالَهُمۡ
so He made their deeds fruitless.
Admonition and Fire for the Disbelievers; Paradise for Those Who have Taqwa
Allah says,
أَفَلَمۡ يَسِيرُوا
Have they not traveled?
meaning, those who associate partners with Allah and deny His Messenger.
فِي الاَۡرۡضِ فَيَنظُرُوا كَيۡفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ
دَمَّرَ اللَّهُ عَلَيۡهِمۡ
through the land and seen what happened in the end to those before them Allah destroyed them completely,
which means that Allah punished them because of their denial and disbelief, and saved the believers from among them.
That is why He says,
وَلِلۡكَافِرِينَ أَمۡثَالُهَا
and a similar (end awaits) the disbelievers.
Then Allah says,
ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ مَوۡلَى الَّذِينَ امَنُوا وَأَنَّ الۡكَافِرِينَ لَا مَوۡلَى لَهُمۡ
That is because Allah is the Protector of all those who believe, whereas the disbelievers have no protector.
After the battle of Uhud, Abu Sufyan Sakhr bin Harb, the commander of the idolators at that time, inquired about the Prophet, Abu Bakr, and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them. When he heard no response, he announced:
Verily, those three have died!
Umar then responded to him:You lie, O enemy of Allah! Allah has indeed saved those who will displease you. Indeed, those whom you mentioned are all alive!
Abu Sufyan then said:Well, today makes up for (the defeat on) the day of Badr, and the war has its ups and downs. And indeed, you are going to find mutilation (in the bodies of your dead) that I did not command, nor did I prohibit.
Then he turned around chanting:Glory to Hubal (their greatest idol), Glory to Hubal.
Allah's Messenger said:
أَلَا تُجِيبُوهُ
Aren't you going to respond to him?
The Companions said:What should we say, O Messenger of Allah
He said:
قُولُوا اللهُ أَعۡلَى وَأَجَل
Say:Allah is Most High and Most Glorious.
Then Abu Sufyan said:We have Al-`Uzza (their second idol), and you have no `Uzza. (honor).
Allah's Messenger said:
أَلَا تُجِيبُوهُ
Aren't you all going to respond to him?
They said:What should we say, O Messenger of Allah
He said:
قُولُوا اللهُ مَوۡلَانَا وَلَا مَوۡلَى لَكُم
Say:Allah is our Protector, and you have no protector.
Allah then says
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُدۡخِلُ الَّذِينَ امَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا الاَۡنۡهَارُ
Verily, Allah will admit those who believe and do righteous good deeds into Gardens through which rivers flow.
meaning, on the Day of Resurrection.
وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يَتَمَتَّعُونَ وَيَأۡكُلُونَ كَمَا تَأۡكُلُ الاۡاَنۡعَامُ
..
Whereas those who disbelieve enjoy their life and eat as cattle eat.
Which means that the disbelievers enjoy their worldly life and eat in it like animals, munching and gnawing (with greed). They have no concern other than that. Thus, it has been confirmed in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah said,
الۡمُوۡمِنُ يَأۡكُلُ فِي مِعىً وَاحِدٍ وَالۡكَافِرُ يَأۡكُلُ فِي سَبۡعَةِ أَمۡعَاء
A believer eats with one intestine, and a disbeliever eats with seven intestines.
Then Allah says,
.
وَالنَّارُ مَثۡوًى لَّهُمۡ
but the Fire will be their abode.
meaning, on the Day of their Reckoning.
Allah then says
وَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرۡيَةٍ هِيَ أَشَدُّ قُوَّةً مِّن قَرۡيَتِكَ الَّتِي أَخۡرَجَتۡكَ
And how many a town mightier than your town that has driven you out, (meaning, Makkah).
أَهۡلَكۡنَاهُمۡ فَلَ نَاصِرَ لَهُمۡ
We have destroyed, with none to help them!
This is a great threat and severe warning to the people of Makkah because they rejected Allah's Messenger, who was the chief of the Messengers and the last of the Prophets. If Allah had destroyed the previous nations because of their denial of their Messengers, what then would those (people of Makkah) expect that Allah would do to them in the worldly life and the Hereafter And if the torment were to be lifted off some of them in this life by the blessing of the presence of the Messenger, the Prophet of Mercy, the torment will be stored for them in their next life, as Allah says,
يُضَاعَفُ لَهُمُ الۡعَذَابُ مَا كَانُواۡ يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ السَّمۡعَ وَمَا كَانُواۡ يُبۡصِرُونَ
Their torment will be doubled! They could not bear to hear (the preaching), and they used not to see (the truth). (11:20)
Concerning Allah's saying,
مِّن قَرۡيَتِكَ الَّتِي أَخۡرَجَتۡكَ
(than Your town that has driven you out),
This means, `its people who have driven you (Muhammad) out from amongst them (the people of Makkah).'
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that when Allah's Messenger left Makkah (at the time of Hijrah -- migration), and he reached the cave and hid inside it, he looked back toward Makkah and said,
أَنۡتِ أَحَبُّ بِلَدِ اللهِ إِلَى اللهِ وَأَنۡتِ أَحَبُّ بِلَدِ اللهِ إِلَيَّ وَلَوۡلَا أَنَّ الۡمُشۡرِكِينَ أَخۡرَجُونِي لَمۡ أَخۡرُجۡ مِنۡك
You are the most beloved to Allah among Allah's lands, and you are also the most beloved to me among Allah's lands. Were it not that the idolators have driven me out from you, I would never have left you.
Ibn Abbas then said,
The worst of enemies is he who transgresses against Allah in His own sacred place, who kills a person who is not trying to kill him, or who kills because of Jahiliyyah vengeance. Allah then revealed to His Prophet,
وَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرۡيَةٍ هِيَ أَشَدُّ قُوَّةً مِّن قَرۡيَتِكَ الَّتِي أَخۡرَجَتۡكَ
أَهۡلَكۡنَاهُمۡ فَلَ نَاصِرَ لَهُمۡ
And how many a town mightier than your town that has driven you out have We destroyed, with none to help them!
The Worshipper of the Truth and the Worshipper of Lust are not Equal
Allah says:
أَفَمَن كَانَ عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِ
Can then he, who stands on clear evidence from his Lord...
This means a person who is upon clear vision and certainty concerning Allah's commands and His religion, because of the guidance and knowledge that Allah has revealed in His Book, and because of the pure nature upon which Allah has created him.
كَمَن زُيِّنَ لَهُ سُوءُ عَمَلِهِ
وَاتَّبَعُوا أَهۡوَاءهُمۡ
(Can he) be likened to those for whom their evil deeds are beautified for them, while they follow their own lusts?
which means that they cannot be equal.
This is similar to Allah's saying,
أَفَمَن يَعۡلَمُ أَنَّمَأ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكَ مِن رَبِّكَ الۡحَقُّ كَمَنۡ هُوَ أَعۡمَى
Can he who knows that what has been revealed unto you from your Lord is the truth be like him who is blind? (13:19)
And,
لَا يَسۡتَوِى أَصۡحَـبُ النَّارِ وَأَصۡحَـبُ الۡجَنَّةِ أَصۡحَـبُ الۡجَنَّةِ هُمُ الۡفَأيِزُونَ
Not equal are the people of the Fire and the people of Paradise. The People of Paradise will be the successful ones. (59:20)
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