The Rock, Stoneland, Rock City — Verse 76
15:76 · al-Hijr
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وَإِنَّهَا لَبِسَبِیلࣲ مُّقِیمٍ ٧٦
wa-innahā labisabīlin muqīmi
The Rock, Stoneland, Rock City / al-Hijr (15:76)
Connections 3 single-source 2 commentators
Multi-source connections
No verses on this ayah are cited by 2 or more commentators using numeric S:A notation. All extracted references come from a single source's commentary.
Single-source mentions (3) cited by only one commentator
By commentator who cites how many verses on this ayah
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Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) 2 verses
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Ma'arif-ul-Quran 1 verse
Note: these connections are extracted from numeric S:A references inside the commentary text and are therefore biased toward mufassirun who use that notation. Prose-style references (e.g. "Surat al-Baqarah verse 30") will be added later, which should surface additional multi-source consensus.
it is still there on the highway
wa-innahā labisabīlin muqīmi
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Tafsir Commentary
The Destruction of the People of Lut
Allah said;
فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّيْحَةُ
(So the Sayhah overtook them) This is the piercing sound that came to them when the sun rose, which was accompanied by the city being flipped upside down, and stones of baked clay (As-Sijjil) raining down upon them. The discussion of As-Sijjil in Surah Hud is a sufficient explanation. Allah said:
إِنَّ فِى ذَلِكَ لآيَـتٍ لِلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ
(Surely, in this are signs for those who see.) meaning that the traces of the destruction of that city are easily visible to any one who ponder about it, whether they look at it with physical eyesight or mental and spiritual insight, as Mujahid said concerning the phrase,
لِلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ
(those who see) he said, "those who have insight and discernment." It was reported from Ibn `Abbas and Ad-Dahhak that it referred to those who look. Qatadah said: "those who learn lessons".
لِلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ
(those who see) therefore the meaning is "those who ponder".
The City of Sodom on the Highroad
وَإِنَّهَا لَبِسَبِيلٍ مُّقِيمٍ
(And verily, they were right on the highroad.) meaning that the city of Sodom, which was physically and spiritually turned upside down, and pelted with stones until it became a foul smelling lake (the Dead Sea), is on a route that is easily accessible until the present day. This is like the Ayah,
وَإِنَّكُمْ لَّتَمُرُّونَ عَلَيْهِمْ مُّصْبِحِينَ - وَبِالَّيْلِ أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ
(Verily, you pass by them in the morning, and at night. Will you not then reflect) (37:137-138).
إِنَّ فِى ذَلِكَ لآيَةً لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
(Surely, there is indeed a sign in that for the believers.) meaning, `All that We did to the people of Lut, from the destruction and the vengeance, to how We saved Lut and his family, these are clear signs to those who believe in Allah and His Messengers.'
And indeed they that is the cities of the people of Lot are on a road that still remains Quraysh’s route to Syria one not yet effaced so why do they not take heed from their example?
إن فيما أصابهم لَعظاتٍ للناظرين المعتبرين، وإن قراهم لفي طريق ثابت يراها المسافرون المارُّون بها. إن في إهلاكنا لهم لَدلالةً بيِّنةً للمصدقين العاملين بشرع الله.
وقوله " وإنها لبسبيل مقيم " أي وإن قرية سدوم التي أصابها ما أصابها من القلب الصوري والمعنوي والقذف بالحجارة حتى صارت بحيرة منتنة خبيثة بطريق مهيع مسالكه مستمرة إلى اليوم كقوله " وإنكم لتمرون عليهم مصبحين وبالليل أفلا تعقلون وإن يونس لمن المرسلين " وقال مجاهد والضحاك " وإنها لبسبيل مقيم " قال معلم وقال قتادة بطريق واضح وقال قتادة أيضا بصقع من الأرض واحد وقال السدي بكتاب مبين يعني كقوله " وكل شيء أحصيناه في إمام مبين " ولكن ليس المعنى على ما قال ههنا والله أعلم.
والضمير فى قوله - سبحانه - ( وَإِنَّهَا لَبِسَبِيلٍ مُّقِيمٍ ) يعود إلى المدينة أو القرى التى كان يسكنها قوم لوط - عليه السلام - .أى : وإن هذه المساكن التى كان يسكنها هؤلاء المجرمون ، لبطريق ثابت واضح يسلكه الناس ، ويراه كل مجتاز له وهو فى سفره من الحجاز إلى الشام ، كما قال - تعالى -( وَإِنَّكُمْ لَّتَمُرُّونَ عَلَيْهِمْ مُّصْبِحِينَ وبالليل أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ ) والمقصود تذكير كفار قريش وغيرهم بعاقبة الظالمين ، حتى يقلعوا عن كفرهم وجحودهم ، وحتى يعتبروا ويتعظوا ، ويدخلوا مع الداخلين فى دين الإِسلام .وقوله - سبحانه - : ( إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآيَةً لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ) تذييل قصد به التعميم بعد التخصيص ، لأن اسم الإِشارة هنا يعود إلى جميع ما تقدم من قصتى إبراهيم ولوط - عليهما السلام - وإلى ما انضم إليهما من التذكير بآثار الأقوام المهلكين .أى : إن فيما ذكرناه فيما سبق من أدلة واضحة على حسن عاقبة المتقين ، وسوء نهاية الظالمين ، لعبرة واضحة ، وحكمة بالغة ، للمؤمنين الصادقين .وخصهم بالذكر لأنهم هم المنتفعون بالأدلة والعظات ، وللتنبيه على أن التفرس فى الأمور لمعرفة أسبابها ونتائجها من صفاتهم وحدهم .
يقول تعالى ذكره: وإن هذه المدينة، مدينة سَدُوم، لبطريق واضح مقيم يراها المجتاز بها لا خفاء بها، ولا يبرح مكانها، فيجهل ذو لبّ أمرها، وغبّ معصية الله، والكفر به.وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك ، قال أهل التأويل.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثنا ابن وكيع، قال: ثنا ابن نمير ، عن ورقاء ، وحدثنا الحسن بن محمد، قال: ثنا شبابة، قال: ثنا ورقاء ، وحدثني الحارث، قال: ثنا الحسن، قال: ثنا ورقاء ، وحدثني المثنى، قال: ثنا إسحاق، قال: ثنا عبد الله، عن ورقاء ، وحدثني محمد بن عمرو، قال: ثنا أبو عاصم، قال: ثنا عيسى، جميعا عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد، قوله ( وَإِنَّهَا لَبِسَبِيلٍ مُقِيمٍ ) قال: لبطريق معلم.حدثنا القاسم، قال: ثنا الحسين، قال : ثني حجاج، عن ابن جريج، عن مجاهد، مثله.حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة ( وَإِنَّهَا لَبِسَبِيلٍ مُقِيمٍ ) يقول: بطريق واضح.67 حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: قال ابن زيد في قوله ( وَإِنَّهَا لَبِسَبِيلٍ مُقِيمٍ ) قال: طريق ، السبيل: الطريق.حُدثت عن الحسين، قال: سمعت أبا معاذ يقول: ثنا عبيد، قال: سمعت الضحاك يقول في قوله ( لَبِسَبِيلٍ مُقِيمٍ ) يقول: بطريق معلم.
( وإنها ) يعني : قرى قوم لوط ( لبسبيل مقيم ) أي : بطريق واضح .وقال مجاهد : بطريق معلم ليس بخفي ولا زائل .
ولذلك أعقب الجملة بجملة { وإنها لبسبيل مقيم } ، أي المدينة المذكورة آنفاً هي بطريق باققٍ يشاهِد كثير منكم آثارها في بلاد فلسطين في طريق تجارتكم إلى الشّام وما حولها ، وهذا كقوله : { وإنكم لتمرون عليهم مصبحين وبالليل أفلا تعقلون } [ سورة الصافات : 137 138 ].والمقيم : أصله الشخص المستقرّ في مكانه غير مرتحل . وهو هنا مستعار لآثار المدينة الباقية في المكان بتشبيهه بالشخص المقيم .
{ وَإِنَّهَا } أي: مدينة قوم لوط { لَبِسَبِيلٍ مُقِيمٍ } للسالكين، يعرفه كل من تردد في تلك الديار
وَإِنَّهَايعني قرى قوم لوط .لَبِسَبِيلٍ مُقِيمٍأي على طريق قومك يا محمد إلى الشام .
Why did the community of Lot go beyond all limits of arrogance? The reason for this was that they saw this matter in relation to Lot. Since they were more powerful than Lot, they thought that they could do anything they liked and there was nobody to prevent them. Had they seen this matter in relation to God, the situation would have been just the opposite. Then they would have come to know that their arrogance was absolutely ridiculous, because nobody has any standing before the power of God. As a consequence, early in the morning, they were struck by a severe storm of thunder and lightning. At the command of God, the winds started showering pebbles on the towns of Lot’s community (Sodom and Gomorrah). In a very short time, the whole community was destroyed. There is a lesson in this event for those who give it serious consideration, i.e. in this world one’s dealings in reality are with God and not with human beings. If a man realises this fact, all his arrogance will come to an end.
Learn Your Essential Lesson From Sites Ruined by Divine Punishment
In verses 75 and 76: إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ ﴿75﴾ وَإِنَّهَا لَبِسَبِيلٍ مُّقِيمٍ ﴿76﴾ (Surely, in that there are signs for those who read signs. And surely, it [ their city ] is located on the straight road), Allah Ta’ ala has pointed out to the geographical location of such ruined cities which fall on the main road which takes people from Arabia to Syria. Also said with it was that in them there are great signs of the perfect power of Allah Ta’ ala for those who believe and have the necessary hindsight and foresight.
About this, there is another statement in Surah al-Qasas where it was said: لَمْ تُسْكَن مِّن بَعْدِهِمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا (not lived in after them except a little - 28:58). In other words, after their destruction by Divine punishment, these habitations were not repopulated except some. So, by combining these indicators, we can see that Allah Ta’ ala has made these ruined habitations and homes a site from which coming generations could learn their essential lesson.
This is the reason why the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، whenever he has passed by these sites, went through a particular emotional state under which he would be overwhelmed by the awe of Almighty Allah and which caused his blessed head to lower down and he would then try to make his mount hasten through these sites. This particular mode of action taken by the Holy Prophet ﷺ has established the sunnah that making sites which have been hit by Divine punishment a place of picnic and amusement is hard-heartedness at its ugliest. Rather than do something like that, the only method of learning a lesson from them is to think about and feel the very presence of the most perfect power of Allah Ta’ ala on the site being visited which should cause one to tremble with the fear of His punishment.
The habitations of the time of Sayyidna Lut (علیہ السلام) which were over-turned are located, as said by the Qur'an, on the Arabia-Syria route. This site is still present in the proximity of Jordan in the form of a wilderness below the sea level. On a major portion, flows a particular kind of water like a river. Sea life cannot survive here. Therefore, it is called the Dead Sea or the Sea of Lut (علیہ السلام) .
(And lo! It) i.e. the township of Lot (is upon a road still uneffaced) a road that they pass by all the time.