The Criterion, The Standard — Verse 39

Frightening the Idolators of Quraysh Allah threatens the idolators who denied and opposed His Messenger Muhammad ﷺ and He warns them of the punishment and painful torment He sent upon the previous nations who rejected their Messengers. Allah begins by mentioning Musa, upon him be peace, whom He sent along with his brother Harun as a helper -- i.e., as another Prophet who helped and supported him -- but Fir`awn and his chiefs denied them both: دَمَّرَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلِلْكَـفِرِينَ أَمْثَـلُهَا (Allah destroyed them completely, and similar (awaits) the disbelievers) (47:10). And when the people of Nuh denied him, Allah destroyed them likewise, for whoever denies one Messenger denies all the Messengers, because there is no difference between one Messenger and another. If it had so happened that Allah had sent all His Messengers to them, they would have denied them all. Allah says: وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍ لَّمَّا كَذَّبُواْ الرُّسُلَ (And Nuh's people, when they denied the Messengers,) although Allah sent only Nuh to them, and he stayed among them for 950 years, calling them to Allah and warning them of His punishment, وَمَآ ءَامَنَ مَعَهُ إِلاَّ قَلِيلٌ (And none believed with him, except a few) (11:40). For this reason Allah drowned them all and left no one among the sons of Adam alive on earth apart from those who boarded the boat, وَجَعَلْنَـهُمْ لِلنَّاسِ ءَايَةً (and We made them a sign for mankind.) meaning a lesson to be learned. This is like the Ayah, إِنَّا لَمَّا طَغَا الْمَآءُ حَمَلْنَـكُمْ فِى الْجَارِيَةِ - لِنَجْعَلَهَا لَكُمْ تَذْكِرَةً وَتَعِيَهَآ أُذُنٌ وَعِيَةٌ (Verily, when the water rose beyond its limits, We carried you in the boat. That We might make it a remembrance for you, and the keen ear may understand it) (69:11-12), which means: `We left for you ships that you ride upon to travel across the depths of the seas, so that you may remember the blessing of Allah towards you when He saved you from drowning, and made you the descendants of those who believed in Allah and followed His commandments.' وَعَاداً وَثَمُودَاْ وَأَصْحَـبَ الرَّسِّ (And (also) `Ad and Thamud, and the Dwellers of Ar-Rass,) We have already discussed their story, which is referred to in more than one Surah, such as Surat Al-A`raf, and there is no need to repeat it here. As for the Dwellers of Ar-Rass, Ibn Jurayj narrated from Ibn `Abbas about the Dwellers of Ar-Rass that they were the people of one of the villages of Thamud. Ath-Thawri narrated from Abu Bukayr from `Ikrimah that Ar-Rass was a well where they buried (Rassu) their Prophet. وَقُرُوناً بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ كَثِيراً (and many generations in between. ) means nations, many more than have been mentioned here, whom We destroyed. Allah said: وَكُلاًّ ضَرَبْنَا لَهُ الاٌّمْثَالَ (And for each We put forward examples,) meaning, `We showed them the proof and gave them clear evidence,' as Qatadah said, "They had no excuse." وَكُلاًّ تَبَّرْنَا تَتْبِيراً (and each (of them) We brought to utter ruin.) means, `We destroyed them completely.' This is like the Ayah, وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مِن بَعْدِ نُوحٍ (And how many generations (Qurun) have We destroyed after Nuh!) (17:17). "Generations" (Qurun) here refers to nations among mankind. This is like the Ayah, ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَا مِن بَعْدِهِمْ قُرُوناً ءَاخَرِينَ (Then, after them, We created other generations (Qurun).) (23:42) Some defined a generation as being 120 years, or it was said that a generation was one hundred years, or eighty, or forty, etc. The most correct view is that a generation refers to nations who are one another's contemporaries, living at the same time. When they go and others succeed them, this is another generation, as it was recorded in the Two Sahihs: «خَيْرُ الْقُرُونِ قَرْنِي، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ،ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُم» (The best of generations is my generation, then the one that follows it, then the one that follows that.) وَلَقَدْ أَتَوْا عَلَى الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِى أُمْطِرَتْ مَطَرَ السَّوْءِ (And indeed they have passed by the town on which was rained the evil rain.) refers to the town of the people of Lut, which was called Sodom, and the way in which Allah dealt with it, when He destroyed it by turning it upside down and by sending upon it the rain of stones of baked clay, as Allah says: وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهِم مَّطَراً فَسَآءَ مَطَرُ الْمُنذَرِينَ (And We rained on them a rain. And how evil was the rain of those who had been warned!) (26:176), 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), وَإِنَّهَا لَبِسَبِيلٍ مُّقِيمٍ (And verily, they were right on the highroad.) (15:76), وَإِنَّهُمَا لَبِإِمَامٍ مُّبِينٍ (They are both on an open highway, plain to see) (15:79). Allah says: أَفَلَمْ يَكُونُواْ يَرَوْنَهَا (Did they not then see it) meaning, so that they might learn a lesson from what happened to its inhabitants of punishment for denying the Messenger and going against the commands of Allah. بَلْ كَانُواْ لاَ يَرْجُونَ نُشُوراً (Nay! But they used not to expect any resurrection.) means, the disbelievers who passed by it did not learn any lesson, because they did not expect any resurrection, i.e., on the Day of Judgement.

For each of them We struck similitudes when establishing arguments against them and We destroyed them only after warning them and each of them We ruined utterly We destroyed utterly because of their denial of the prophets sent to them.

وكل الأمم بيَّنَّا لهم الحجج، ووضَّحنا لهم الأدلة، وأزحنا الأعذار عنهم، ومع ذلك لم يؤمنوا، فأهلكناهم بالعذاب إهلاكًا.

ولهذا قال "وكلا ضربنا له الأمثال" أي بينا لهم الحجج ووضحنا لهم الأدلة كما قال قتادة وأزحنا الأعذار عنهم "وكلا تبرنا تتبيرا" أي أهلكنا إهلاكا كقوله تعالى: "وكم أهلكنا من القرون من بعد نوح" والقرن هو الأمة من الناس كقوله: "ثم أنشأنا من بعدهم قرونا آخرين" وعده بعضهم بمائه وعشرين سنة وقيل بمائه وقيل بثمانين وقيل أربعين وقيل غير ذلك والأظهر أن القرن هو الأمة المتعاصرون في الزمن الواحد وإذا ذهبوا وخلفهم جيل فهو قرن آخر كما ثبت في الصحيحين "خير القرون قرني ثم الذين يلونهم ثم الذين يلونهم" الحديث.

وقوله - تعالى - : ( وَكُلاًّ ضَرَبْنَا لَهُ الأمثال . . ) بيان لمظهر من مظاهر رحمة الله - تعالى - : حيث إنه - سبحانه - لا يهلك الأمم إلا بعد أن يسوق لها ما يرشدها ، فتأبى إلا السير فى طريق الغي والعصيان . و " كلا " منصوب بفعل مضمر يدل عليه ما بعده . فإن ضرب المثل فى معنى التذكير والتحذير ، والتنوين عوض عن المضاف إليه .أى : وأنذرنا كل فريق من القرون الماضية المكذبة ، وضربنا له الأمثال الحكيمة الكفيلة بإرشاده إلى طريق الحق ، ولكنه استحب العمى على الهدى ، والضلالة على الهداية ، فكانت عاقبته كما قال - تعالى - بعد ذلك ( وَكُلاًّ تَبَّرْنَا تَتْبِيراً ) .أى : وكل قرن من هؤلاء المكذبين أهلكناه إهلاكا لا قيام له منه ، وأصل التتبير : التفتيت . وكل شىء فتته وكسرته فقد تبرته . ومنه التبر لفتات الذهب والفضة .والمراد به هنا التمزيق والإهلاك الشديد الذى يستأصل من نزل به .

(أَمْ تَحْسَبُ) يا محمد أن أكثر هؤلاء المشركين (يَسْمَعُونَ) ما يتلى عليهم, فيعون ( أَوْ يَعْقِلُونَ ) ما يعاينون من حجج الله, فيفهمون ( إِنْ هُمْ إِلا كَالأنْعَامِ ) يقول: ما هم إلا كالبهائم التي لا تعقل ما يقال لها, ولا تفقه, بل هم من البهائم أضلّ سبيلا لأن البهائم تهتدي لمراعيها, وتنقاد لأربابها, وهؤلاء الكفرة لا يطيعون ربهم, ولا يشكرون نعمة من أنعم عليهم, بل يكفرونها, ويعصون من خلقهم وبرأهم.

( وكلا ضربنا له الأمثال ) أي : الأشباه في إقامة الحجة عليهم ، فلم نهلكهم إلا بعد الإنذار ) ( وكلا تبرنا تتبيرا ) أي : أهلكنا إهلاكا . وقال الأخفش : كسرنا تكسيرا . قال الزجاج : كل شيء كسرته وفتته فقد تبرته .

وَكُلًّا ضَرَبْنَا لَهُ الْأَمْثَالَ وَكُلًّا تَبَّرْنَا تَتْبِيرًا (39)انتصبت الأسماء الأربعة بفعل محذوف دل عليه { تبرنا } . وفي تقديمها تشويق إلى معرفة ما سيخبر به عنها . ويجوز أن تكون هذه الأسماء منصوبة بالعطف على ضمير النصب من قوله : { فدمرناهم تدميراً } [ الفرقان : 36 ] .والتنوين في { كُلاًّ } تنوين عوض عن المضاف إليه . والتقدير : وكلَّهم ضربنا له الأمثال وانتصب { كُلاّ } الأول بإضمار فعل يدل عليه { ضربنا له } تقديره : خاطبنا أو حذَّرنا كُلاًّ وضربنا له الأمثال ، وانتصب { كُلاًّ } الثاني بإضمار فعل يدل عليه { تبرنا } وكلاهما من قبيل الاشتغال .والتتبير : التفتيت للأجسام الصلبة كالزجَاج والحديد . أطلق التتبير على الإهلاك على طريقة الاستعارة تبعيةً في { تبرنا } وأصلية في { تتبيراً } ، وتقدم في قوله تعالى : { إن هؤلاء متبّر ما هم فيه } في سورة الأعراف )139 )، وقوله : { وليُتَبِّروا ما علَوْا تتبيراً } في سورة الإسراء )7 ). وانتصب { تتبيراً } على أنه مفعول مطلق مؤكد لعامله لإفادة شدة هذا الإهلاك .ومعنى ضرب الأمثال : قولها وتبيينها وتقدم عند قوله تعالى : { إن الله لا يستحيي أن يضرب مثلاً ما } في سورة البقرة )26 ).والمَثَل : النظير والمشابه ، أي بيّنا لهم الأشباه والنظائر في الخير والشر ليعرضوا حال أنفسهم عليها . قال تعالى : { وسَكَنْتُم في مَساكِن الذين ظَلَموا أنفسهم وتبيّن لكم كيف فعَلْنا بهم وضربنا لكم الأمثال } [ إبراهيم : 45 ] .

تفسير الايات من 35 الى 40 أشار تعالى إلى هذه القصص وقد بسطها في آيات أخر ليحذر المخاطبين من استمرارهم على تكذيب رسولهم فيصيبهم ما أصاب هؤلاء الأمم الذين قريبا منهم ويعرفون قصصهم بما استفاض واشتهر عنهم. ومنهم من يرون آثارهم عيانا كقوم صالح في الحجر وكالقرية التي أمطرت مطر السوء بحجارة من سجيل يمرون عليهم مصبحين وبالليل في أسفارهم، فإن أولئك الأمم ليسوا شرا منهم ورسلهم ليسوا خيرا من رسول هؤلاء { أَكُفَّارُكُمْ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أُولَئِكُمْ أَمْ لَكُمْ بَرَاءَةٌ فِي الزُّبُرِ } ولكن الذي منع هؤلاء من الإيمان -مع ما شاهدوا من الآيات- أنهم كانوا لا يرجون بعثا ولا نشورا، فلا يرجون لقاء ربهم ولا يخشون نكاله فلذلك استمروا على عنادهم، وإلا فقد جاءهم من الآيات ما لا يبقي معه شك ولا شبهة ولا إشكال ولا ارتياب.

قوله تعالى : وكلا ضربنا له الأمثال وكلا تبرنا تتبيرا .قوله تعالى : وكلا ضربنا له الأمثال قال الزجاج . أي وأنذرنا كلا ضربنا له الأمثال وبينا لهم الحجة ، ولم نضرب لهم الأمثال الباطلة كما يفعله هؤلاء الكفرة . وقيل : انتصب على تقدير : ذكرنا كلا ، ونحوه ; لأن ضرب الأمثال تذكير ووعظ ; ذكره المهدوي . والمعنى واحد . وكلا تبرنا تتبيرا أي أهلكنا بالعذاب . وتبرت الشيء كسرته . وقال المؤرج والأخفش : دمرناهم تدميرا . تبدل التاء والباء من الدال والميم .

The names of many of the prophets to whom the Quran refers again and again do not find a place in the recorded history of humanity. This shows that the scholars who were their contemporaries did not attach any importance to them. They wrote zealously about kings and military heroes, because there was political colour in their lives, but they ignored the prophets, because there was nothing in their lives to feed their political tastes. Surprisingly, this attitude is prevalent even today. Those who attain prominence on the political platform, immediately find a place in the media. Those who work in non-political fields are not considered either mentionable or memorable. The most important thing required of a man is that he should learn lessons from events, but this is exactly what he fails to do. This is as true now as it was in the past.

Commentary In the above verses it is mentioned that it had been the common practice of the people through the ages to rebuff the prophets and the message they had brought. In order to give weight to this assertion a few of the well known prophets are mentioned who were rejected by their people and then they were subjected to Allah's wrath and were annihilated completely. By drawing a parallel with the past generations it is elucidated that the pagans of Makkah would not listen to any reason as they were no better than the animals or even worse than that. It is stated about the people of Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) that they had rejected the prophets, although they had neither seen the past prophets nor had they rejected them. at is actually meant here is that while denying Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) they had by implication rejected all the prophets, because the principals of religion expounded by all prophets are essentially the same. Hence rejection of one prophet is tantamount to rejection of all. أَصْحَابَ الرَّ‌سِّ (People of Rass - 25:38). In Arabic رَس (Rass) means unlined well. Neither Qur'an nor any authentic tradition describes these people in any detail. Whatever information is available about them is through Israelite traditions, which differ from one another. It is more likely that the remaining people of Thamud had settled down near a well. It is not mentioned in the Qur'an or any tradition as to how they were tormented. (Bayan u1-Qur'an)

(Each (of them) We warned by examples) We explained to each generation the chastisement We inflicted upon the generations before them, but still they did not believe, (and each (of them) We brought to utter ruin) one after the other.