The Poets — Verse 138

26:138 · ash-Shu`ara`

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وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمُعَذَّبِینَ ۝١٣٨
wamā naḥnu bimuʿadhabīn
The Poets / ash-Shu`ara` (26:138)
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Abdel Haleem

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we shall not be punished.’
wamā naḥnu bimuʿadhabīn

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Tafsir Commentary

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)
The Response of the People of Hud, and Their Punishment Allah tells us how the people of Hud responded to him after he had warned them, encouraged them, and clearly explained the truth to them. قَالُواْ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْنَآ أَوَعَظْتَ أَمْ لَمْ تَكُنْ مِّنَ الْوَعِظِينَ (They said: "It is the same to us whether you preach or be not of those who preach.") meaning, `we will not give up our ways.' وَمَا نَحْنُ بِتَارِكِى ءالِهَتِنَا عَن قَوْلِكَ وَمَا نَحْنُ لَكَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ (And we shall not leave our gods for your (mere) saying! And we are not believers in you) (11:53). This is how it was, as Allah says: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ (Verily, those who disbelieve, it is the same to them whether you warn them or do not warn them, they will not believe) (2:6). إِنَّ الَّذِينَ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ (Truly, those, against whom the Word of your Lord has been justified, will not believe) (10:96-97). And they said: إِنْ هَـذَا إِلاَّ خُلُقُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ (This is no other than Khuluq of the ancients.) Some scholars read this: "Khalq". According to Ibn Mas`ud and according to `Abdullah bin `Abbas -- as reported from Al-`Awfi -- and `Alqamah and Mujahid, they meant, "What you have brought to us is nothing but the tales (Akhlaq) of the ancients." This is like what the idolators of Quraysh said: وَقَالُواْ أَسَـطِيرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ اكْتَتَبَهَا فَهِىَ تُمْلَى عَلَيْهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلاً (And they say: "Tales of the ancients, which he has written down, and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon.") (25:5) And Allah said: وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِنْ هَـذَا إِلاَّ إِفْكٌ افْتَرَاهُ وَأَعَانَهُ عَلَيْهِ قَوْمٌ ءَاخَرُونَ فَقَدْ جَآءُوا ظُلْماً وَزُوراً وَقَالُواْ أَسَـطِيرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ (Those who disbelieve say: "This is nothing but a lie that he has invented, and others have helped him in it. In fact, they have produced an injustice and a lie." And they say: "Tales of the ancients...") (25:4-5) وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ مَّاذَآ أَنزَلَ رَبُّكُمْ قَالُواْ أَسَـطِيرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ (And when it is said to them: "What is it that your Lord has sent down" They say: "Tales of the ancient!") (16:24). Some other scholars recited it, إِنْ هَـذَا إِلاَّ خُلُقُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ (This is no other than Khuluq of the ancients,) "as Khuluq," meaning their religion. What they were following was the religion of the ancients, their fathers and grandfathers, as if they were saying: "We are following them, we will live as they lived and die as they died, and there will be no resurrection and no judgement." Hence they said: وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ (And we are not going to be punished.) Allah's saying; فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَهْلَكْنَـهُمْ (So they denied him, and We destroyed them.) meaning, they continued to disbelieve and stubbornly oppose Allah's Prophet Hud, so Allah destroyed them. The means of their destruction has been described in more than one place in the Qur'an: Allah sent against them a strong and furious wind, i.e., a fiercely blowing wind that was intensely cold. Thus the means of their destruction was suited to their nature, for they were the strongest and fiercest of people, so Allah overpowered them with something that was even stronger and fiercer than them, as Allah says: أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ - إِرَمَ ذَاتِ الْعِمَادِ (Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with `Ad of Iram Possesors of the pillars) (89:6-7). This refers to the former `Ad, as Allah says: وَأَنَّهُ أَهْلَكَ عَاداً الاٍّولَى (And that it is He Who destroyed the former `Ad) (53:50). They were descendents of Iram bin Sam bin Nuh, ذَاتِ الْعِمَادِ (Possesors of the pillars) They used to live among pillars. Those who claim that Iram was a city take this idea from Isra'iliyyat narrations, from the words of Ka`b and Wahb, but there is no real basis for that. Allah says: الَّتِى لَمْ يُخْلَقْ مِثْلُهَا فِى الْبِلَـدِ (The like of which were not created in the land) (89:8). meaning, nothing like this tribe was created in terms of might, power and tyranny. If what was meant was a city, it would have said, "The like of which was not built in the land." And Allah says: فَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَاسْتَكْبَرُواْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَقَالُواْ مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْاْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِى خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَكَانُواْ بِـَايَـتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ (As for `Ad, they were arrogant in the land without right, and they said: "Who is mightier than us in strength" See they not that Allah Who created them was mightier in strength than them. And they used to deny Our Ayat!) (41:15) And Allah says: وَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَأُهْلِكُواْ بِرِيحٍ صَرْصَرٍ عَاتِيَةٍ (And as for `Ad, they were destroyed by a furious violent wind!) until His saying: حُسُوماً (in succession) (69:6-7) meaning, consecutively (i.e., seven nights and eight days). فَتَرَى الْقَوْمَ فِيهَا صَرْعَى كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ خَاوِيَةٍ (so that you could see men lying overthrown (destroyed), as if they were hollow trunks of date palms!) (69:7) means, they were left as headless bodies, because the wind would come and carry one of them, then drop him on his head, so that his brains were spilled out, his head was broken and he was thrown aside, as if they were uprooted stems of date-palms. They used to build fortresses in the mountains and caves, and they dug ditches half as deep as a man is tall, but that did not help them against the command of Allah at all. إِنَّ أَجَلَ اللَّهِ إِذَا جَآءَ لاَ يُؤَخَّرُ (Verily, the term given by Allah, when it comes, cannot be delayed) (71:4). Allah says here: فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَهْلَكْنَـهُمْ (So they denied him, and We destroyed them.)
Tafsir al-Jalalayn
and we will not be chastised’.
Tafsir Muyassar
وقالوا: ما هذا الذي نحن عليه إلا دين الأولين وعاداتهم، وما نحن بمعذبين على ما نفعل مما حَذَّرْتنا منه من العذاب.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir
ولهذا قالوا: "وما نحن بمعذبين" قال علي ابن أبي طلحة عن ابن عباس "إن هذا إلا خلق الأولين" يقول دين الأولين وقاله عكرمة وعطاء الخراساني وقتادة وعبد الرحمن بن زيد بن أسلم واختاره ابن جرير.
Tafsir Al Wasit
ثم انتقلوا بعد ذلك إلى غرور أشد واشنع فقالوا : ( وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ ) .أى : هذه : حالنا التى ارتضيناها لحياتنا ، وما نحن بمعذبين على هذه الأعمال التى نعملها .وهكذا رد قوم هود على نبيهم - عليه السلام - بهذا الرد السيىء الذى يدل على استهتارهم وجفائهم وجمودهم على باطلهم .
Tafsir al-Tabari
ما قالوا: ( وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ ) بل كانوا يقولون: إن هذا الذي جئتنا به يا هود إلا خلق الأوّلين, وما لنا من معذب يعذبنا, ولكنهم كانوا مقرين بالصانع, ويعبدون الآلهة, على نحو ما كان مشركو العرب يعبدونها, ويقولون إنها تقربنا إلى الله زلفى, فلذلك قالوا لهود وهم منكرون نبوته: سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْنَا أَوَعَظْتَ أَمْ لَمْ تَكُنْ مِنَ الْوَاعِظِينَ ثم قالوا له: ما هذا الذي نفعله إلا عادة من قبلنا وأخلاقهم, وما الله معذبنا عليه. كما أخبرنا تعالى ذكره عن الأمم الخالية قبلنا, أنهم كانوا يقولون لرسلهم: إِنَّا وَجَدْنَا آبَاءَنَا عَلَى أُمَّةٍ وَإِنَّا عَلَى آثَارِهِمْ مُقْتَدُونَ
Tafseer Al-Baghawi
"وما نحن بمعذبين".
Tafseer Tanwir al-Miqbas
وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ وجملة : { وما نحن بمعذبين } على المعاني الأوللِ والثاني والثالِث عطف على جملة { إن هذا إلا خلق الأولين } عطف مغاير .وعلى المعنى الرابع عطفُ تفسير لقولهم { إن هذا إلا خلق الأولين } تصريحاً بعد الكناية . والقصر قصْر إضافي على المعاني كلها .ولا شك أن قوم صالح نطقوا بلغتهم جملاً كثيرة تنحل إلى هذه المعاني فجمعها القرآن في قوله : { إن هذا إلا خلق الأولين } باحتمال اسم الإشارة واختلاف النطق بكلمة خُلق فللَّه إيجازه وإعجازه .
Tafseer Al Saddi
وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ وهذا إنكار منهم للبعث، أو تنزل مع نبيهم وتهكم به، إننا على فرض أننا نبعث, فإننا كما أدرَّت علينا النعم في الدنيا, كذلك لا تزال مستمرة علينا إذا بعثنا.
Tafseer Al Qurtubi
وما نحن بمعذبين على ما نفعل . وقيل : المعنى خلق أجسام الأولين ; أي ما خلقنا إلا كخلق الأولين الذين خلقوا قبلنا وماتوا ، ولم ينزل بهم شيء مما تحذرنا به من العذاب .
Tazkirul Quran
The false self-confidence of the ‘Ad community prevented them from accepting the preaching of their prophet and they went to the extent of ridiculing it. They took their prosperity in the world as God’s reward. They failed to understand the secret that man is given worldly effects by way of trial and not because he deserves them. When it was finally established that they were not going to accept the Truth, God had them lashed by stormy winds and heavy rains, which continued to wreak havoc for a week. The result was that the entire nation with its grand culture was destroyed. Now, the only sign of this nation, whose land had once been fertile and well populated is the desert which stretches far and wide between the present-day Oman and Yemen.
Ma'arif-ul-Quran
Commentary Explanation of some difficult words أَتَبْنُونَ بِكُلِّ رِ‌يعٍ آيَةً تَعْبَثُونَ ﴿128﴾ وَتَتَّخِذُونَ مَصَانِعَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَخْلُدُونَ ﴿129﴾ Do you erect on every height a sign having no sound purpose, [ 128] and take the objects of architecture as if you are going to live forever, (26:128-129) Ibn Jarir (رح) has related from Mujahid (رح) that the passage between two hills is called Ri (ریع). But Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ and majority have taken the meaning of Ri (ریع) as a high place, and its derivative is ri`-un-na bat' (ریع البنات), which means growing and climbing vegetation. Literal meaning of 'Ayah (آیۃ) is symbol or sign, but here it means a high palace. تَعْبَثُونَ is derived from ` abath (عَبَث), which is something of no value and benefit neither in reality nor by implication. So, the meaning of the verse is that they used to make very high palaces of no benefit and which they did not need. It was just to fulfill their ego and pride. masani' (مَصَانِع) is the plural of Masna` (مَصنَع). Sayyidna Qatadah has taken masani' (مَصَانِع) for the water tank, whereas Hadrat Mujahid (رح) take it to mean strong palace. لَعَلَّكُمْ تَخْلُدُونَ (as if you are going to live forever) Imam al-Bukhari (رح) has commented in Sahih al-Bukhari that the word la'alla (لَعَلَّ ) in the verse, is used as a word of simile, and that Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ has translated it as کانَكُمْ تَخْلُدُونَ that is ` as if you are..'. (Ruh al-Ma’ ani) Construction of buildings without any need is contemptible This verse indicates that the construction of houses and buildings without need is a condemnable act. The hadith quoted by Imam Tirmidhi (رح) on the authority of Sayyidna Anas ؓ conveys exactly the same message: النفقۃ کلھا فی سبیل اللہ إلّا البناء فلا خیر فیہ (All spendings are in Allah's way, except construction, which has no merit). It means that the building which is constructed in excess of requirement has no benefit or virtue. Another narration of Sayyidna Anas ؓ also confirms this: اِن کُلّ بناء وبال علی صاحبہ إلّا – مَالا ، إلّا مالا، یعنی اِلَّا مالا بدّ منہ - ` Every building is a tribulation for the builder, except that which is necessary, because it is not a nuisance'. It is commented in Ruh al-Ma’ ani that without genuine requirement construction of tall buildings is contemptible and condemned under the Sharl'ah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ .
Tanwir al-Miqbas min Tafsir Ibn 'Abbas
(And we shall not be doomed) for adhering to this religion, as you claim.
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