The Ant, The Ants — Verse 69
27:69 · an-Naml
Verse display
قُلۡ سِیرُوا۟ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَٱنظُرُوا۟ كَیۡفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِینَ ٦٩
qul sīrū fī l-arḍi fa-unẓurū kayfa kāna ʿāqibatu l-muj'rimīn
The Ant, The Ants / an-Naml (27:69)
Connections 1 single-source 1 commentator
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 mention (1) cited by only one commentator
-
Q 27:66 (an-Naml)
cited by
By commentator who cites how many verses on this ayah
-
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.
[Prophet], say, ‘Travel through the earth and see how the evildoers ended up.’
qul sīrū fī l-arḍi fa-unẓurū kayfa kāna ʿāqibatu l-muj'rimīn
Get a Print Copy
Support the Author
As an Amazon Associate, ParallelQuran earns from qualifying purchases.
Qur'an Tools
Tafsir Commentary
Scepticism about the Resurrection and Its Refutation
Allah tells us about the idolators who deny the Resurrection, considering it extremely unlikely that bodies will be re-created after they have become bones and dust. Then He says:
لَقَدْ وُعِدْنَا هَـذَا نَحْنُ وَءَابَآؤُنَا مِن قَبْلُ
(Indeed we were promised this -- we and our forefathers before,) meaning, `we and our forefathers have been hearing this for a long time, but in reality, we have never seen it happen.'
إِنْ هَـذَآ إِلاَّ أَسَـطِيرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ
(verily, these are nothing but tales of ancients.) the promises that bodies will be restored are
إِلاَّ أَسَـطِيرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ
(nothing but tales of ancients.) meaning that they were taken by the people who came before us from books which were handed down from one to the other, but they have no basis in reality. Responding to their thoughts of disbelief and their belief that there would be no Resurrection, Allah said,
قُلْ
(Say) `O Muhammad, to these people,'
سِيرُواْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَاْنظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـقِبَةُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ
(Travel in the land and see how has been the end of the criminals. ) meaning, those who denied the Messengers and their message of the Resurrection and other matters. See how the punishment and vengeance of Allah struck them and how Allah saved from among them the noble Messengers and the believers who followed them. This will be an indication of the truth of the Message brought by the Messengers. Then, to comfort the Prophet , Allah says:
وَلاَ تَحْزَنْ عَلَيْهِمْ
(And grieve you not over them,) meaning, `but do not feel sorry for them or kill yourself with regret for them,'
وَلاَ تَكُن فِى ضَيْقٍ مِّمَّا يَمْكُرُونَ
(nor be straitened because of what they plot.) means, `because they plot against you and reject what you have brought, for Allah will help and support you, and cause your religion to prevail over those who oppose you and stubbornly resist you in the east and in the west.'
Say ‘Travel in the land and see how was the sequel for the criminals’ because of their denials — and this sequel is that they were destroyed with punishment.
قل -أيها الرسول- لهؤلاء المكذبين: سيروا في الأرض، فانظروا إلى ديار مَن كان قبلكم من المجرمين، كيف كان عاقبة المكذبين للرسل؟ أهلكهم الله بتكذيبهم، والله فاعل بكم مثلهم إن لم تؤمنوا.
"قل" يا محمد لهؤلاء "سيروا في الأرض انظروا كيف كان عاقبة المجرمين" أي المكذبين بالرسل وبما جاءوهم به من أمر المعاد وغيره كيف حلت بهم نقمة الله وعذابه ونكاله ونجى الله من بينهم رسله الكرام ومن اتبعهم من المؤمنين فدل ذلك على صدق ما جاءت به الرسل وصحته.
وهنا يلفت القرآن أنظارهم إلى مصارع المكذبين من قبلهم ، ويأمر النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم أن يحذرهم من سوء مصير هذا الإنكار والاستهزاء ، فيقول : ( قُلْ سِيرُواْ فِي الأرض فَاْنظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ المجرمين ) .أى : قل - أيها الرسول الكريم - لهؤلاء الجاحدين : سيروا فى الأرض لتروا بأعينكم مصارع المكذبين بما جاءهم به الرسل من قبلكم . ولتعتبروا بما أصابهم بسبب إجرامهم ، وإنكارهم للبعث والحساب يوم القيامة .فالآية الكريمة توجههم إلى ما من شأنه أن يفتح مغاليق قلوبهم المتحجرة وأن يزيل عن نفوسهم قسوتها وعنادها .
يقول تعالى ذكره لنبيه محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم: ( قُل ) يا محمد لهؤلاء المكذّبين ما جئتهم به من الأنباء من عند ربك: (سِيرُوا فِي الأرْضِ فَانْظُرُوا ) إلى ديار من كان قبلكم من المكذّبين رسل الله ومساكنهم كيف هي, ألم يخرّبها الله, ويهلك أهلها بتكذيبهم رسلهم, وردّهم عليهم نصائحهم فخلت منهم الديار وتعفَّت منهم الرسوم والآثار, فإن ذلك كان عاقبة إجرامهم, وذلك سنة ربكم في كلّ من سلك سبيلهم في تكذيب رسل ربهم, والله فاعل ذلك بكم إن أنتم لم تبادروا الإنابة من كفركم وتكذيبكم رسول ربكم.
"قل سيروا في الأرض فانظروا كيف كان عاقبة المجرمين".
قُلْ سِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ (69)أُمر الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم بأن يقول لهم هذه الكلمة ولذلك فصل فعل { قل } وتقدم نظيره في سورة الأنعام ( 11 ) . والمناسبة في الموضعين هي الموعظة بحال المكذبين لأن إنكارهم البعث تكذيب للرسول وإجرام . والوعيد بأن يصيبهم مثل ما أصابهم إلا أنها هنالك عُطفت ب { ثم انظروا } وهنا بالفاء { فانظروا } وهما متئايلان . وذكر هنالك { عاقبة المكذبين } [ الأنعام : 11 ] وذكر هنا { عاقبة المجرمين } : والمكذبون مجرمون . والاختلاف بين الحكايتين للتفنن كما قدمناه في المقدمة السابعة .
ثم نبههم على صدق ما أخبرت به الرسل فقال: { قُلْ سِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ } فلا تجدون مجرما قد استمر على إجرامه، إلا وعاقبته شر عاقبة وقد أحل الله به من الشر والعقوبة ما يليق بحاله.
قوله تعالى : قل سيروا في الأرض أي قل لهؤلاء الكفار : سيروا في بلاد الشام والحجاز واليمن . فانظروا أي بقلوبكم وبصائركم كيف كان عاقبة المجرمين المكذبين لرسلهم .
The addressees of the prophets were not absolute and total deniers of the life Hereafter, but they denied that particular concept of the Hereafter, which was presented by the prophets. People were under the impression that the issue of the Hereafter was meant not for them but for others to ponder over. The prophets told them that the Hereafter was as serious a problem for them as it was for others. Yet they clung to the belief that their attachment to some saints or holy persons would redeem them in the Hereafter. The prophets told them, however, that in the Hereafter only God’s grace and not attachment to any saint or holy person would be of any avail. That is why they were mentally confused about the Hereafter. Hot-headed individuals would, of course, articulate their denial of the Hereafter. However, the common people’s position was that they did not deny the Hereafter altogether. But, since acceptance of the concept of the Hereafter resulted in the curtailment of their various liberties, their selfish side was not prepared to accept it. So, in reply, they used to talk as if they doubted it. Due to this mentality, they never gave serious consideration to the arguments in favour of the Hereafter. They remained blind and deaf to them. The fact is that the powers required to decide the fate of nations or races are vested solely in the All-Knowing God. In the present world, He enforces His decisions partially, but in the Hereafter, He will enforce His decisions fully in respect of all nations.
بَلِ ادَّارَكَ عِلْمُهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ ۚ بَلْ هُمْ فِي شَكٍّ مِّنْهَا ۖ بَلْ هُم مِّنْهَا عَمُونَ ﴿66﴾
Rather, their knowledge failed in the matter of Hereafter. Rather, they are in doubt about it. Rather, they are blind to it. 27:66.
There are different recitations for the word اِدّٰرَکَ (iddaraka) and their meanings are also different. Those who are interested should refer to different commentaries for the details. It is enough to understand here that some commentators have taken it to mean "completion" and have explained the verse thus: "Their knowledge and understanding will be completed in the Hereafter", because then the truth about every thing shall be laid bare. But knowledge of truth at that time will be of no avail, because they had been contradicting the Hereafter in the world. But some other commentators have taken the word in the meaning of 'having failed' and 'hating been lost'. The sense in this case would be that their knowledge about the Hereafter was lost, and they could not understand what it was.
Say) O Muhammad, to the people of Mecca: (Travel in the land and see) and take admonition from (the nature of the sequel for the guilty) how was the end of the idolaters!