The Wind-curved Sandhills, The Dunes, The Sandhills — Verse 27
46:27 · al-Ahqaf
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وَلَقَدۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَا مَا حَوۡلَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡقُرَىٰ وَصَرَّفۡنَا ٱلۡءَایَـٰتِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ یَرۡجِعُونَ ٢٧
walaqad ahlaknā mā ḥawlakum mina l-qurā waṣarrafnā l-āyāti laʿallahum yarjiʿūn
The Wind-curved Sandhills, The Dunes, The Sandhills / al-Ahqaf (46:27)
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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.
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Q 11:50 (Hud)
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We have also destroyed other communities that once flourished around you- We had given them various signs so that they might return to the right way
walaqad ahlaknā mā ḥawlakum mina l-qurā waṣarrafnā l-āyāti laʿallahum yarjiʿūn
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Tafsir Commentary
And We certainly destroyed the towns that were around you that is We destroyed their inhabitants the likes of Thamūd ‘Ād and the people of Lot and We dispensed the signs We repeated the clear proofs so that perhaps they might return.
وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ سَمْعاً وَأَبْصَـراً وَأَفْئِدَةً فَمَآ أَغْنَى عَنْهُمْ سَمْعُهُمْ وَلاَ أَبْصَـرُهُمْ وَلاَ أَفْئِدَتُهُمْ مِّن شَىْءٍ إِذْ كَانُواْ يَجْحَدُونَ بِـَايَـتِ اللَّهِ وَحَاقَ بِهم مَّا كَانُواْ بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ
(We also gave them hearing, vision, and hearts. But their hearing, vision, and hearts availed them nothing when they used to deny Allah's signs, and they were completely encircled by that which they used to ridicule!) meaning, they were encircled by the torment and exemplary punishment that they denied and whose occurrence they doubted. This means, you listeners must beware of being like them lest a punishment similar to theirs strikes you in this life and the Hereafter. Allah then says,
وَلَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَا مَا حَوْلَكُمْ مِّنَ الْقُرَى
(And indeed We have destroyed towns round about you, ) This is addressed to the people of Makkah. Allah destroyed the nations who disbelieved in the Messengers who lived around Makkah, such as `Ad who were at Al-Ahqaf in Hadramawt near Yemen, Thamud whose dwellings were between Makkah and Ash-Sham (Greater Syria), Saba' who were in Yemen, the people of Madyan who were on the route and passage to Ghazzah (Western Palestine), and the people of Lut who dwelt by the lake (the Dead Sea) which they used to pass by (on the way to Jordan) as well. Allah then says,
وَصَرَّفْنَا الاٌّيَـتِ
(and We have shown (them) the signs in various ways) meaning, `We explained and clarified them.'
لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَفَلَوْلاَ نَصَرَهُمُ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ قُرْبَاناً ءَالِهَةَ
(so that perhaps they might return. As for those whom they had taken for gods besides Allah, as the means of approach to Him, why then did they not aid them) meaning, did they help them when they were in the greatest need for them
بَلْ ضَلُّواْ عَنْهُمْ
(but they vanished completely from them.) Rather, they completely left them alone when they needed them the most.
وَذَلِكَ إِفْكُهُمْ
(And that was their falsehood, ) meaning, their lie.
وَمَا كَانُواْ يَفْتَرُونَ
(and what they were fabricating.) which means that they fabricated lies by taking them as gods, and they lost and failed in their worship of them and their reliance upon them -- and Allah knows best.
ولقد أهلكنا ما حولكم يا أهل "مكة" من القرى كعاد وثمود، فجعلناها خاوية على عروشها، وبيَّنَّا لهم أنواع الحجج والدلالات؛ لعلهم يرجعون عما كانوا عليه من الكفر بالله وآياته.
وقوله تعالى "ولقد أهلكنا ما حولكم من القرى" يعني أهل مكة قد أهلك الله الأمم المكذبة بالرسل مما حولها كعاد وكانوا بالأحقاف بحضرموت عند اليمن وثمود وكانت منازلهم بينهم وبين الشام وكذلك سبأ وهم أهل اليمن ومدين وكانت في طريقهم وممرهم إلى غزة وكذلك بحيرة قوم لوط كانوا يمرون بها أيضا وقوله عز وجل "وصرفنا الآيات" أي بيناها وأوضحناها "لعلهم يرجعون".
ثم أضاف - سبحانه - إلى هذا التذكير والتخويف للمشركين ، تذكيرا وتخويفا آخر ، فقال : ( وَلَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَا مَا حَوْلَكُمْ مِّنَ القرى ) أى : والله لقد أهلكنا ما حولكم يا أهل مكة من القرى الظالمة ، كقوم هود وصالح وغيرهم .( وَصَرَّفْنَا الآيات ) أى : كررناها ونوعناها بأساليب مختلفة ( لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ ) عما كانوا عليه من الشرك والفجور ، ولكنهم لم يرجعوا عما كانوا فيه من ضلال وبغى ، فدمرناهم تدميرا . .
القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَلَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَا مَا حَوْلَكُمْ مِنَ الْقُرَى وَصَرَّفْنَا الآيَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ (27)يقول تعالى ذكره لكفار قريش محذّرهم بأسه وسطوته, أن يحلّ بهم على كفرهم ( وَلَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَا ) أيها القوم من القُرَى ما حول قريتكم, كحجر ثمود وأرض سدوم ومأرب ونحوها, فأنذرنا أهلها بالمَثُلات, وخرّبنا ديارها, فجعلناها خاوية على عروشها.وقوله: ( وَصَرَّفْنَا الآيَاتِ ) يقول: ووعظناهم بأنواع العظات, وذكرناهم بضروب من الذِّكْر والحجج, وبيَّنا لهم ذلك.كما حدثني يونس, قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب, قال: قال ابن زيد, في قوله ( وَصَرَّفْنَا الآيَاتِ ) قال بيَّناها( لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ ) يقول ليرجعوا عما كانوا عليه مقيمين من الكفر بالله وآياته. وفي الكلام متروك ترك ذكره استغناء بدلالة الكلام عليه, وهو: فأبوا إلا الإقامة على كفرهم, والتمادي في غيهم, فأهلكناهم, فلن ينصرهم منا ناصر؛ يقول جلّ ثناؤه: فلولا نصر هؤلاء الذين أهلكناهم من الأمم الخالية قبلهم أوثانهم وآلهتهم التي اتخذوا عبادتها قربانا يتقرّبون بها فيما زعموا إلى ربهم منا إذ جاءهم بأسنا, فتنقذهم من عذابنا إن كانت تشفع لهم عند ربهم كما يزعمون.وهذا احتجاج من الله لنبيه محمد صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم على مُشركي قومه, يقول لهم: لو كانت آلهتكم التي تعبدون من دون الله تغني عنكم شيئا, أو تنفعكم عند الله كما تزعمون أنكم إنما تعبدونها, لتقرّبكم إلى الله زلفى, لأغنت عمن كان قبلكم من الأمم التي أهلكتها بعبادتهم إياها, فدفعت عنها العذاب إذا نـزل, أو لشفعت لهم عند ربهم, فقد كانوا من عبادتها على مثل الذي عليه أنتم, ولكنها ضرتهم ولم تنفعهم.
( ولقد أهلكنا ما حولكم ) يا أهل مكة ( من القرى ) كحجر ثمود وأرض سدوم ونحوهما ( وصرفنا الآيات ) الحجج والبينات ( لعلهم يرجعون ) عن كفرهم فلم يرجعوا ، فأهلكناهم ، يخوف مشركي مكة .
وَلَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَا مَا حَوْلَكُمْ مِنَ الْقُرَى وَصَرَّفْنَا الْآَيَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ (27(أتبع ضرب المثل بحال عاد مع رسولهم بأن ذلك المثل ليس وحيداً في بابه فقد أهلك الله أقواماً آخرين من مجاوريهم تُماثل أحوالهم أحوال المشركين ، وذكَّرهم بأن قراهم قريبة منهم يعرفها من يعرفونها ويسمع عنها الذين لم يروها ، وهي قرى ثمود وقوم لوط وأصحاب الأيكة وسبَأ وقوم تبع ، والجملة معطوفة على جملة { واذكر أخا عاد } [ الأحقاف : 21 ] الخ . وكنِّي عن إهلاك الأقوام بإهلاك قراهم مبالغة في استئصالهم لأنه إذا أهلكت القرية لم يبق أحد من أهلها كما كنّى عنترة بشك الثياب عن شك الجسد في قوله :فشككت بالرمح الأصم ثيابه ... ومنه قوله تعالى : { وثيابك فطهّر } [ المدثر : 4 ] .وتصريف الآيات تنويعها باعتبار ما تدّل عليه من الغرض المقصود منها وهو الإقلاع عن الشرك وتكذيب الرسل ، وأصل معنى التصريف التغيير والتبديل لأنه مشتق من الصرف وهو الإبعاد . وكنّي به هنا عن التبيين والتوضيح لأن تعدد أنواع الأدلة يزيد المقصود وضوحاً . ومعنى تنويع الآيات أنها تارة تكون بالحجة والمجادلة النظرية ، وتارة بالتهديد على الفعل ، وأخرى بالوعيد ، ومرة بالتذكير بالنعم وشكرها . وجملة { لعلهم يرجعون } مستأنفة لإنشاء الترجّي وموقعها موقع المفعول لأجله ، أي رجاء رجوعهم .والرجوع هنا مجاز عن الإقلاع عمّا هم فيه من الشرك والعناد ، والرجاء من الله تعالى يستعمل مجازاً في الطلب ، أي توسعة لهم وإمهالاً ليتدبروا ويتّعظوا . وهذا تعريض بمشركي أهل مكة فهم سواء في تكوين ضروب تصريف الآيات زيادة على ما صرف لهم من آيات إعجاز القرآن والكلام على ( لعل ( في كلام الله تقدم في أوائل البقرة .
يحذر تعالى مشركي العرب وغيرهم بإهلاك الأمم المكذبين الذين هم حول ديارهم، بل كثير منهم في جزيرة العرب كعاد وثمود ونحوهم وأن الله تعالى صرف لهم الآيات أي: نوعها من كل وجه، { لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ } عماهم عليه من الكفر والتكذيب.
قوله تعالى : ولقد أهلكنا ما حولكم من القرى وصرفنا الآيات لعلهم يرجعون .قوله تعالى : ولقد أهلكنا ما حولكم من القرى يريد حجر ثمود وقرى لوط ونحوهما [ ص: 194 ] مما كان يجاور بلاد الحجاز ، وكانت أخبارهم متواترة عندهم . وصرفنا الآيات يعني الحجج والدلالات وأنواع البينات والعظات ، أي : بيناها لأهل تلك القرى . لعلهم يرجعون فلم يرجعوا . وقيل : أي : صرفنا آيات القرآن في الوعد والوعيد والقصص والإعجاز لعل هؤلاء المشركين يرجعون .
The worldly status enjoyed by the Quraysh chiefs had made them arrogant. Here they have been reminded of their neighbours, the people of ‘Ad. From the point of view of civilization, they had been on a much higher plane than the Quraysh. Nonetheless, when God’s ordinance was imposed, their entire grandeur and glory were destroyed. Whatever they had considered their supports, failed to come to their rescue. A human being is, after all, going to be greatly reduced in stature before the majesty of God. But that apart, the system of the world has been devised in such a way that in this life man has to make himself small before others. This is shown by events which are the signs of God. If, before being cut down to size in the Hereafter, a man learns a lesson from these signs, he will voluntarily make himself small in this very life. Before facing the Hereafter, he will become realistic in this world itself. Different kinds of events demonstrate God’s signs, but man turns a blind eye and a deaf ear to them, for he is not prepared to learn any lesson from them.
{ 1} The reference here is to the towns of Thamud and the people of Sayyidna Lut (علیہ السلام) that were in the way of the people of Arabia while they travelled to Syria. The people of ` Ad were in Yemen, towards South from Makkah, while the towns of Thamud and those of Sayyidna Lut (علیہ السلام) were towards North, hence the words, "around you"
Commentary
These verses are to remind the infidels of the severe punishments faced by earlier people who rejected the messengers sent to them. Special reference is made to ` Ad, the people of Sayyidna Hud (علیہ السلام) who has been described as their 'brother', firstly because he belonged to their tribe, and secondly because he was their well-wisher as a brother. Since this nation lived in valleys surrounded by long, curved sand dunes, called in Arabic Ahqaf , special reference is made to these dunes, so that one could find out their places, if he so wishes when traveling to their localities. It is mentioned in verse 22 that they themselves demanded Allah's punishment to be brought upon them. Then verse 24 states that the punishment was sent to them in the form of a cloud that appeared to be benign, and therefore they were happy to see it in the hope that it would bring rain to them, but in fact it contained the divine punishment in the form of a violent wind that destroyed everything, leaving nothing except their empty homes that remained as a sign for those who might learn a lesson. The detailed account of the story of ` Ad and Thamud has already been given in Surah Hud (11:50) for which volume 4, page 643 of this book may be consulted. Mention of these events in these verses is in the form of a brief reference, and in verse 26 the infidels of Makkah are reminded that those nations were much more powerful and well-established than the people of Makkah. Still, their power and strength was of no use to them against Allah's punishment. Moreover, verse 28 points out that the false gods believed by them to be their patrons could not save them from the torment they faced, because they were coined only by their false imagination, having no real existence at all.
(And verily We have destroyed townships round about you) O people of Mecca, (and displayed (for them) Our revelation) and explained the revelations detailing the commands, prohibitions and the destruction of those whom We had destroyed, (that haply they might return) from their disbelief and repent.