The Winnowing Winds, The Scatterers — Verse 45

So they were unable to rise up they could not get up upon the sending down of the chastisement nor were they victors over the One Who destroyed them.

فما أمكنهم الهرب ولا النهوض مما هم فيه من العذاب، وما كانوا منتصرين لأنفسهم.

أي من هرب ولا نهوض "وما كانوا منتصرين" أي ولا يقدرون على أن ينتصروا مما هم فيه.

( فَمَا استطاعوا مِن قِيَامٍ وَمَا كَانُواْ مُنتَصِرِينَ ) أى : أنه حين نزل بهم عذابنا ، أعجزهم عن الحركة ، وشل حواسهم ، فما استطاعوا أن يهربوا منه . وما قدروا على القيام بعد أن كانوا قاعدين ، وما نصرهم من بأسنا ناصر .

القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : فَمَا اسْتَطَاعُوا مِنْ قِيَامٍ وَمَا كَانُوا مُنْتَصِرِينَ (45)يقول تعالى ذكره: فما استطاعوا من دفاع لما نـزل بهم من عذاب الله, ولا قدروا على نهوض به.كما حدثنا بشر, قال: ثنا يزيد, قال: ثنا سعيد, عن قتادة, قوله ( فَمَا اسْتَطَاعُوا مِنْ قِيَامٍ ) يقول: ما استطاع القوم نهوضا لعقوبة الله تبارك وتعالى.حدثنا ابن عبد الأعلى, قال: ثنا ابن ثور, عن معمر, عن قتادة ( فَمَا اسْتَطَاعُوا مِنْ قِيَامٍ ) قال: من نهوض.وكان بعض أهل العربية يقول: معنى قوله ( فَمَا اسْتَطَاعُوا مِنْ قِيَامٍ ) : فما قاموا بها, قال: لو كانت فما استطاعوا من إقامة, لكان صوابا, وطرح الألف منها كقوله أَنْبَتَكُمْ مِنَ الأَرْضِ نَبَاتًا .وقوله ( وَمَا كَانُوا مُنْتَصِرِينَ ) يقول: وما كانوا قادرين على أن يستقيدوا ممن أحل بهم العقوبة التي حلت بهم.وكان قتادة يقول في تأويل ذلك: ما حدثنا بشر, قال: ثنا يزيد, قال: ثنا سعيد, عن قتادة ( وَمَا كَانُوا مُنْتَصِرِينَ ) قال: ما كانت عندهم من قوة يمتنعون بها من الله عزّ وجلّ.

( فما استطاعوا من قيام ) فما قاموا بعد نزول العذاب بهم ولا قدروا على نهوض . قال قتادة : لم ينهضوا من تلك الصرعة ( وما كانوا منتصرين ) ممتنعين منا . قال قتادة : ما كانت عندهم قوة يمتنعون بها من الله .

فَمَا اسْتَطَاعُوا مِنْ قِيَامٍ وَمَا كَانُوا مُنْتَصِرِينَ (45(وقوله : { وما كانوا منتصرين } أي لم ينصرهم ناصر حتى يكونوا منتصرين لأن انتصر مطاوع نصر ، أي ما نصرهم أحد فانتصروا .

{ فَمَا اسْتَطَاعُوا مِنْ قِيَامٍ } ينجون به من العذاب، { وَمَا كَانُوا مُنْتَصِرِينَ } لأنفسهم.

فما استطاعوا من قيام قيل : معناه من نهوض . وقيل : ما أطاقوا أن يستقلوا بعذاب الله وأن يتحملوه ويقوموا به ويدفعوه عن أنفسهم ; تقول : لا أقوم لهذا الأمر أي لا أطيقه . وقال ابن عباس : أي ذهبت أجسامهم وبقيت أرواحهم في العذاب .وما كانوا منتصرين أي ممتنعين من العذاب حين أهلكوا ، أي ما كان لهم ناصر .

People displaying such arrogance in the face of the Truth never escape God’s scourge. Pharaoh was killed for this reason, and the communities of ‘Ad, Thamud, and Noah were also destroyed for this very reason. They were given some benefit in this world, it being the test period. Beyond this small benefit they were destined not to receive any other.

After the mention of the people of Lut (علیہ السلام) ، the people of Musa (علیہ السلام) ، Fir'aun and others are taken up briefly. When Musa (علیہ السلام) delivered the message of truth to Fir'aun, the latter reacted thus: فَتَوَلَّىٰ بِرُ‌كْنِهِ (So he turned away along with his chiefs,...51:39) The original word used for 'his chiefs' is rukn which means power. Here it is used to refer to his army and chiefs of his government. In the story of Lut (علیہ السلام) he has been mentioned saying, أَوْ آوِي إِلَىٰ رُ‌كْنٍ شَدِيدٍ (or that I had the backing of a strong group' The word rukn is used there in the same sense. (See Ma’ ariful Qur’ an, Vol. 4/p. 658, 661: '...or that I had the backing of some strong group...' ) After this, the stories of the people of ` Ad, Thamud and Nuh (علیہم السلام) are told. These stories were narrated many times before.

(And they were unable to rise up) following Allah's chastisement, (nor could they help themselves) nor could their bodies avert the chastisement.

Lessons from the Destruction of Fir`awn, `Ad, Thamud, and the People of Nuh Allah the Exalted said, وَفِى مُوسَى إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَـهُ إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ بِسُلْطَـنٍ مُّبِينٍ (And in Musa, when We sent him to Fir`awn with a manifest authority.) meaning, with clear proof and plain evidence, فَتَوَلَّى بِرُكْنِهِ (But he turned away along with his hosts,) meaning, in rebellion and arrogance, Fir`awn turned away from the plain truth that Musa was sent with, ثَانِىَ عِطْفِهِ لِيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ (Bending his neck in pride, and leading (others) too (far) astray from the path of Allah.)(22:9 ), meaning turning away from truth in arrogance, وَقَالَ سَـحِرٌ أَوْ مَجْنُونٌ (and said: "A sorcerer, or a madman.") meaning Fir`awn said to Musa, "With regards to the message that you brought me, you are either a magician or a madman." Allah the Exalted replied, فَأَخَذْنَـهُ وَجُنُودَهُ فَنَبَذْنَـهُمْ (So We took him and his armies, and dumped them), meaning `We threw them,' فِى الْيَمِّ (into the Yamm), into the sea, وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ (for he was blameworthy.) meaning, Fir`awn was a denying sinner and a stubborn disbeliever worthy of blame. Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said, وَفِى عَادٍ إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الرِّيحَ الْعَقِيمَ (And in `Ad when We sent against them the barren wind) that destroys everything and produces nothing. This was said by Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah and others. Allah's statement, مَا تَذَرُ مِن شَىْءٍ أَتَتْ عَلَيْهِ (It spared nothing that it reached,) meaning, everything that the wind could destroy, إِلاَّ جَعَلَتْهُ كَالرَّمِيمِ (but blew it into broken spreads of rotten ruins.) meaning, made it just like a rotten and destroyed. Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib and others commented on: إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الرِّيحَ الْعَقِيمَ (when We sent against them the barren wind),"Southerly winds." However, there is a Hadith in the Sahih from Shu`bah bin Al-Hakam, from Mujahid, from Ibn `Abbas, who said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, «نُصِرْتُ بِالصَّبَا وَأُهْلِكَتْ عَادٌ بِالدَّبُور» (I have been made victorious with the Saba (easterly wind), and the people of `Ad were destroyed with the Dabur (westerly wind).) Allah saying, وَفِى ثَمُودَ إِذْ قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَمَتَّعُواْ حَتَّى حِينٍ (And in Thamud, when they were told: "Enjoy yourselves for a while!") is just as He said in another Ayah, وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْنَـهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّواْ الْعَمَى عَلَى الْهُدَى فَأَخَذَتْهُمْ صَـعِقَةُ الْعَذَابِ الْهُونِ (And as for Thamud, We guided them to the path of truth, but they preferred blindness to guidance; so the Sa`iqah of disgracing torment seized them.) (41:17) Allah said here, وَفِى ثَمُودَ إِذْ قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَمَتَّعُواْ حَتَّى حِينٍ - فَعَتَوْاْ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِمْ فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ وَهُمْ يَنظُرُونَ (And in Thamud, when they were told: "Enjoy yourselves for a while!" But they insolently defied the command of their Lord, so the Sa`iqah overtook them while they were looking.) Thamud were given a respite for three days, during which they await the torment. In the early morning of the fourth day, the torment overtook them, فَمَا اسْتَطَـعُواْ مِن قِيَامٍ (Then they were unable to rise up,) they were unable to escape and run away from it, وَمَا كَانُواْ مُنتَصِرِينَ (nor could they help themselves.) nor could they save themselves from the torment that befell them. Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said, وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍ مِّن قَبْلُ ((So were) the people of Nuh before them.) meaning, `We destroyed the people of Nuh before these people (Fir`awn, `Ad and Thamud).' إِنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ قَوْماً فَـسِقِينَ (Verily, they were a people who were revellious.) We mentioned these stories in details before in the Tafsir of several other Surahs.