Al-Mu'minun 23:33
The Believers · Juz 18 · Page 344
وَقَالَ ٱلۡمَلَأُ مِن قَوۡمِهِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَكَذَّبُواْ بِلِقَآءِ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ وَأَتۡرَفۡنَٰهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا مَا هَٰذَآ إِلَّا بَشَرٞ مِّثۡلُكُمۡ يَأۡكُلُ مِمَّا تَأۡكُلُونَ مِنۡهُ وَيَشۡرَبُ مِمَّا تَشۡرَبُونَ ٣٣
And the eminent among his people who disbelieved and denied the meeting of the Hereafter while We had given them luxury in the worldly life said, "This is not but a man like yourselves. He eats of that from which you eat and drinks of what you drink.
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 23:31–36
In the earlier verses the story of Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) was told who was sent to his people to guide them along the path of righteousness and the following verses contain a brief account of some other prophets without mentioning their names and the people for whose guidance they were sent. From certain references and allusions the commentators have concluded that the verses refer to Sayyidna Hud (علیہ السلام) or Sayyidna Salih (علیہ السلام) who were sent for the guidance of the tribes of 'Ad and Thamud respectively. In the present story both these tribes are reported to have perished as a result of صَیحَہ (Cry) from an unseen source, whereas in other verses it has been specifically mentioned that it was the tribe of Thamud which perished from صَیحَہ (Cry) and this had led some scholars to the view that the words قَرناً آخَرِینَ (another generation) refers to Thamud.
An alternative explanation is that the word صَیحَہ (Cry) has been used in the general sense of punishment from Allah in which case it would include the tribe of ` Ad also.
Page 344
23:28
فَإِذَا ٱسۡتَوَيۡتَ أَنتَ وَمَن مَّعَكَ عَلَى ٱلۡفُلۡكِ فَقُلِ ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِي نَجَّىٰنَا مِنَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ٢٨
And when you have boarded the ship, you and those with you, then say, 'Praise to Allāh who has saved us from the wrongdoing people.'
23:29
وَقُل رَّبِّ أَنزِلۡنِي مُنزَلٗا مُّبَارَكٗا وَأَنتَ خَيۡرُ ٱلۡمُنزِلِينَ ٢٩
And say, 'My Lord, let me land at a blessed landing place, and You are the best to accommodate [us].'"
23:30
إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتٖ وَإِن كُنَّا لَمُبۡتَلِينَ ٣٠
Indeed in that are signs, and indeed, We are ever testing [Our servants].
23:31
ثُمَّ أَنشَأۡنَا مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ قَرۡنًا ءَاخَرِينَ ٣١
Then We produced after them a generation of others.
23:32
فَأَرۡسَلۡنَا فِيهِمۡ رَسُولٗا مِّنۡهُمۡ أَنِ ٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنۡ إِلَٰهٍ غَيۡرُهُۥٓۚ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ ٣٢
And We sent among them a messenger1 from themselves, [saying], "Worship Allāh; you have no deity other than Him; then will you not fear Him?"
1 translator’s note
- Prophet Hūd, who was sent to the tribe of ʿAad. ↩
23:33
وَقَالَ ٱلۡمَلَأُ مِن قَوۡمِهِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَكَذَّبُواْ بِلِقَآءِ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ وَأَتۡرَفۡنَٰهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا مَا هَٰذَآ إِلَّا بَشَرٞ مِّثۡلُكُمۡ يَأۡكُلُ مِمَّا تَأۡكُلُونَ مِنۡهُ وَيَشۡرَبُ مِمَّا تَشۡرَبُونَ ٣٣
And the eminent among his people who disbelieved and denied the meeting of the Hereafter while We had given them luxury in the worldly life said, "This is not but a man like yourselves. He eats of that from which you eat and drinks of what you drink.
23:34
وَلَئِنۡ أَطَعۡتُم بَشَرٗا مِّثۡلَكُمۡ إِنَّكُمۡ إِذٗا لَّخَٰسِرُونَ ٣٤
And if you should obey a man like yourselves, indeed, you would then be losers.
23:35
أَيَعِدُكُمۡ أَنَّكُمۡ إِذَا مِتُّمۡ وَكُنتُمۡ تُرَابٗا وَعِظَٰمًا أَنَّكُم مُّخۡرَجُونَ ٣٥
Does he promise you that when you have died and become dust and bones that you will be brought forth [once more]?
23:36
۞ هَيۡهَاتَ هَيۡهَاتَ لِمَا تُوعَدُونَ ٣٦
How far, how far, is that which you are promised.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., how distant and improbable it is. ↩
23:37
إِنۡ هِيَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا ٱلدُّنۡيَا نَمُوتُ وَنَحۡيَا وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمَبۡعُوثِينَ ٣٧
It [i.e., life] is not but our worldly life - we die and live, but we will not be resurrected.
23:38
إِنۡ هُوَ إِلَّا رَجُلٌ ٱفۡتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبٗا وَمَا نَحۡنُ لَهُۥ بِمُؤۡمِنِينَ ٣٨
He is not but a man who has invented a lie about Allāh, and we will not believe him."
23:39
قَالَ رَبِّ ٱنصُرۡنِي بِمَا كَذَّبُونِ ٣٩
He said, "My Lord, support me because they have denied me."
23:40
قَالَ عَمَّا قَلِيلٖ لَّيُصۡبِحُنَّ نَٰدِمِينَ ٤٠
[Allāh] said, "After a little, they will surely become regretful."
23:41
فَأَخَذَتۡهُمُ ٱلصَّيۡحَةُ بِٱلۡحَقِّ فَجَعَلۡنَٰهُمۡ غُثَآءٗۚ فَبُعۡدٗا لِّلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ٤١
So the shriek1 seized them in truth,2 and We made them as [plant] stubble. Then away with the wrongdoing people.
23:42
ثُمَّ أَنشَأۡنَا مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ قُرُونًا ءَاخَرِينَ ٤٢
Then We produced after them other generations.