Al-Mu'minun 23:44
The Believers · Juz 18 · Page 345
ثُمَّ أَرۡسَلۡنَا رُسُلَنَا تَتۡرَاۖ كُلَّ مَا جَآءَ أُمَّةٗ رَّسُولُهَا كَذَّبُوهُۖ فَأَتۡبَعۡنَا بَعۡضَهُم بَعۡضٗا وَجَعَلۡنَٰهُمۡ أَحَادِيثَۚ فَبُعۡدٗا لِّقَوۡمٖ لَّا يُؤۡمِنُونَ ٤٤
Then We sent Our messengers in succession. Every time there came to a nation its messenger, they denied him, so We made them follow one another [to destruction], and We made them narrations.1 So away with a people who do not believe.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., history or lessons for mankind. ↩
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 23:42–44
Mention of Other Nations Allah says:
ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَا مِن بَعْدِهِمْ قُرُوناً ءَاخَرِينَ
(Then, after them, We created other generations.) meaning, nations and peoples.
مَّا تَسْبِقُ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلَهَا وَمَا يَسْتَْخِرُونَ
(No nation can advance their term, nor can they delay it.) means, they are taken at the appropriate time, as decreed by Allah in His Book that is preserved with Him, before they were created, nation after nation, century after century, generation after generation, successors after predecessors.
ثُمَّ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا تَتْرَى
(Then We sent Our Messengers in succession.) Ibn `Abbas said, "(This means) following one another in succession." This is like the Ayah:
وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الْطَّغُوتَ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى اللَّهُ وَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الضَّلَلَةُ
(And verily, We have sent among every Ummah a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allah, and avoid Taghut (all false deities)." Then of them were some whom Allah guided and of them were some upon whom the straying was justified) 16:36.
كُلَّ مَا جَآءَ أُمَّةً رَّسُولُهَا كَذَّبُوهُ
(Every time there came to a nation their Messenger, they denied him;) meaning the greater majority of them. This is like the Ayah:
يحَسْرَةً عَلَى الْعِبَادِ مَا يَأْتِيهِمْ مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلاَّ كَانُواْ بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ
(Alas for mankind! There never came a Messenger to them but they used to mock at him.) 36:30
فَأَتْبَعْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ بَعْضاً
(so We made them follow one another,) means, `We destroyed them,' as Allah says:
وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مِن بَعْدِ نُوحٍ
(And how many generations have We destroyed after Nuh!) 17:17
وَجَعَلْنَهُمْ أَحَادِيثَ
(and We made them as Ahadith) meaning, stories and lessons for mankind, as Allah says elsewhere:
فَجَعَلْنَهُمْ أَحَادِيثَ وَمَزَّقْنَهُمْ كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍ
(so, We made them as tales (in the land), and We dispersed them all totally) 34:19.
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23:43
مَا تَسۡبِقُ مِنۡ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلَهَا وَمَا يَسۡتَـٔۡخِرُونَ ٤٣
No nation will precede its time [of termination], nor will they remain [thereafter].
23:44
ثُمَّ أَرۡسَلۡنَا رُسُلَنَا تَتۡرَاۖ كُلَّ مَا جَآءَ أُمَّةٗ رَّسُولُهَا كَذَّبُوهُۖ فَأَتۡبَعۡنَا بَعۡضَهُم بَعۡضٗا وَجَعَلۡنَٰهُمۡ أَحَادِيثَۚ فَبُعۡدٗا لِّقَوۡمٖ لَّا يُؤۡمِنُونَ ٤٤
Then We sent Our messengers in succession. Every time there came to a nation its messenger, they denied him, so We made them follow one another [to destruction], and We made them narrations.1 So away with a people who do not believe.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., history or lessons for mankind. ↩
23:45
ثُمَّ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مُوسَىٰ وَأَخَاهُ هَٰرُونَ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا وَسُلۡطَٰنٖ مُّبِينٍ ٤٥
Then We sent Moses and his brother Aaron with Our signs and a clear authority1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., evidences from Allāh. ↩
23:46
إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَمَلَإِيْهِۦ فَٱسۡتَكۡبَرُواْ وَكَانُواْ قَوۡمًا عَالِينَ ٤٦
To Pharaoh and his establishment, but they were arrogant and were a haughty people.
23:47
فَقَالُوٓاْ أَنُؤۡمِنُ لِبَشَرَيۡنِ مِثۡلِنَا وَقَوۡمُهُمَا لَنَا عَٰبِدُونَ ٤٧
They said, "Should we believe two men like ourselves while their people are for us in servitude?"
23:48
فَكَذَّبُوهُمَا فَكَانُواْ مِنَ ٱلۡمُهۡلَكِينَ ٤٨
So they denied them and were of those destroyed.
23:49
وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا مُوسَى ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَهۡتَدُونَ ٤٩
And We certainly gave Moses the Scripture that perhaps they1 would be guided.
1 translator’s note
- The Children of Israel. ↩
23:50
وَجَعَلۡنَا ٱبۡنَ مَرۡيَمَ وَأُمَّهُۥٓ ءَايَةٗ وَءَاوَيۡنَٰهُمَآ إِلَىٰ رَبۡوَةٖ ذَاتِ قَرَارٖ وَمَعِينٖ ٥٠
And We made the son of Mary and his mother a sign and sheltered them within a high ground having level [areas] and flowing water.
23:51
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلرُّسُلُ كُلُواْ مِنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِ وَٱعۡمَلُواْ صَٰلِحًاۖ إِنِّي بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ عَلِيمٞ ٥١
[Allāh said], "O messengers, eat from the good foods and work righteousness. Indeed I, of what you do, am Knowing.
23:52
وَإِنَّ هَٰذِهِۦٓ أُمَّتُكُمۡ أُمَّةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ وَأَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمۡ فَٱتَّقُونِ ٥٢
And indeed this, your religion, is one religion,1 and I am your Lord, so fear Me."
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 21:92. ↩
23:53
فَتَقَطَّعُوٓاْ أَمۡرَهُم بَيۡنَهُمۡ زُبُرٗاۖ كُلُّ حِزۡبِۭ بِمَا لَدَيۡهِمۡ فَرِحُونَ ٥٣
But they [i.e., the people] divided their religion among them into portions [i.e., sects] - each faction, in what it has,1 rejoicing.
1 translator’s note
- Of beliefs, opinions, customs, etc. ↩
23:54
فَذَرۡهُمۡ فِي غَمۡرَتِهِمۡ حَتَّىٰ حِينٍ ٥٤
So leave them in their confusion for a time.
23:55
أَيَحۡسَبُونَ أَنَّمَا نُمِدُّهُم بِهِۦ مِن مَّالٖ وَبَنِينَ ٥٥
Do they think that what We extend to them of wealth and children
23:56
نُسَارِعُ لَهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡخَيۡرَٰتِۚ بَل لَّا يَشۡعُرُونَ ٥٦
Is [because] We hasten for them good things? Rather, they do not perceive.1
1 translator’s note
- That the good things given to them in this world are but a trial for them. ↩
23:57
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنۡ خَشۡيَةِ رَبِّهِم مُّشۡفِقُونَ ٥٧
Indeed, they who are apprehensive from fear of their Lord
23:58
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِـَٔايَٰتِ رَبِّهِمۡ يُؤۡمِنُونَ ٥٨
And they who believe in the signs of their Lord
23:59
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِرَبِّهِمۡ لَا يُشۡرِكُونَ ٥٩
And they who do not associate anything with their Lord
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy