An-Naml 27:45
The Ant · Juz 19 · Page 381
وَلَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَىٰ ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمۡ صَٰلِحًا أَنِ ٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ فَإِذَا هُمۡ فَرِيقَانِ يَخۡتَصِمُونَ ٤٥
And We had certainly sent to Thamūd their brother Ṣāliḥ, [saying], "Worship Allāh," and at once they were two parties conflicting.
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
Change
Commentary on 27:45–47
Salih and Thamud
Allah tells us about Thamud and how they responded to their Prophet Salih, when Allah sent him to call them to worship Allah alone, with no partner or associate.
فَإِذَا هُمْ فَرِيقَانِ يَخْتَصِمُونَ
(Then look! They became two parties quarreling with each other.) Mujahid said, "These were believers and disbelievers." This is like the Ayah,
قَالَ الْمَلاَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ مِن قَوْمِهِ لِلَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُواْ لِمَنْ ءامَنَ مِنْهُمْ أَتَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ صَلِحاً مُّرْسَلٌ مّن رَّبّهِ قَالُواْ إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرْسِلَ بِهِ مُؤْمِنُونَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ إِنَّا بِالَّذِى ءامَنتُمْ بِهِ كَفِرُونَ
(The leaders of those who were arrogant among his people said to those who were counted weak -- to such of them as believed: "Know you that Salih is one sent from his Lord." They said: "We indeed believe in that with which he has been sent." Those who were arrogant said: "Verily, we disbelieve in that which you believe in.") (7:75-76)
قَالَ يقَوْمِ لِمَ تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ قَبْلَ الْحَسَنَةِ
(He said: "O my people! Why do you seek to hasten the evil before the good") meaning, `why are you praying for the punishment to come, and not asking Allah for His mercy' Then he said:
لَوْلاَ تَسْتَغْفِرُونَ اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَقَالُواْ اطَّيَّرْنَا بِكَ وَبِمَن مَّعَكَ
("Why seek you not the forgiveness of Allah, that you may receive mercy" They said: "We augur an omen from you and those with you.") This means: "We do not see any good in your face and the faces of those who are following you." Since they were doomed, whenever anything bad happened to any of them they would say, "This is because of Salih and his companions." Mujahid said, "They regarded them as bad omens." This is similar to what Allah said about the people of Fir`awn:
فَإِذَا جَآءَتْهُمُ الْحَسَنَةُ قَالُواْ لَنَا هَذِهِ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَطَّيَّرُواْ بِمُوسَى وَمَن مَّعَهُ
(But whenever good came to them, they said: "Ours is this." And if evil afflicted them, they saw it as an omen about Musa and those with him) (7:131). And Allah says:
وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ حَسَنَةٌ يَقُولُواْ هَذِهِ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَقُولُواْ هَذِهِ مِنْ عِندِكَ قُلْ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ
(And if some good reaches them, they say, "This is from Allah," but if some evil befalls them, they say, "This is from you." Say: "All things are from Allah.") (4:78) i.e., by virtue of His will and decree. And Allah tells us about the dwellers of the town, when the Messengers came to them:
قَالُواْ إِنَّا تَطَيَّرْنَا بِكُمْ لَئِن لَّمْ تَنتَهُواْ لَنَرْجُمَنَّكُمْ وَلَيَمَسَّنَّكُمْ مِّنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
قَالُواْ طَئِرُكُم مَّعَكُمْ
(They (people) said: "For us, we see an omen from you; if you cease not, we will surely stone you, and a painful torment will touch you from us." They (Messengers) said: "Your omens are with yourselves!) (36:18) And these people Thamud said:
اطَّيَّرْنَا بِكَ وَبِمَن مَّعَكَ قَالَ طَائِرُكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ
("We augur an omen from you and those with you." He said: "Your omen is of Allah;) meaning, Allah will punish you for that.
بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ تُفْتَنُونَ
(nay, but you are a people that are being tested.) Qatadah said: "You are being tested to see whether you will obey or disobey." The apparent meaning of the phrase
تُفْتَنُونَ
(are being tested) is: you will be left to get carried away in your state of misguidance.
Page 381
27:45
وَلَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَىٰ ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمۡ صَٰلِحًا أَنِ ٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ فَإِذَا هُمۡ فَرِيقَانِ يَخۡتَصِمُونَ ٤٥
And We had certainly sent to Thamūd their brother Ṣāliḥ, [saying], "Worship Allāh," and at once they were two parties conflicting.
27:46
قَالَ يَٰقَوۡمِ لِمَ تَسۡتَعۡجِلُونَ بِٱلسَّيِّئَةِ قَبۡلَ ٱلۡحَسَنَةِۖ لَوۡلَا تَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُرۡحَمُونَ ٤٦
He said, "O my people, why are you impatient for evil before [i.e., instead of] good?1 Why do you not seek forgiveness of Allāh that you may receive mercy?"
1 translator’s note
- By challenging Ṣāliḥ to bring on the promised punishment rather than asking for mercy from Allāh. ↩
27:47
قَالُواْ ٱطَّيَّرۡنَا بِكَ وَبِمَن مَّعَكَۚ قَالَ طَٰٓئِرُكُمۡ عِندَ ٱللَّهِۖ بَلۡ أَنتُمۡ قَوۡمٞ تُفۡتَنُونَ ٤٧
They said, "We consider you a bad omen, you and those with you." He said, "Your omen [i.e., fate] is with Allāh. Rather, you are a people being tested."1
1 translator’s note
- Or "being tempted [by Satan]." ↩
27:48
وَكَانَ فِي ٱلۡمَدِينَةِ تِسۡعَةُ رَهۡطٖ يُفۡسِدُونَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا يُصۡلِحُونَ ٤٨
And there were in the city nine family heads causing corruption in the land and not amending [its affairs].
27:49
قَالُواْ تَقَاسَمُواْ بِٱللَّهِ لَنُبَيِّتَنَّهُۥ وَأَهۡلَهُۥ ثُمَّ لَنَقُولَنَّ لِوَلِيِّهِۦ مَا شَهِدۡنَا مَهۡلِكَ أَهۡلِهِۦ وَإِنَّا لَصَٰدِقُونَ ٤٩
They said, "Take a mutual oath by Allāh that we will kill him by night, he and his family. Then we will say to his executor,1 'We did not witness the destruction of his family, and indeed, we are truthful.'"
1 translator’s note
- i.e., the one responsible for executing his will and avenging his blood. ↩
27:50
وَمَكَرُواْ مَكۡرٗا وَمَكَرۡنَا مَكۡرٗا وَهُمۡ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ ٥٠
And they planned a plan, and We planned a plan, while they perceived not.
27:51
فَٱنظُرۡ كَيۡفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ مَكۡرِهِمۡ أَنَّا دَمَّرۡنَٰهُمۡ وَقَوۡمَهُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ ٥١
Then look how was the outcome of their plan - that We destroyed them and their people, all.
27:52
فَتِلۡكَ بُيُوتُهُمۡ خَاوِيَةَۢ بِمَا ظَلَمُوٓاْۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَةٗ لِّقَوۡمٖ يَعۡلَمُونَ ٥٢
So those are their houses, desolate because of the wrong they had done. Indeed in that is a sign for people who know.
27:53
وَأَنجَيۡنَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَكَانُواْ يَتَّقُونَ ٥٣
And We saved those who believed and used to fear Allāh.
27:54
وَلُوطًا إِذۡ قَالَ لِقَوۡمِهِۦٓ أَتَأۡتُونَ ٱلۡفَٰحِشَةَ وَأَنتُمۡ تُبۡصِرُونَ ٥٤
And [mention] Lot, when he said to his people, "Do you commit immorality1 while you are seeing?2
27:55
أَئِنَّكُمۡ لَتَأۡتُونَ ٱلرِّجَالَ شَهۡوَةٗ مِّن دُونِ ٱلنِّسَآءِۚ بَلۡ أَنتُمۡ قَوۡمٞ تَجۡهَلُونَ ٥٥
Do you indeed approach men with desire instead of women? Rather, you are a people behaving ignorantly."
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy