Ad-Dukhan 44:36
The Smoke · Juz 25 · Page 497
فَأۡتُواْ بِـَٔابَآئِنَآ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ ٣٦
Then bring [back] our forefathers, if you should be truthful."
Tafsir · in English
Tazkirul Quran
Brief · Short modern reflections on each passage.
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Commentary on 44:34–37
In every period the root cause of a man’s going astray has been his loss of belief in the life after death. The disbelief of some finds expression in their utterances. Others may not openly express it, but their hearts are devoid of the belief that they have to rise after death and face the reckoning of their deeds before God. The reason for this misunderstanding is generally that man, in view of his strong position in this world, presumes that he is never going to lose his elevated status, though the history of past nations ought to be enough to dispel this illusion. Tubba‘ was the title of the Kings of the ancient Himyar tribe of Yemen. These people enjoyed prominence from 300 B.C. to 115 B.C. and their greatness was much talked about in ancient Arabia. The rise and fall of the Tubba‘ people, a piece of history well-known to the initial addressees of the Quran (the Quraysh), gave proof of the fact that the law of ‘crime and punishment’ was prevalent in this world. Similarly, for every community there is a ‘Tubba‘’ which, by its example, teaches them a lesson. But, man is wont to take such occurrences as being nothing out of the ordinary. The result is that he does not learn those lessons which, by God’s will, are latent in events.
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44:19
وَأَن لَّا تَعۡلُواْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِۖ إِنِّيٓ ءَاتِيكُم بِسُلۡطَٰنٖ مُّبِينٖ ١٩
And [saying], "Be not haughty with Allāh. Indeed, I have come to you with clear evidence.
44:20
وَإِنِّي عُذۡتُ بِرَبِّي وَرَبِّكُمۡ أَن تَرۡجُمُونِ ٢٠
And indeed, I have sought refuge in my Lord and your Lord, lest you stone me.1
1 translator’s note
- To death. Or "lest you assault me [with your tongues or harm me otherwise]." ↩
44:21
وَإِن لَّمۡ تُؤۡمِنُواْ لِي فَٱعۡتَزِلُونِ ٢١
But if you do not believe me, then leave me alone."
44:22
فَدَعَا رَبَّهُۥٓ أَنَّ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ قَوۡمٞ مُّجۡرِمُونَ ٢٢
And [finally] he called to his Lord that these were a criminal people.
44:23
فَأَسۡرِ بِعِبَادِي لَيۡلًا إِنَّكُم مُّتَّبَعُونَ ٢٣
[Allāh said], "Then set out with My servants by night. Indeed, you are to be pursued.
44:24
وَٱتۡرُكِ ٱلۡبَحۡرَ رَهۡوًاۖ إِنَّهُمۡ جُندٞ مُّغۡرَقُونَ ٢٤
And leave the sea in stillness.1 Indeed, they are an army to be drowned."
1 translator’s note
- After it has parted, in order that the soldiers of Pharaoh would follow the Children of Israel and be drowned. ↩
44:25
كَمۡ تَرَكُواْ مِن جَنَّٰتٖ وَعُيُونٖ ٢٥
How much they left behind of gardens and springs
44:26
وَزُرُوعٖ وَمَقَامٖ كَرِيمٖ ٢٦
And crops and noble sites
44:27
وَنَعۡمَةٖ كَانُواْ فِيهَا فَٰكِهِينَ ٢٧
And comfort wherein they were amused.
44:28
كَذَٰلِكَۖ وَأَوۡرَثۡنَٰهَا قَوۡمًا ءَاخَرِينَ ٢٨
Thus. And We caused to inherit it another people.
44:29
فَمَا بَكَتۡ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ وَٱلۡأَرۡضُ وَمَا كَانُواْ مُنظَرِينَ ٢٩
And the heaven and earth wept not for them, nor were they reprieved.
44:30
وَلَقَدۡ نَجَّيۡنَا بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ مِنَ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٱلۡمُهِينِ ٣٠
And We certainly saved the Children of Israel from the humiliating torment -
44:31
مِن فِرۡعَوۡنَۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ عَالِيٗا مِّنَ ٱلۡمُسۡرِفِينَ ٣١
From Pharaoh. Indeed, he was a haughty one among the transgressors.
44:32
وَلَقَدِ ٱخۡتَرۡنَٰهُمۡ عَلَىٰ عِلۡمٍ عَلَى ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ٣٢
And We certainly chose them by knowledge over [all] the worlds.
44:33
وَءَاتَيۡنَٰهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأٓيَٰتِ مَا فِيهِ بَلَٰٓؤٞاْ مُّبِينٌ ٣٣
And We gave them of signs that in which there was a clear trial.
44:34
إِنَّ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ لَيَقُولُونَ ٣٤
Indeed, these [disbelievers] are saying,
44:35
إِنۡ هِيَ إِلَّا مَوۡتَتُنَا ٱلۡأُولَىٰ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمُنشَرِينَ ٣٥
"There is not but our first death, and we will not be resurrected.
44:36
فَأۡتُواْ بِـَٔابَآئِنَآ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ ٣٦
Then bring [back] our forefathers, if you should be truthful."
44:37
أَهُمۡ خَيۡرٌ أَمۡ قَوۡمُ تُبَّعٖ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَٰهُمۡۚ إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ مُجۡرِمِينَ ٣٧
Are they better or the people of Tubbaʿ1 and those before them? We destroyed them, [for] indeed, they were criminals.
1 translator’s note
- The tribe of Saba’. ↩
44:38
وَمَا خَلَقۡنَا ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَا لَٰعِبِينَ ٣٨
And We did not create the heavens and earth and that between them in play.
44:39
مَا خَلَقۡنَٰهُمَآ إِلَّا بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَهُمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ٣٩
We did not create them except in truth, but most of them do not know.