Adh-Dhariyat 51:39
The Winnowing Winds · Juz 27 · Page 522
فَتَوَلَّىٰ بِرُكۡنِهِۦ وَقَالَ سَٰحِرٌ أَوۡ مَجۡنُونٞ ٣٩
But he turned away with his supporters and said, "A magician or a madman."
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 51:38–46
Lessons from the Destruction of Fir`awn, `Ad, Thamud, and the People of Nuh
Allah the Exalted said,
وَفِى مُوسَى إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَهُ إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ بِسُلْطَنٍ 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 سَحِرٌ 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,
فَأَخَذْنَهُ وَجُنُودَهُ فَنَبَذْنَهُمْ
(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 فَهَدَيْنَهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّواْ الْعَمَى عَلَى الْهُدَى فَأَخَذَتْهُمْ صَعِقَةُ 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 اسْتَطَعُواْ 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 فَسِقِينَ
(Verily, they were a people who were revellious.) We mentioned these stories in details before in the Tafsir of several other Surahs.
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51:31
۞ قَالَ فَمَا خَطۡبُكُمۡ أَيُّهَا ٱلۡمُرۡسَلُونَ ٣١
[Abraham] said, "Then what is your business [here], O messengers?"
51:32
قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّآ أُرۡسِلۡنَآ إِلَىٰ قَوۡمٖ مُّجۡرِمِينَ ٣٢
They said, "Indeed, we have been sent to a people of criminals1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., those who defied Lot (upon him be peace). ↩
51:33
لِنُرۡسِلَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ حِجَارَةٗ مِّن طِينٖ ٣٣
To send down upon them stones of clay,
51:34
مُّسَوَّمَةً عِندَ رَبِّكَ لِلۡمُسۡرِفِينَ ٣٤
Marked in the presence of your Lord for the transgressors."
51:35
فَأَخۡرَجۡنَا مَن كَانَ فِيهَا مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ٣٥
So We brought out whoever was in them [i.e., the cities] of the believers.
51:36
فَمَا وَجَدۡنَا فِيهَا غَيۡرَ بَيۡتٖ مِّنَ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ ٣٦
And We found not within them other than a [single] house of Muslims.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., Lot and his family, excepting his wife. ↩
51:37
وَتَرَكۡنَا فِيهَآ ءَايَةٗ لِّلَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ ٱلۡعَذَابَ ٱلۡأَلِيمَ ٣٧
And We left therein a sign for those who fear the painful punishment.
51:38
وَفِي مُوسَىٰٓ إِذۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَٰهُ إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ بِسُلۡطَٰنٖ مُّبِينٖ ٣٨
And in Moses [was a sign], when We sent him to Pharaoh with clear authority.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., evidences. ↩
51:39
فَتَوَلَّىٰ بِرُكۡنِهِۦ وَقَالَ سَٰحِرٌ أَوۡ مَجۡنُونٞ ٣٩
But he turned away with his supporters and said, "A magician or a madman."
51:40
فَأَخَذۡنَٰهُ وَجُنُودَهُۥ فَنَبَذۡنَٰهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡيَمِّ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٞ ٤٠
So We took him and his soldiers and cast them into the sea, and he was blameworthy.
51:41
وَفِي عَادٍ إِذۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلرِّيحَ ٱلۡعَقِيمَ ٤١
And in ʿAad [was a sign], when We sent against them the barren wind.1
1 translator’s note
- Barren of any benefit, i.e., evil. ↩
51:42
مَا تَذَرُ مِن شَيۡءٍ أَتَتۡ عَلَيۡهِ إِلَّا جَعَلَتۡهُ كَٱلرَّمِيمِ ٤٢
It left nothing of what it came upon but that it made it like disintegrated ruins.
51:43
وَفِي ثَمُودَ إِذۡ قِيلَ لَهُمۡ تَمَتَّعُواْ حَتَّىٰ حِينٖ ٤٣
And in Thamūd, when it was said to them, "Enjoy yourselves for a time."
51:44
فَعَتَوۡاْ عَنۡ أَمۡرِ رَبِّهِمۡ فَأَخَذَتۡهُمُ ٱلصَّٰعِقَةُ وَهُمۡ يَنظُرُونَ ٤٤
But they were insolent toward the command of their Lord, so the thunderbolt seized them while they were looking on.
51:45
فَمَا ٱسۡتَطَٰعُواْ مِن قِيَامٖ وَمَا كَانُواْ مُنتَصِرِينَ ٤٥
And they were unable to arise, nor could they defend themselves.
51:46
وَقَوۡمَ نُوحٖ مِّن قَبۡلُۖ إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ قَوۡمٗا فَٰسِقِينَ ٤٦
And [We destroyed] the people of Noah before; indeed, they were a people defiantly disobedient.
51:47
وَٱلسَّمَآءَ بَنَيۡنَٰهَا بِأَيۡيْدٖ وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ ٤٧
And the heaven We constructed with strength,1 and indeed, We are [its] expander.
1 translator’s note
- Literally, "hands." ↩
51:48
وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ فَرَشۡنَٰهَا فَنِعۡمَ ٱلۡمَٰهِدُونَ ٤٨
And the earth We have spread out, and excellent is the preparer.
51:49
وَمِن كُلِّ شَيۡءٍ خَلَقۡنَا زَوۡجَيۡنِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ ٤٩
And of all things We created two mates [i.e., counterparts]; perhaps you will remember.
51:50
فَفِرُّوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِۖ إِنِّي لَكُم مِّنۡهُ نَذِيرٞ مُّبِينٞ ٥٠
So flee to Allāh.1 Indeed, I am to you from Him a clear warner.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., turn to Allāh and take refuge in Him from disbelief and sin, thereby escaping His punishment. ↩
51:51
وَلَا تَجۡعَلُواْ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا ءَاخَرَۖ إِنِّي لَكُم مِّنۡهُ نَذِيرٞ مُّبِينٞ ٥١
And do not make [as equal] with Allāh another deity. Indeed, I am to you from Him a clear warner.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy