Al-Qamar 54:26
The Moon · Juz 27 · Page 529
سَيَعۡلَمُونَ غَدٗا مَّنِ ٱلۡكَذَّابُ ٱلۡأَشِرُ ٢٦
They will know tomorrow who is the insolent liar.
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
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Commentary on 54:23–32
The Story of Thamud
Allah states here that the people of Thamud denied their Messenger Salih,
فَقَالُواْ أَبَشَراً مِّنَّا وَحِداً نَّتَّبِعُهُ إِنَّآ إِذاً لَّفِى ضَلَلٍ وَسُعُرٍ
(And they said: "A man, alone among us -- shall we follow him Truly, then we should be in error and distress!") They said, `We would have earned failure and loss if we all submitted to a man from among us.' They were amazed that the Reminder was sent to him alone among them, and therefore, accused him of being a liar,
بَلْ هُوَ كَذَّابٌ أَشِرٌ
(Nay, he is an insolent liar!), means, he has tresspassed the limits in his lies. Allah the Exalted responded,
سَيَعْلَمُونَ غَداً مَّنِ الْكَذَّابُ الاٌّشِرُ
(Tomorrow they will come to know who is the liar, the insolent one!), thus warning and threatening them and delivering a sure promise to them,
إِنَّا مُرْسِلُواْ النَّاقَةِ فِتْنَةً لَّهُمْ
(Verily, We are sending the she-camel as a test for them.) To test and try the people of Thamud, Allah sent to them a superb, pregnant female camel that emerged from solid rock, according to their request, so that it would become a proof against them from Allah, the Exalted. Thereafter, they were supposed to believe in what was brought to them by Salih, peace be upon him. Allah ordered His servant and Messenger Salih,
فَارْتَقِبْهُمْ وَاصْطَبِرْ
(So watch them, and be patient!) Allah commanded, `await, O Salih, and see what will become of them and be patient; verily the better end will be yours and you will have success in this life and the Hereafter,'
وَنَبِّئْهُمْ أَنَّ الْمَآءَ قِسْمَةٌ بَيْنَهُمْ
(And inform them that the water is to be shared between them) one day for her to drink and one day for them to drink,
قَالَ هَذِهِ نَاقَةٌ لَّهَا شِرْبٌ وَلَكُمْ شِرْبُ يَوْمٍ مَّعْلُومٍ
(He said: "Here is a she-camel: it has a right to drink, and you have a right to drink (water) on a day, known.") (26:155) Allah's statement,
كُلُّ شِرْبٍ مُّحْتَضَرٌ
(each one's right to drink being established.) Mujahid said, "When she did not drink, they would drink the water, and when she drank, they would drink her milk." Allah the Exalted said;
فَنَادَوْاْ صَحِبَهُمْ فَتَعَاطَى فَعَقَرَ
(But they called their comrade and he took and killed.) According to the Scholars of Tafsir, his name was Qudar bin Salif; he was the evilest among them,
إِذِ انبَعَثَ أَشْقَهَا
(When the most wicked man among them went forth (to kill the she-camel).)(91:12) Allah said here,
فَتَعَاطَى
(and he took) meaning to harm,
فَعَقَرَفَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ
(and killed (her). Then, how was My torment and My warnings), `I tormented them, so how was the torment I sent on them because of their disbe- lief in Me and denying My Messenger'
إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ صَيْحَةً وَحِدَةً فَكَانُواْ كَهَشِيمِ الْمُحْتَظِرِ
(Verily, We sent against them a single Sayhah, and they became like straw Al-Muhtazir.) They all perished and none of them remained. They were no more, they died out, just as plants and grass dry and die out. As-Suddi said that they became like the dry grass in the desert when it becomes burned and the wind scatters it all about. Ibn Zayd said, "The Arabs used to erect fences (Hizar, from which the word, Al-Muhtazir, is derived) made of dried bushes, around their camels and cattle, so Allah said,
كَهَشِيمِ الْمُحْتَظِرِ
(like straw Al-Muhtazir.)
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54:7
خُشَّعًا أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ يَخۡرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡأَجۡدَاثِ كَأَنَّهُمۡ جَرَادٞ مُّنتَشِرٞ ٧
Their eyes humbled, they will emerge from the graves as if they were locusts spreading,
54:8
مُّهۡطِعِينَ إِلَى ٱلدَّاعِۖ يَقُولُ ٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ هَٰذَا يَوۡمٌ عَسِرٞ ٨
Racing ahead toward the Caller. The disbelievers will say, "This is a difficult Day."
54:9
۞ كَذَّبَتۡ قَبۡلَهُمۡ قَوۡمُ نُوحٖ فَكَذَّبُواْ عَبۡدَنَا وَقَالُواْ مَجۡنُونٞ وَٱزۡدُجِرَ ٩
The people of Noah denied before them, and they denied Our servant and said, "A madman," and he was repelled.
54:10
فَدَعَا رَبَّهُۥٓ أَنِّي مَغۡلُوبٞ فَٱنتَصِرۡ ١٠
So he invoked his Lord, "Indeed, I am overpowered, so help."
54:11
فَفَتَحۡنَآ أَبۡوَٰبَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ بِمَآءٖ مُّنۡهَمِرٖ ١١
Then We opened the gates of the heaven with rain pouring down
54:12
وَفَجَّرۡنَا ٱلۡأَرۡضَ عُيُونٗا فَٱلۡتَقَى ٱلۡمَآءُ عَلَىٰٓ أَمۡرٖ قَدۡ قُدِرَ ١٢
And caused the earth to burst with springs, and the waters met for a matter already predestined.
54:13
وَحَمَلۡنَٰهُ عَلَىٰ ذَاتِ أَلۡوَٰحٖ وَدُسُرٖ ١٣
And We carried him on a [construction of] planks and nails,
54:14
تَجۡرِي بِأَعۡيُنِنَا جَزَآءٗ لِّمَن كَانَ كُفِرَ ١٤
Sailing under Our observation as reward for he who had been denied.
54:15
وَلَقَد تَّرَكۡنَٰهَآ ءَايَةٗ فَهَلۡ مِن مُّدَّكِرٖ ١٥
And We left it as a sign, so is there any who will remember?
54:16
فَكَيۡفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ ١٦
And how [severe] were My punishment and warning.1
1 translator’s note
- To those after them, who were expected to derive a lesson from previous occurrences. ↩
54:17
وَلَقَدۡ يَسَّرۡنَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ لِلذِّكۡرِ فَهَلۡ مِن مُّدَّكِرٖ ١٧
And We have certainly made the Qur’ān easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?
54:18
كَذَّبَتۡ عَادٞ فَكَيۡفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ ١٨
ʿAad denied; and how [severe] were My punishment and warning.
54:19
إِنَّآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ رِيحٗا صَرۡصَرٗا فِي يَوۡمِ نَحۡسٖ مُّسۡتَمِرّٖ ١٩
Indeed, We sent upon them a screaming wind on a day of continuous misfortune,
54:20
تَنزِعُ ٱلنَّاسَ كَأَنَّهُمۡ أَعۡجَازُ نَخۡلٖ مُّنقَعِرٖ ٢٠
Extracting the people1 as if they were trunks of palm trees uprooted.
1 translator’s note
- From their hiding places. ↩
54:21
فَكَيۡفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ ٢١
And how [severe] were My punishment and warning.
54:22
وَلَقَدۡ يَسَّرۡنَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ لِلذِّكۡرِ فَهَلۡ مِن مُّدَّكِرٖ ٢٢
And We have certainly made the Qur’ān easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?
54:23
كَذَّبَتۡ ثَمُودُ بِٱلنُّذُرِ ٢٣
Thamūd denied the warning.
54:24
فَقَالُوٓاْ أَبَشَرٗا مِّنَّا وَٰحِدٗا نَّتَّبِعُهُۥٓ إِنَّآ إِذٗا لَّفِي ضَلَٰلٖ وَسُعُرٍ ٢٤
And said, "Is it one human being1 among us that we should follow? Indeed, we would then be in error and madness.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., the prophet Ṣāliḥ. ↩
54:25
أَءُلۡقِيَ ٱلذِّكۡرُ عَلَيۡهِ مِنۢ بَيۡنِنَا بَلۡ هُوَ كَذَّابٌ أَشِرٞ ٢٥
Has the message been sent down upon him from among us? Rather, he is an insolent liar."
54:26
سَيَعۡلَمُونَ غَدٗا مَّنِ ٱلۡكَذَّابُ ٱلۡأَشِرُ ٢٦
They will know tomorrow who is the insolent liar.
54:27
إِنَّا مُرۡسِلُواْ ٱلنَّاقَةِ فِتۡنَةٗ لَّهُمۡ فَٱرۡتَقِبۡهُمۡ وَٱصۡطَبِرۡ ٢٧
Indeed, We are sending the she-camel as trial for them, so watch them and be patient.1
1 translator’s note
- This and the following verse are an address to Ṣāliḥ (upon him be peace). ↩
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy