Al-Qamar 54:28
The Moon · Juz 27 · Page 530
وَنَبِّئۡهُمۡ أَنَّ ٱلۡمَآءَ قِسۡمَةُۢ بَيۡنَهُمۡۖ كُلُّ شِرۡبٖ مُّحۡتَضَرٞ ٢٨
And inform them that the water is shared between them,1 each [day of] drink attended [by turn].
1 translator’s note
- i.e., between the tribe of Thamūd and the she-camel - a day for each to drink. ↩
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
Change
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.)
Page 530
54:28
وَنَبِّئۡهُمۡ أَنَّ ٱلۡمَآءَ قِسۡمَةُۢ بَيۡنَهُمۡۖ كُلُّ شِرۡبٖ مُّحۡتَضَرٞ ٢٨
And inform them that the water is shared between them,1 each [day of] drink attended [by turn].
1 translator’s note
- i.e., between the tribe of Thamūd and the she-camel - a day for each to drink. ↩
54:29
فَنَادَوۡاْ صَاحِبَهُمۡ فَتَعَاطَىٰ فَعَقَرَ ٢٩
But they called their companion,1 and he dared2 and hamstrung [her].
54:30
فَكَيۡفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ ٣٠
And how [severe] were My punishment and warning.
54:31
إِنَّآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ صَيۡحَةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ فَكَانُواْ كَهَشِيمِ ٱلۡمُحۡتَظِرِ ٣١
Indeed, We sent upon them one shriek [i.e., blast from the sky], and they became like the dry twig fragments of an [animal] pen.
54:32
وَلَقَدۡ يَسَّرۡنَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ لِلذِّكۡرِ فَهَلۡ مِن مُّدَّكِرٖ ٣٢
And We have certainly made the Qur’ān easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?
54:33
كَذَّبَتۡ قَوۡمُ لُوطِۭ بِٱلنُّذُرِ ٣٣
The people of Lot denied the warning.
54:34
إِنَّآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ حَاصِبًا إِلَّآ ءَالَ لُوطٖۖ نَّجَّيۡنَٰهُم بِسَحَرٖ ٣٤
Indeed, We sent upon them a storm of stones, except the family of Lot - We saved them before dawn.
54:35
نِّعۡمَةٗ مِّنۡ عِندِنَاۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجۡزِي مَن شَكَرَ ٣٥
As favor from Us. Thus do We reward he who is grateful.
54:36
وَلَقَدۡ أَنذَرَهُم بَطۡشَتَنَا فَتَمَارَوۡاْ بِٱلنُّذُرِ ٣٦
And he had already warned them of Our assault, but they disputed the warning.
54:37
وَلَقَدۡ رَٰوَدُوهُ عَن ضَيۡفِهِۦ فَطَمَسۡنَآ أَعۡيُنَهُمۡ فَذُوقُواْ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ ٣٧
And they had demanded from him his guests, but We obliterated their eyes, [saying], "Taste My punishment and warning."
54:38
وَلَقَدۡ صَبَّحَهُم بُكۡرَةً عَذَابٞ مُّسۡتَقِرّٞ ٣٨
And there came upon them by morning an abiding punishment.
54:39
فَذُوقُواْ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ ٣٩
So taste My punishment and warning.
54:40
وَلَقَدۡ يَسَّرۡنَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ لِلذِّكۡرِ فَهَلۡ مِن مُّدَّكِرٖ ٤٠
And We have certainly made the Qur’ān easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?
54:41
وَلَقَدۡ جَآءَ ءَالَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ ٱلنُّذُرُ ٤١
And there certainly came to the people of Pharaoh warning.
54:42
كَذَّبُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا كُلِّهَا فَأَخَذۡنَٰهُمۡ أَخۡذَ عَزِيزٖ مُّقۡتَدِرٍ ٤٢
They denied Our signs, all of them, so We seized them with a seizure of one Exalted in Might and Perfect in Ability.
54:43
أَكُفَّارُكُمۡ خَيۡرٞ مِّنۡ أُوْلَٰٓئِكُمۡ أَمۡ لَكُم بَرَآءَةٞ فِي ٱلزُّبُرِ ٤٣
Are your disbelievers better than those [former ones], or have you immunity in the scriptures?
54:44
أَمۡ يَقُولُونَ نَحۡنُ جَمِيعٞ مُّنتَصِرٞ ٤٤
Or do they say, "We are an assembly supporting [each other]"?
54:45
سَيُهۡزَمُ ٱلۡجَمۡعُ وَيُوَلُّونَ ٱلدُّبُرَ ٤٥
[Their] assembly will be defeated, and they will turn their backs [in retreat].1
1 translator’s note
- This foretold event took place on the day of Badr. ↩
54:46
بَلِ ٱلسَّاعَةُ مَوۡعِدُهُمۡ وَٱلسَّاعَةُ أَدۡهَىٰ وَأَمَرُّ ٤٦
But the Hour is their appointment [for due punishment], and the Hour is more disastrous and more bitter.
54:47
إِنَّ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ فِي ضَلَٰلٖ وَسُعُرٖ ٤٧
Indeed, the criminals are in error and madness.1.
1 translator’s note
- Or "in blazing fires." ↩
54:48
يَوۡمَ يُسۡحَبُونَ فِي ٱلنَّارِ عَلَىٰ وُجُوهِهِمۡ ذُوقُواْ مَسَّ سَقَرَ ٤٨
The Day they are dragged into the Fire on their faces [it will be said], "Taste the touch of Saqar."1
1 translator’s note
- One of the proper names of Hell. ↩
54:49
إِنَّا كُلَّ شَيۡءٍ خَلَقۡنَٰهُ بِقَدَرٖ ٤٩
Indeed, all things We created with predestination.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy