Surah Al-Ankaboot: Verse 38 - وعادا وثمود وقد تبين لكم... - English

(Remember also) the 'Ad and the Thamud (people): clearly will appear to you from (the traces) of their buildings (their fate): the Evil One made their deeds alluring to them, and kept them back from the Path, though they were gifted with intelligence and skill. (38)

Commentary

The stories of the earlier people, that are mentioned in these verses briefly, have been related in detail in the previous Surahs. For instance, the story of Shu'aib and those of ` Ad and Thamud have been related in Surahs Al-A` raf and Hud, and the incidents of Qarun, Haman, and the Pharaoh have just passed in Surah Al- Qasas.

وَكَانُوا مُسْتَبْصِرِ‌ينَ (They were people of insight - 29:38). This word is derived from Istibsar, which means sight; and Mustabsir is used for observer. The meaning of this sentence is that those who insisted on infidelity and shirk (associating partner with Allah) and got themselves involved in perdition and Allah's wrath were no fools or insane. They were very clever having insight, but their intelligence and sagacity was confined to mundane considerations. They did not realize that there would be a day of reckoning for all good and bad actions, when there would be complete justice, because the cruel and the oppressors move about in this world without hindrance, but those oppressed and afflicted are compelled to endure injustice. The day this injustice will finish and justice will be the order of the day is called the Hereafter. They are at a loss to comprehend this bit.

The same subject is coming ahead in Surah Ar-Rum, where it is said يَعْلَمُونَ ظَاهِرً‌ا مِّنَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ عَنِ الْآخِرَ‌ةِ هُمْ غَافِلُونَ (They know what is superficial of the worldly life, but of the Hereafter they are negligent. - 30:7). .

Some commentators have interpreted the meaning of وَكَانُوا مُسْتَبْصِرِ‌ينَ (They were people of insight) that these people did have faith in their heart and did understand well the necessity of the Day of Judgment, but the mundane considerations had compelled them to reject it.

(38)

The Destruction of Nations Who rejected Their Messengers

Allah tells us about these nations who disbelieved in their Messengers, and how He destroyed them and sent various kinds of punishments and vengeance upon them. `Ad, the people of Hud, peace be upon him, used to live in the Ahqaf (curved sand-hills), near Hadramawt, in the Yemen. Thamud, the people of Salih, lived in Al-Hijr, near Wadi Al-Qura. The Arabs used to know their dwelling place very well, and they often used to pass by it. Qarun was the owner of great wealth and had the keys to immense treasures. Fir`awn, the king of Egypt at the time of Musa, and his minister Haman were two Coptics who disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger, peace be upon him.

(So, We punished each for his sins,) their punishments fit their crimes.

(of them were some on whom We sent a Hasib,) This was the case with `Ad, and this happened because they said: "Who is stronger than us" So, there came upon them a violent, intensely cold wind, which was very strong and carried pebbles which it threw upon them. It carried them through the air, lifting a man up to the sky and then hurling him headlong to the ground, so that his head split and he was left as a body without a head, like uprooted stems of date palms.

(and of them were some who were overtaken by As-Sayhah,) This is what happened to Thamud, against whom evidence was established because of the she-camel who came forth when the rock was split, exactly as they had asked for. Yet despite that they did not believe, rather they persisted in their evil behavior and disbelief, and threatening to expel Allah's Prophet Salih and the believers with him, or to stone them. So the Sayhah struck them, taking away their powers of speech and movement.

(and of them were some whom We caused the earth to swallow,) This refers to Qarun who transgressed, he was evil and arrogant. He disobeyed his Lord, the Most High, and paraded through the land in a boastful manner, filled with self-admiration, thinking that he was better than others. He showed off as he walked, so Allah caused the earth to swallow him and his house, and he will continue sinking into it until the Day of Resurrection.

(and of them were some whom We drowned.) This refers to Fir`awn, his minister Haman and their troops, all of whom were drowned in a single morning, not one of them escaped.

(It was not Allah Who wronged them,) in what He did to them,

(but they wronged themselves.) that happened to them as a punishment for what they did with their own hands.

(38)