وَكَمْ قَصَمْنَا مِن قَرْيَةٍ كَانَتْ ظَالِمَةً وَأَنشَأْنَا بَعْدَهَا قَوْمًا ءَاخَرِينَ 11
Translations
And how many a city which was unjust have We shattered and produced after it another people.
Transliteration
Wa-kam qasamna min qaryatin kanat dhalimatan wa-ansha'na ba'daha qawman akharin
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah emphasizes Allah's divine justice by stating that He destroyed many unjust cities and replaced them with other peoples. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain this as evidence of Allah's power and His intolerance of persistent wrongdoing—the destruction of tyrannical communities serves as a historical warning to subsequent generations. The verse demonstrates that oppression and injustice inevitably lead to destruction, while obedience and righteousness ensure survival and prosperity.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Anbiya, which reviews the stories of various prophets and their nations. The broader context emphasizes the recurring pattern throughout history: prophets warned their peoples, the wrongdoers rejected the message, and Allah destroyed the transgressors while preserving the believers. This particular verse encapsulates the cyclical nature of divine punishment for those who persist in injustice.
Related Hadiths
The destruction of nations is referenced in multiple contexts. A thematically related hadith from Sahih Muslim states that the Prophet (peace be upon him) warned against oppression, saying 'Beware of the supplication of the oppressed, for there is no barrier between it and Allah.' This relates to the inevitability of divine justice shown in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that oppression and injustice, no matter how powerful their perpetrators may seem, ultimately lead to destruction by Allah's decree—a timeless reminder for believers to uphold justice in their own lives and societies. It instills hope that tyranny is never eternal and encourages patience in the face of wrongdoing, knowing that accountability is inevitable.
Related Ayahs
فَقَدْ كَذَّبُوكُم بِمَا تَقُولُونَ فَمَا تَسْتَطِيعُونَ صَرْفًا وَلَا نَصْرًا ۚ وَمَن يَظْلِم مِّنكُمْ نُذِقْهُ عَذَابًا كَبِيرًا
So they will deny you, [disbelievers], in what you say, and you cannot avert [punishment] or [find] help. And whoever commits injustice among you - We will make him taste a great punishment.
أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ كَانُوٓا۟ أَكْثَرَ مِنْهُمْ وَأَشَدَّ قُوَّةً وَءَاثَارًا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَمَآ أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ
Have they not traveled through the land and observed how was the end of those before them? They were more numerous than themselves and greater in strength and in impression on the land, but they were not availed by what they used to earn.
فَٱلْيَوْمَ نُنَجِّيكَ بِبَدَنِكَ لِتَكُونَ لِمَنْ خَلْفَكَ ءَايَةً ۚ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ عَنْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا لَغَـٰفِلُونَ
So today We will save you in body that you may be to those who succeed you a sign. And indeed, many among the people, of Our signs, are heedless.
فَإِن رَّجَعَكَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَىٰ طَآئِفَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ فَٱسْتَـْٔذَنُوكَ لِلْخُرُوجِ فَقُل لَّن تَخْرُجُوا۟ مَعِىَ أَبَدًا وَلَن تُقَـٰتِلُوا۟ مَعِىَ عَدُوًّا ۖ إِنَّكُمْ رَضِيتُم بِٱلْقُعُودِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ فَٱقْعُدُوا۟ مَعَ ٱلْخَـٰلِفِينَ
If Allāh should return you to a faction of them [after the expedition] and then they ask your permission to go out [to battle], say, "You will not go out with me, ever, and you will never fight with me an enemy. Indeed, you were satisfied with sitting [at home] the first time, so sit [now] with those who stay behind."