فَكُلًّا أَخَذْنَا بِذَنۢبِهِۦ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِ حَاصِبًا وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ أَخَذَتْهُ ٱلصَّيْحَةُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ خَسَفْنَا بِهِ ٱلْأَرْضَ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ أَغْرَقْنَا ۚ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ 40
Translations
So each We seized for his sin; and among them were those upon whom We sent a storm of stones, and among them were those who were seized by the blast [from the sky], and among them were those whom We caused the earth to swallow, and among them were those whom We drowned. And Allāh would not have wronged them, but it was they who were wronging themselves.
Transliteration
Fakullan akhazna bithanbih, famin hum man arsalna alayhi hasiban wa minhum man akhazat hu assayhatu wa minhum man khasfana bihi al-arda wa minhum man aghraqna, wa ma kana Allahu liyadhlimahum wa lakin kanoo anfusahum yadhlamun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah details the various punishments Allah sent upon the disbelieving nations who rejected His messengers: stones of baked clay (hasib) upon some, a deafening blast (sayhah) upon others, the earth swallowing them (khusuf), and drowning for still others. As Ibn Kathir notes, each punishment was proportionate to their rejection and crimes, emphasizing that Allah's justice is perfect—He did not wrong them, but rather they wronged themselves through their disbelief and transgression. Al-Qurtubi highlights that the diversity of punishments reflects Allah's wisdom in responding to different forms of rebellion and different historical contexts.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Al-'Ankabut (Chapter 29), which addresses the steadfastness required of believers facing persecution. The ayah comes within a series of narratives about previous peoples and their prophets (Nuh, Ibrahim, Lut, Shuayb) who were destroyed for their rejection. This contextual placement serves to warn the Meccan disbelievers of similar consequences if they persist in denying Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and to reassure the believers of Allah's protection of the faithful.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever imitates a people is one of them' (Sunan Abu Dawud 4031), relating to how nations that follow the ways of previous disbelievers invite similar punishments. Additionally, the hadith about the destruction of Ad by a piercing wind (Sahih Bukhari 3156) illustrates one such punishment mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that human suffering and destruction are not arbitrary but are direct consequences of choosing to reject divine guidance and truth. For believers today, it serves as a reminder that turning away from Allah and His guidance inevitably leads to loss and regret, while obedience brings security—the responsibility for our spiritual and moral state ultimately rests with ourselves.