تَنزِعُ ٱلنَّاسَ كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ مُّنقَعِرٍ 20
Translations
Extracting the people as if they were trunks of palm trees uprooted.
Transliteration
Tanzi'u an-nasa ka-annahum a'jazu nakhlin munqa'ir
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the violent wind of Ad, which uproots people as if they were trunks of date palms that have been pulled out from their roots. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the wind was so forceful that it lifted and scattered the people of Ad, leaving them like hollow, severed palm trunks scattered across the land. This vivid imagery emphasizes the complete annihilation and helplessness of those who rejected Allah's signs.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Qamar's discussion of the destroyed peoples of old, specifically the people of Ad who rejected Prophet Hud. The surah recounts various nations that were destroyed for their disbelief, and this particular verse describes the catastrophic punishment they faced—a windstorm that obliterated them entirely. The context warns the Meccan disbelievers of the inevitable consequences of rejecting divine guidance.
Related Hadiths
Surah Al-Qamar (54:18-22) describes the wind's destruction of Ad. Additionally, Surah Al-Ahqaf (46:24-25) provides parallel description of the same wind: 'When it saw the punishment, they said, this is a wind bringing us punishment.'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that rejection of Allah's message and arrogance against His signs leads to inevitable destruction, no matter how powerful one may seem. It serves as a reminder to believers of the importance of humility, obedience, and heeding divine guidance before it is too late.