فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ 21
Translations
And how [severe] were My punishment and warning.
Transliteration
Fa-kayfa kana 'adhabi wa-nudhuri
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rhetorically asks the disbelievers how they experienced Allah's punishment and warnings, serving as a powerful closing reminder of the consequences faced by those who rejected the messengers. Ibn Kathir explains that this verse emphasizes the certainty and severity of Allah's punishment that came upon the deniers, while Al-Tabari notes it is posed as an exclamation of astonishment at their willful rejection despite clear warnings. The ayah underscores that the warnings given by the messengers were not empty threats but preceded tangible, observable punishments.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Qamar is a Meccan surah that chronologically addresses the early Meccan community's rejection of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This particular ayah appears in the latter portion of the surah where Allah recounts the stories of previous nations (Nuh, 'Ad, Thamud, Lut, and Pharaoh) who rejected their messengers. The ayah serves as a rhetorical question to the contemporary disbelievers of Mecca, reminding them of historical precedents and warning them of similar consequences.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly quotes this ayah, the theme relates to Sahih Muslim where the Prophet (peace be upon him) warned of the punishment awaiting those who reject the message. Additionally, numerous hadiths in Sahih Bukhari discuss the historical punishments of previous nations as cautionary examples for believers.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah invites believers to reflect on the inevitable consequences of rejecting divine guidance and to take heed from historical examples rather than repeating the mistakes of past generations. It reinforces that warnings from Allah and His messengers are not mere words but precede observable punishment, encouraging both acceptance of faith and gratitude for guidance.
Related Ayahs
فَمَا زَالَت تِّلْكَ دَعْوَىٰهُمْ حَتَّىٰ جَعَلْنَـٰهُمْ حَصِيدًا خَـٰمِدِينَ
And that declaration of theirs did not cease until We made them [as] a harvest [mowed down], extinguished [like a fire].
مَا تَذَرُ مِن شَىْءٍ أَتَتْ عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا جَعَلَتْهُ كَٱلرَّمِيمِ
It left nothing of what it came upon but that it made it like disintegrated ruins.
قَالُوا۟ يَـٰلُوطُ إِنَّا رُسُلُ رَبِّكَ لَن يَصِلُوٓا۟ إِلَيْكَ ۖ فَأَسْرِ بِأَهْلِكَ بِقِطْعٍ مِّنَ ٱلَّيْلِ وَلَا يَلْتَفِتْ مِنكُمْ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا ٱمْرَأَتَكَ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ مُصِيبُهَا مَآ أَصَابَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ مَوْعِدَهُمُ ٱلصُّبْحُ ۚ أَلَيْسَ ٱلصُّبْحُ بِقَرِيبٍ
They [the angels] said, "O Lot, indeed we are messengers of your Lord; [therefore], they will never reach you. So set out with your family during a portion of the night and let not any among you look back - except your wife; indeed, she will be struck by that which strikes them. Indeed, their appointment is [for] the morning. Is not the morning near?"
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّا نَأْتِى ٱلْأَرْضَ نَنقُصُهَا مِنْ أَطْرَافِهَا ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ لَا مُعَقِّبَ لِحُكْمِهِۦ ۚ وَهُوَ سَرِيعُ ٱلْحِسَابِ
Have they not seen that We set upon the land, reducing it from its borders? And Allāh decides; there is no adjuster of His decision. And He is swift in account.