ثُمَّ دَمَّرْنَا ٱلْـَٔاخَرِينَ 136
Translations
Then We destroyed the others.
Transliteration
Thumma dammarna al-akhireen
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to Allah's destruction of the later generations or peoples who rejected His signs and messengers. Ibn Kathir explains this in the context of the surah's discussion of various nations that were destroyed for their disbelief and disobedience, emphasizing Allah's pattern of punishing those who persist in transgression. Al-Tabari notes that 'al-akhireen' (the later ones) refers to the subsequent peoples and generations who met the same fate as their predecessors in denying the truth.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within Surah As-Saffat, a Meccan surah that emphasizes Allah's absolute power and sovereignty through accounts of destroyed nations. The surah contextually discusses the destruction of various communities (Nuh's people, the people of Lut, etc.) to remind the Quraysh of Mecca of the consequences of rejecting the message. This ayah follows the narrative pattern established throughout the surah of divine punishment for those who reject Allah's messengers.
Related Hadiths
The theme of divine destruction of transgressing peoples is reinforced in the hadith: 'The best of you are my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them' (Sahih Bukhari 2509), which contrasts righteous generations with those who deviate. Additionally, the Quran itself emphasizes this pattern in 40:82: 'Have they not traveled through the land and seen how was the end of those before them?'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a powerful reminder that rejection of divine guidance carries inevitable consequences, and no community—regardless of power or resources—can escape Allah's justice. For believers today, it underscores the importance of heeding the message of the prophets and the Quran, lest we follow the path of those destroyed before us.
Related Ayahs
أَفَأَمِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ مَكَرُوا۟ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ أَن يَخْسِفَ ٱللَّهُ بِهِمُ ٱلْأَرْضَ أَوْ يَأْتِيَهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ
Then, do those who have planned evil deeds feel secure that Allāh will not cause the earth to swallow them or that the punishment will not come upon them from where they do not perceive?
وَأَصْبَحَ ٱلَّذِينَ تَمَنَّوْا۟ مَكَانَهُۥ بِٱلْأَمْسِ يَقُولُونَ وَيْكَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيَقْدِرُ ۖ لَوْلَآ أَن مَّنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْنَا لَخَسَفَ بِنَا ۖ وَيْكَأَنَّهُۥ لَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ
And those who had wished for his position the previous day began to say, "Oh, how Allāh extends provision to whom He wills of His servants and restricts it! If not that Allāh had conferred favor on us, He would have caused it to swallow us. Oh, how the disbelievers do not succeed!"
وَلَمَّا جَآءَ أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا شُعَيْبًا وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنَّا وَأَخَذَتِ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ ٱلصَّيْحَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا۟ فِى دِيَـٰرِهِمْ جَـٰثِمِينَ
And when Our command came, We saved Shuʿayb and those who believed with him, by mercy from Us. And the shriek seized those who had wronged, and they became within their homes [corpses] fallen prone
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."