أَوَلَمْ يَهْدِ لَهُمْ كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّنَ ٱلْقُرُونِ يَمْشُونَ فِى مَسَـٰكِنِهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ ۖ أَفَلَا يَسْمَعُونَ 26
Translations
Has it not become clear to them how many generations We destroyed before them, [as] they walk among their dwellings? Indeed in that are signs; then do they not hear?
Transliteration
Awalam yahdihim kam ahlakna min qablihim minal quruni yamashoona fee masakinihim inna fee dhalika laayat afala yasmaoon
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah poses a rhetorical question to the disbelievers of Mecca, asking whether the ruins and remnants of destroyed civilizations that came before them do not serve as clear signs and warnings. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that walking through the deserted dwellings of previous nations who rejected their prophets should have guided the Quraysh to recognize the consequences of disbelief and heed the message of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The ayah underscores that these physical ruins are divine signs (ayat) meant to awaken hearts and minds to the reality of divine punishment.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah As-Sajdah, a Meccan surah primarily concerned with establishing tawhid (divine oneness) and warning against disbelief. The broader context addresses the rejection of the Message by the Quraysh despite abundant signs in creation and history. This particular ayah reflects the Meccan period's emphasis on pointing to observable evidence of Allah's power and justice through historical precedents.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those of my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them' (Sahih Bukhari). This connects thematically to the ayah's reference to previous generations and the decline of righteousness over time, serving as a warning about the importance of heeding guidance.
Themes
Key Lesson
The ruins of past civilizations are not mere historical curiosities but divine reminders for those who reflect upon them. Modern believers should take heed from the historical consequences of rejecting divine guidance and recognize that ignoring clear signs of Allah's power and justice today carries the same spiritual dangers that led previous nations to their downfall.