أَتُتْرَكُونَ فِى مَا هَـٰهُنَآ ءَامِنِينَ 146
Translations
Will you be left in what is here, secure [from death],
Transliteration
Atutrakūna fī mā hāhunā āminīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah is part of the dialogue of the Prophet Salih with his people, the Thamud, wherein he questions them about their complacency and false sense of security in their worldly possessions and comfortable circumstances. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, Salih is rhetorically challenging them: will they remain in this state of ease and safety, indulging in their gardens, springs, and crops, while ignoring the message of divine truth? The ayah underscores the people's preoccupation with material comfort as a barrier to spiritual awakening and obedience to Allah's messenger.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within the narrative of Surah Ash-Shu'ara, which recounts stories of various prophets and their peoples. The context is Salih's confrontation with the Thamud tribe, who were prosperous and wealthy but rejected his message of monotheism. Salih uses this question to awaken them from their spiritual heedlessness, contrasting their material security with their spiritual danger.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'Wealth and children are adornments of this worldly life, but the everlasting good deeds are better' (Surah Al-Kahf 18:46). Additionally, there are hadiths warning against the deception of worldly comforts distracting from religious obligation, such as in Jami' at-Tirmidhi regarding the dangers of being deceived by prosperity.
Themes
Key Lesson
Material comfort and security should never make believers complacent about their spiritual obligations or dismissive of divine guidance; true safety lies in obedience to Allah, not in worldly possessions. This ayah reminds modern Muslims that prosperity can be a test, and we must remain vigilant in our faith despite life's ease.