أَلَمْ يَأْتِهِمْ نَبَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَعَادٍ وَثَمُودَ وَقَوْمِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَأَصْحَـٰبِ مَدْيَنَ وَٱلْمُؤْتَفِكَـٰتِ ۚ أَتَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ ۖ فَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ 70
Translations
Has there not reached them the news of those before them - the people of Noah and [the tribes of] ʿAad and Thamūd and the people of Abraham and the companions [i.e., dwellers] of Madyan and the towns overturned? Their messengers came to them with clear proofs. And Allāh would never have wronged them, but they were wronging themselves.
Transliteration
Alam ya'tihim naba'u alladhina min qablihim qawmu Nuh wa 'Ad wa Thamud wa qawmu Ibrahim wa ashab Madyan wa al-mu'tafika. Ataathum rusuluhum bi-al-bayyinat. Fama kana Allahu li-yadhiimahum wa lakin kanu anfusahum yadhlimuun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah reminds the disbelievers among the Arabs of the destruction that befell previous nations who rejected their messengers despite receiving clear proofs and signs. Allah emphasizes that He does not wrong anyone; rather, these nations brought destruction upon themselves through their own disobedience and rejection of divine guidance. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari note that this is a powerful warning demonstrating that rejection of truth leads to inevitable divine punishment, making the disbelievers of Madinah accountable for their choices.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah At-Tawbah (revealed in the 9th year of Hijrah), which addresses the breaking of treaties and the hypocrisy of those who refused to fight in the cause of Allah. The ayah specifically responds to those who rejected the Prophet Muhammad and Divine guidance, reminding them that such rejection mirrors the conduct of destroyed nations before them.
Related Hadiths
Sunan Ibn Majah: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'The destruction of my Ummah will come from the hands of young men from Quraysh,' referring to those who reject guidance. Also relevant is the hadith in Sahih Muslim about the inevitability of divine punishment for those who persistently reject truth after clear signs.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that every individual and nation bears responsibility for accepting or rejecting divine truth—Allah's justice is absolute and never unjust, but humans harm themselves through their own choices and disobedience. Modern readers should reflect that ignoring clear signs of truth and following base desires inevitably leads to spiritual and moral destruction.
Related Ayahs
كَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ كَانُوٓا۟ أَشَدَّ مِنكُمْ قُوَّةً وَأَكْثَرَ أَمْوَٰلًا وَأَوْلَـٰدًا فَٱسْتَمْتَعُوا۟ بِخَلَـٰقِهِمْ فَٱسْتَمْتَعْتُم بِخَلَـٰقِكُمْ كَمَا ٱسْتَمْتَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُم بِخَلَـٰقِهِمْ وَخُضْتُمْ كَٱلَّذِى خَاضُوٓا۟ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَـٰلُهُمْ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْخَـٰسِرُونَ
[You disbelievers are] like those before you; they were stronger than you in power and more abundant in wealth and children. They enjoyed their portion [of worldly enjoyment], and you have enjoyed your portion as those before you enjoyed their portion, and you have engaged [in vanities] like that in which they engaged. [It is] those whose deeds have become worthless in this world and in the Hereafter, and it is they who are the losers.
ثُمَّ يَتُوبُ ٱللَّهُ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَآءُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Then Allāh will accept repentance after that for whom He wills; and Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
۞ وَمَا كَانَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ لِيَنفِرُوا۟ كَآفَّةً ۚ فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِن كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ طَآئِفَةٌ لِّيَتَفَقَّهُوا۟ فِى ٱلدِّينِ وَلِيُنذِرُوا۟ قَوْمَهُمْ إِذَا رَجَعُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ
And it is not for the believers to go forth [to battle] all at once. For there should separate from every division of them a group [remaining] to obtain understanding in the religion and warn [i.e., advise] their people when they return to them that they might be cautious.
يَحْلِفُونَ بِٱللَّهِ مَا قَالُوا۟ وَلَقَدْ قَالُوا۟ كَلِمَةَ ٱلْكُفْرِ وَكَفَرُوا۟ بَعْدَ إِسْلَـٰمِهِمْ وَهَمُّوا۟ بِمَا لَمْ يَنَالُوا۟ ۚ وَمَا نَقَمُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ أَنْ أَغْنَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ ۚ فَإِن يَتُوبُوا۟ يَكُ خَيْرًا لَّهُمْ ۖ وَإِن يَتَوَلَّوْا۟ يُعَذِّبْهُمُ ٱللَّهُ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۚ وَمَا لَهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مِن وَلِىٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ
They swear by Allāh that they did not say [anything against the Prophet (ﷺ)] while they had said the word of disbelief and disbelieved after their [pretense of] Islām and planned that which they were not to attain. And they were not resentful except [for the fact] that Allāh and His Messenger had enriched them of His bounty. So if they repent, it is better for them; but if they turn away, Allāh will punish them with a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And there will not be for them on earth any protector or helper.