وَكَذَّبَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَمَا بَلَغُوا۟ مِعْشَارَ مَآ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمْ فَكَذَّبُوا۟ رُسُلِى ۖ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ نَكِيرِ 45
Translations
And those before them denied, and they [i.e., the people of Makkah] have not attained a tenth of what We had given them. But they [i.e., the former peoples] denied My messengers, so how [terrible] was My reproach.
Transliteration
Wa kaddaba alladhina min qablihim wa ma balaghoo mi'shara ma ataynähum fa kaddaboo rusuli fa kayfa kana nakiri
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the nations before the Quraysh who rejected their messengers despite being given abundant blessings and provisions—yet they did not even reach one-tenth of what Allah granted to the people of Saba (Sheba). The ayah concludes with Allah's rhetorical question about how terrible His punishment (nakir) was upon those who denied His messengers. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that this verse serves as a warning: greater material blessings do not guarantee obedience, and denial of messengers brings inevitable divine retribution regardless of wealth or resources.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Saba, a Meccan surah that extensively discusses the people of Sheba and their rejection of Prophet Hud, as well as other past nations. The broader context contrasts the material prosperity of previous peoples with their spiritual heedlessness and rejection of divine guidance, serving as a warning to the Meccan disbelievers of the Prophet Muhammad's time who similarly rejected the message despite their own wealth and status.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly quotes this verse, Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim contain numerous hadiths about the destruction of past nations who rejected their messengers, such as the narrations about the people of 'Ad and Thamud. See also the hadith in Sunan Ibn Majah about how Allah tests nations with blessings to see if they will be grateful and obedient.
Themes
Key Lesson
Wealth and material abundance are not signs of Allah's favor if accompanied by rejection of His guidance; true blessing lies in accepting the message of the messengers. Modern believers should recognize that outward prosperity without faith and obedience leads to destruction, and should prioritize spiritual guidance over material pursuits.