Surah 41:16
Show Full Scripture Context (41:13-18) — 6 Verses
فَإِنۡ أَعۡرَضُواْ فَقُلۡ أَنذَرۡتُكُمۡ صَٰعِقَةٗ مِّثۡلَ صَٰعِقَةِ عَادٖ وَثَمُودَ
If they turn away, say: ‘I warn you of a thunderbolt like the thunderbolt of ‘Ād and Thamūd.’
إِذۡ جَآءَتۡهُمُ ٱلرُّسُلُ مِنۢ بَيۡنِ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمِنۡ خَلۡفِهِمۡ أَلَّا تَعۡبُدُوٓاْ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَۖ قَالُواْ لَوۡ شَآءَ رَبُّنَا لَأَنزَلَ مَلَـٰٓئِكَةٗ فَإِنَّا بِمَآ أُرۡسِلۡتُم بِهِۦ كَٰفِرُونَ
When the messengers came to them from before them and from behind them (saying): ‘Do not serve (anyone) but God,’ they said, ‘If our Lord had (so) pleased, He would indeed have sent down angels. Surely we are disbelievers in what you are sent with.’
فَأَمَّا عَادٞ فَٱسۡتَكۡبَرُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ بِغَيۡرِ ٱلۡحَقِّ وَقَالُواْ مَنۡ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةًۖ أَوَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَهُمۡ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنۡهُمۡ قُوَّةٗۖ وَكَانُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا يَجۡحَدُونَ
As for ‘Ād, they became arrogant on the earth without any right, and said, ‘Who is stronger than us in power?’ Did they not see that God, who created them, was stronger than them in power? They denied Our signs.
فَأَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ رِيحٗا صَرۡصَرٗا فِيٓ أَيَّامٖ نَّحِسَاتٖ لِّنُذِيقَهُمۡ عَذَابَ ٱلۡخِزۡيِ فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَاۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ أَخۡزَىٰۖ وَهُمۡ لَا يُنصَرُونَ
So We sent a furious wind against them in the days of calamity, so that We might make them taste the punishment of disgrace in this present life. But the punishment of the Hereafter is indeed more disgraceful, and they will not be helped.
وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيۡنَٰهُمۡ فَٱسۡتَحَبُّواْ ٱلۡعَمَىٰ عَلَى ٱلۡهُدَىٰ فَأَخَذَتۡهُمۡ صَٰعِقَةُ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٱلۡهُونِ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكۡسِبُونَ
As for Thamūd, We guided them, but they preferred blindness over the guidance. So the thunderbolt of the punishment of humiliation took them for what they had earned.
وَنَجَّيۡنَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَكَانُواْ يَتَّقُونَ
But We rescued those who believed and guarded (themselves).
Allah says: 'Say, O Muhammad, to these idolators who disbelieve in the message of truth that you have brought: If you turn away from that which I have brought to you from Allah, then I warn you of the punishment of Allah like the punishment that the past nations suffered for disbelieving in the Messengers.'
and other similar nations who did what they did.
This is like the Ayah:
which means that in the neighboring towns and cities, Allah sent Messengers who commanded the people to worship Allah Alone with no partner or associate, and they brought good news as well as warnings. They saw the punishment Allah sent upon His enemies, and the blessings which He bestowed upon His friends, yet despite all of this, they did not believe in them. On the contrary, they denied them and rejected them, and said:
meaning, if Allah were to send Messengers, they would be angels sent from His presence.
means, 'because you are a mere human; we will not follow you because you are just men like us.'
means, they were arrogant, stubborn and disobedient.
They boasted of their physical strength, and power; they thought that this would protect them from Allah's punishment.
means, do they not realize, when they are showing enmity, that He is the Almighty Who created all things and gave them whatever strength they have, and that His onslaught will be far greater? This is like the Ayah:
They openly opposed the Almighty and denied His signs and disobeyed His Messenger. Allah said:
{So We sent upon them a Sarsar wind}. Some said that this was a strongly blowing wind; others said that it was a cold wind. It was also said that it is the wind that makes a noise. The truth that it was all of these things, for it was a strong wind that was an apt punishment for their being deceived by their physical strength. It was also intensely cold, as Allah says:
{with a Sarsar wind!}, meaning a very cold wind. It also made a furious sound. Additionally, there is a famous river in the east which is called Sarsar because of the noise it makes as it flows.
{in days of calamity} means, consecutive days,
{seven nights and eight days in succession}. This is like the Ayah:
i.e., the punishment began on a day which was of evil omen for them, and this evil omen continued for them,
until they were destroyed, every last one of them, and their humiliation in this world was joined to their punishment in the Hereafter. Allah says:
meaning, more humiliating for them.
{and they will never be helped.} means, in the Hereafter, just as they were never helped in this world, and they had no one who could protect them from Allah or save them from His punishment.
Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Abu Al-'Aliyah, Sa'id bin Jubayr, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd said, "We explained to them." Ath-Thawri said, "We called them." Allah's saying;
means, 'We showed them the truth and made it clear to them through the words of their Prophet Salih, but they opposed him and rejected him, and they slaughtered the she-camel of Allah which He had made a sign for them of the truth of their Prophet.'
means, Allah sent upon them the Sa'iqah, earthquake, intense humiliation, punishment and torment.
{because of what they used to earn} means, because of their disbelief and rejection.
means, 'We saved them from among them, and no harm came to them;' Allah saved them along with His Prophet Salih, peace be upon him, because of their fear of Allah.
— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 8, Page 523-528)