سُوْرَةُ يُوْنُسَ
Surah Yunus (10) — Ayah 98
فَلَوْلَا كَانَتْ قَرْيَةٌ ءَامَنَتْ فَنَفَعَهَآ إِيمَـٰنُهَآ إِلَّا قَوْمَ يُونُسَ لَمَّآ ءَامَنُوا۟ كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمْ عَذَابَ ٱلْخِزْىِ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَمَتَّعْنَـٰهُمْ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ ﴿98﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Was there any town (community) that believed (after seeing the punishment), and its Faith (at that moment) saved it (from the punishment)? (The answer is none) - except the people of Yûnus (Jonah); when they believed, We removed from them the torment of disgrace in the life of the (present) world, and permitted them to enjoy for a while.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَلَوْلَا
falawlā
So why not
كَانَتْ
kānat
was
قَرْيَةٌ
qaryatun
any town
ءَامَنَتْ
āmanat
that believed
فَنَفَعَهَآ
fanafaʿahā
and benefited it
إِيمَـٰنُهَآ
īmānuhā
its faith
إِلَّا
illā
except
قَوْمَ
qawma
the people
يُونُسَ
yūnusa
(of) Yunus
لَمَّآ
lammā
When
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
they believed
كَشَفْنَا
kashafnā
We removed
عَنْهُمْ
ʿanhum
from them
عَذَابَ
ʿadhāba
(the) punishment
ٱلْخِزْىِ
l-khiz'yi
(of) the disgrace
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ
l-ḥayati
the life
ٱلدُّنْيَا
l-dun'yā
of the world
وَمَتَّعْنَـٰهُمْ
wamattaʿnāhum
and We granted them enjoyment
إِلَىٰ
ilā
for
حِينٍۢ
ḥīnin
a time
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
98. 1. Here "لولا" is for urging, in the sense of "ھلا", meaning: Why was there not a single town among those towns which We destroyed, that believed in such a way that it would have benefited them? Yes, only the people of Yunus were such that when they believed, Allah removed the punishment from them. The brief background is that when Yunus ﷺ saw that his preaching and invitation were not affecting his people, he announced among his people that on such and such day, punishment would come upon them, and he himself left from there. When the punishment came upon them like a cloud, they gathered in a field with their women and children and began to repent and seek forgiveness in the court of Allah. Allah accepted their repentance and removed the punishment from them. Yunus ﷺ used to inquire about the condition of his people from passing travelers; when he learned that Allah had removed the punishment from his people, he did not like to go back to that people after his prediction was falsified, but, being displeased with them, he set off in another direction, upon which the incident of the boat occurred (the details of which will come at its place). However, there is a difference of opinion among the commentators as to when the people of Yunus believed: did they believe after seeing the punishment, when belief is not beneficial? But Allah made them an exception to His law and accepted their belief. Or had the punishment not yet come, meaning that stage had not yet arrived when belief is not beneficial. But the exception of the people of Yunus in the Qur'an with "الا" supports the first interpretation. And Allah knows best.
98. 2. The Qur'an has explicitly mentioned the removal of worldly punishment, but has not explicitly mentioned the Hereafter's punishment; therefore, according to some commentators, the punishment of the Hereafter was not removed from them. But when the Qur'an has clarified that the worldly punishment was averted because of their belief, then there is no need to explicitly mention the punishment of the Hereafter. Because the decision of the punishment of the Hereafter is based on belief and disbelief. If, after believing, the people of Yunus remained firm on their belief, then surely they would also be safe from the punishment of the Hereafter. Otherwise, being saved from punishment would be limited only to this world.
98. 2. The Qur'an has explicitly mentioned the removal of worldly punishment, but has not explicitly mentioned the Hereafter's punishment; therefore, according to some commentators, the punishment of the Hereafter was not removed from them. But when the Qur'an has clarified that the worldly punishment was averted because of their belief, then there is no need to explicitly mention the punishment of the Hereafter. Because the decision of the punishment of the Hereafter is based on belief and disbelief. If, after believing, the people of Yunus remained firm on their belief, then surely they would also be safe from the punishment of the Hereafter. Otherwise, being saved from punishment would be limited only to this world.
