سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 26
قَدْ مَكَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَأَتَى ٱللَّهُ بُنْيَـٰنَهُم مِّنَ ٱلْقَوَاعِدِ فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلسَّقْفُ مِن فَوْقِهِمْ وَأَتَىٰهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ ﴿26﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Those before them indeed plotted, but Allâh struck at the foundation of their building, and then the roof fell down upon them, from above them, and the torment overtook them from directions they did not perceive.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَدْ
qad
Verily
مَكَرَ
makara
plotted
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
مِن
min
(were) before them
قَبْلِهِمْ
qablihim
(were) before them
فَأَتَى
fa-atā
but Allah came
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
but Allah came
بُنْيَـٰنَهُم
bun'yānahum
(at) their building
مِّنَ
mina
from
ٱلْقَوَاعِدِ
l-qawāʿidi
the foundations
فَخَرَّ
fakharra
so fell
عَلَيْهِمُ
ʿalayhimu
upon them
ٱلسَّقْفُ
l-saqfu
the roof
مِن
min
from
فَوْقِهِمْ
fawqihim
above them
وَأَتَىٰهُمُ
wa-atāhumu
and came to them
ٱلْعَذَابُ
l-ʿadhābu
the punishment
مِنْ
min
from
حَيْثُ
ḥaythu
where
لَا
lā
they (did) not perceive
يَشْعُرُونَ
yashʿurūna
they (did) not perceive
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.
26. 1. Some commentators, based on Israelite narrations, say that this refers to Nimrod or Nebuchadnezzar, who somehow ascended to the sky and plotted against Allah, but they returned unsuccessful. And some commentators think that this is a story meant to illustrate that the deeds of those who commit disbelief and shirk with Allah will be destroyed in the same way as if the foundations of someone's house become unstable and it collapses along with its roof. However, the more Sahih opinion is that this is meant to point towards the fate of those nations who insisted on denying the prophets and were ultimately seized by the punishment of Allah and destroyed along with their homes, such as the people of 'Ad and the people of Lot, etc. Just as it is said in another place: من حیث لم یحتسبوا.
26. 2. "So Allah's (punishment) came upon them from a place they did not even imagine."
26. 3. So Allah's punishment came upon them from a place they did not even imagine.
26. 2. "So Allah's (punishment) came upon them from a place they did not even imagine."
26. 3. So Allah's punishment came upon them from a place they did not even imagine.
