سُوْرَةُ التَّوْبَةِ
Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 70
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﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Has not the story reached them of those before them? - The people of Nûh (Noah), ‘Âd, and Thamûd, the people of Ibrâhîm (Abraham), the dwellers of Madyan (Midian) and the cities overthrown [i.e. the people to whom Lût (Lot) preached]; to them came their Messengers with clear proofs. So it was not Allâh Who wronged them, but they used to wrong themselves.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أَلَمْ
alam
Has not
يَأْتِهِمْ
yatihim
come to them
نَبَأُ
naba-u
(the) news
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
(of) those who
مِن
min
(were) before them
قَبْلِهِمْ
qablihim
(were) before them
قَوْمِ
qawmi
(the) people
نُوحٍۢ
nūḥin
(of) Nuh
وَعَادٍۢ
waʿādin
and Aad
وَثَمُودَ
wathamūda
and Thamud
وَقَوْمِ
waqawmi
and (the) people
إِبْرَٰهِيمَ
ib'rāhīma
(of) Ibrahim
وَأَصْحَـٰبِ
wa-aṣḥābi
and (the) companions
مَدْيَنَ
madyana
(of) Madyan
وَٱلْمُؤْتَفِكَـٰتِ ۚ
wal-mu'tafikāti
and the towns overturned
أَتَتْهُمْ
atathum
Came to them
رُسُلُهُم
rusuluhum
their Messengers
بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ ۖ
bil-bayināti
with clear proofs
فَمَا
famā
And not
كَانَ
kāna
was
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ
liyaẓlimahum
to wrong them
وَلَـٰكِن
walākin
but
كَانُوٓا۟
kānū
they were (to)
أَنفُسَهُمْ
anfusahum
themselves
يَظْلِمُونَ
yaẓlimūna
doing wrong
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.
70. 1. Here, reference is made to those six nations whose abode was the land of Sham. This is near the land of Arabia, and perhaps they had heard some things about them from their ancestors as well: the people of Nuh, who were drowned in the flood; the people of 'Ad, who, despite being distinguished for their strength and power, were destroyed by a violent wind; the people of Thamud, who were destroyed by a heavenly cry; the people of Ibrahim, whose king Nimrod bin Kan'an bin Kush was killed by a mosquito; the companions of Madyan (the people of Shu'ayb ؑ), who were destroyed by a cry, earthquake, and the torment of the shadow of clouds; and by the people of Mutafikat is meant the people of Lut, whose town was called 'Sodom.' The meaning of "al-i'tifak" is to overturn, to turn upside down. Stones were rained upon them from the sky. Secondly, their town was lifted up and thrown down, so that the whole town was turned upside down. In this respect, they are called the companions of Mutafikat.
70. 2. Messengers came to all these nations, who were individuals from their own people. But they gave no importance to their words; rather, they chose the path of denial and stubbornness, the result of which ultimately came in the form of a painful punishment.
3. That is, this punishment was the result of their persistence and continuity in oppression; they did not become victims of Allah's punishment without reason.
70. 2. Messengers came to all these nations, who were individuals from their own people. But they gave no importance to their words; rather, they chose the path of denial and stubbornness, the result of which ultimately came in the form of a painful punishment.
3. That is, this punishment was the result of their persistence and continuity in oppression; they did not become victims of Allah's punishment without reason.
