سُوْرَةُ الْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ
Surah Al-Muminoon (23) — Ayah 76
وَلَقَدْ أَخَذْنَـٰهُم بِٱلْعَذَابِ فَمَا ٱسْتَكَانُوا۟ لِرَبِّهِمْ وَمَا يَتَضَرَّعُونَ ﴿76﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And indeed We seized them with punishment, but they humbled not themselves to their Lord, nor did they invoke (Allâh) with submission to Him.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَقَدْ
walaqad
And verily
أَخَذْنَـٰهُم
akhadhnāhum
We seized them
بِٱلْعَذَابِ
bil-ʿadhābi
with the punishment
فَمَا
famā
but not
ٱسْتَكَانُوا۟
is'takānū
they submit
لِرَبِّهِمْ
lirabbihim
to their Lord
وَمَا
wamā
and not
يَتَضَرَّعُونَ
yataḍarraʿūna
they supplicate humbly
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 77,76){ وَ لَقَدْ اَخَذْنٰهُمْ بِالْعَذَابِ … : ’’ اَخَذْنٰهُمْ ‘‘} (We seized them) in {’’هُمْ‘‘} ({اُن}), the reference is not to the present disbelievers and deniers, but rather to those deniers like them who have passed before, and who in their own times persisted in similar disbelief and denial. The present-day deniers are being directed to the lesson of history, that such people do not take heed from the warnings of punishments sent by Allah, until they finally reach their dreadful end. This too is Allah’s mercy, that He first sends a lesser punishment, so that people may take heed. He said: «{ وَ لَنُذِيْقَنَّهُمْ مِّنَ الْعَذَابِ الْاَدْنٰى دُوْنَ الْعَذَابِ الْاَكْبَرِ }» [ السجدۃ : ۲۱ ] “And surely We will make them taste the nearer punishment before the greater punishment.” Then, when people do not take heed from this punishment, their rope is lengthened and they are granted prosperity despite their disobedience, so that the proof is completed against them. This theme is mentioned frequently in the Noble Qur’an. See Surah Al-An’am (42–44), Al-A’raf (94–98), Yunus (12–21), and Ad-Dukhan (10–16).
Some commentators have taken this punishment to mean the famine that was imposed on the people of Makkah before the migration due to the supplication against them of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and the gate of severe punishment to mean the Day of Badr, while others have taken this punishment to mean Badr and the gate of severe punishment to mean the famine that occurred after the migration when Thumamah bin Uthal (may Allah be pleased with him) withheld wheat. Ibn Juzayy says in “At-Tashil”: “The more correct view is that the first punishment refers to the punishment of this world, and the severe punishment refers to death and the punishment of the Hereafter. Because the severe punishment is that, and the punishment of this world is lesser in comparison.” And He said: «{ اِذَا هُمْ فِيْهِ مُبْلِسُوْنَ }» meaning they will be hopeless of every good. This hopelessness will be for the disbelievers on the Day of the Hereafter, as He said: «{ وَ يَوْمَ تَقُوْمُ السَّاعَةُ يُبْلِسُ الْمُجْرِمُوْنَ }» [ الروم : ۱۲ ] “And the Day the Hour will be established, the criminals will despair.” After Badr and the famine, they continued to attack repeatedly.
Some commentators have taken this punishment to mean the famine that was imposed on the people of Makkah before the migration due to the supplication against them of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and the gate of severe punishment to mean the Day of Badr, while others have taken this punishment to mean Badr and the gate of severe punishment to mean the famine that occurred after the migration when Thumamah bin Uthal (may Allah be pleased with him) withheld wheat. Ibn Juzayy says in “At-Tashil”: “The more correct view is that the first punishment refers to the punishment of this world, and the severe punishment refers to death and the punishment of the Hereafter. Because the severe punishment is that, and the punishment of this world is lesser in comparison.” And He said: «{ اِذَا هُمْ فِيْهِ مُبْلِسُوْنَ }» meaning they will be hopeless of every good. This hopelessness will be for the disbelievers on the Day of the Hereafter, as He said: «{ وَ يَوْمَ تَقُوْمُ السَّاعَةُ يُبْلِسُ الْمُجْرِمُوْنَ }» [ الروم : ۱۲ ] “And the Day the Hour will be established, the criminals will despair.” After Badr and the famine, they continued to attack repeatedly.
