سُوْرَةُ الشُّعَرَآءِ
Surah Ash-Shu'araa (26) — Ayah 189
فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَخَذَهُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمِ ٱلظُّلَّةِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ ﴿189﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
But they belied him, so the torment of the day of shadow (a gloomy cloud) seized them. Indeed that was the torment of a Great Day.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَكَذَّبُوهُ
fakadhabūhu
But they denied him
فَأَخَذَهُمْ
fa-akhadhahum
so seized them
عَذَابُ
ʿadhābu
(the) punishment
يَوْمِ
yawmi
(of the) day
ٱلظُّلَّةِ ۚ
l-ẓulati
(of) the shadow
إِنَّهُۥ
innahu
Indeed, it
كَانَ
kāna
was
عَذَابَ
ʿadhāba
(the) punishment
يَوْمٍ
yawmin
(of) a Day
عَظِيمٍ
ʿaẓīmin
Great
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 189) ➊ { فَكَذَّبُوْهُ فَاَخَذَهُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمِ الظُّلَّةِ … :} There is no detail of this punishment mentioned in the Noble Qur’an or in any Sahih hadith. From the apparent words, it is understood that in response to their demand for pieces from the sky to fall upon them, Allah sent a canopy of cloud over them, from which such a punishment descended that they were destroyed and ruined. The reality of this punishment is best known to Allah, but Allah Himself answered what kind of punishment it was, saying: Indeed, it was the punishment of a great day. When that day was great, then estimate for yourself the greatness of the punishment that descended on it.
➋ This verse is clear evidence that the “People of Madyan” and the “People of the Thicket” were two separate nations, because the People of the Thicket were punished with {’’ يَوْمِ الظُّلَّةِ ‘‘}, whereas the People of Madyan were punished with an earthquake and a shriek, as He said: «{ فَاَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّجْفَةُ فَاَصْبَحُوْا فِيْ دَارِهِمْ جٰثِمِيْنَ }» [ الأعراف : ۷۸ ] “So the earthquake seized them, and they lay fallen in their homes by morning.” And He said: «{ وَ اَخَذَ الَّذِيْنَ ظَلَمُوا الصَّيْحَةُ فَاَصْبَحُوْا فِيْ دِيَارِهِمْ جٰثِمِيْنَ }» [ ھود : ۶۷] “And those who had wronged were seized by the shriek, and they lay fallen in their homes by morning.”
Some commentators have described the details of the punishment of the canopy as follows: “For seven days, a severe hot wind blew upon the People of the Thicket, which burned their bodies, and the water of springs and wells dried up. Distressed, they went out to the forest, where the intensity of the sun and the hot ground beneath peeled the skin from their feet. Then a black cloud appeared in the form of a canopy, and all of them, out of joy, gathered under its shade. At that moment, suddenly, fire began to rain down from the cloud, and all were destroyed.” But we neither affirm nor deny this detail of the commentators, because it is neither established from the Noble Qur’an nor from any Sahih hadith.
➋ This verse is clear evidence that the “People of Madyan” and the “People of the Thicket” were two separate nations, because the People of the Thicket were punished with {’’ يَوْمِ الظُّلَّةِ ‘‘}, whereas the People of Madyan were punished with an earthquake and a shriek, as He said: «{ فَاَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّجْفَةُ فَاَصْبَحُوْا فِيْ دَارِهِمْ جٰثِمِيْنَ }» [ الأعراف : ۷۸ ] “So the earthquake seized them, and they lay fallen in their homes by morning.” And He said: «{ وَ اَخَذَ الَّذِيْنَ ظَلَمُوا الصَّيْحَةُ فَاَصْبَحُوْا فِيْ دِيَارِهِمْ جٰثِمِيْنَ }» [ ھود : ۶۷] “And those who had wronged were seized by the shriek, and they lay fallen in their homes by morning.”
Some commentators have described the details of the punishment of the canopy as follows: “For seven days, a severe hot wind blew upon the People of the Thicket, which burned their bodies, and the water of springs and wells dried up. Distressed, they went out to the forest, where the intensity of the sun and the hot ground beneath peeled the skin from their feet. Then a black cloud appeared in the form of a canopy, and all of them, out of joy, gathered under its shade. At that moment, suddenly, fire began to rain down from the cloud, and all were destroyed.” But we neither affirm nor deny this detail of the commentators, because it is neither established from the Noble Qur’an nor from any Sahih hadith.
