سُوْرَةُ الْقَصَصِ
Surah Al-Qasas (28) — Ayah 58
وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِن قَرْيَةٍۭ بَطِرَتْ مَعِيشَتَهَا ۖ فَتِلْكَ مَسَـٰكِنُهُمْ لَمْ تُسْكَن مِّنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا ۖ وَكُنَّا نَحْنُ ٱلْوَٰرِثِينَ ﴿58﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And how many a town (population) have We destroyed, which was thankless for its means of livelihood (disobeyed Allâh, and His Messengers, by doing evil deeds and crimes)! And those are their dwellings, which have not been inhabited after them except a little. And verily! We have been the inheritors.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَكَمْ
wakam
And how many
أَهْلَكْنَا
ahlaknā
We have destroyed
مِن
min
of
قَرْيَةٍۭ
qaryatin
a town
بَطِرَتْ
baṭirat
which exulted
مَعِيشَتَهَا ۖ
maʿīshatahā
(in) its means of livelihood
فَتِلْكَ
fatil'ka
And these
مَسَـٰكِنُهُمْ
masākinuhum
(are) their dwellings
لَمْ
lam
not
تُسْكَن
tus'kan
have been inhabited
مِّنۢ
min
after them
بَعْدِهِمْ
baʿdihim
after them
إِلَّا
illā
except
قَلِيلًۭا ۖ
qalīlan
a little
وَكُنَّا
wakunnā
And indeed, [We]
نَحْنُ
naḥnu
We
ٱلْوَٰرِثِينَ
l-wārithīna
(are) the inheritors
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 58) ➊ The meaning of {وَ كَمْ اَهْلَكْنَا مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ …:’’ بَطَرٌ‘‘} is to become rebellious due to blessings, to become arrogant. It also means ingratitude and denial. If the first meaning is taken, then here {’’فِيْ‘‘} is omitted: due to the omission of the preposition {’’أَيْ بَطِرَتْ فِيْ مَعِيْشَتِهَا۔‘‘}, {’’مَعِيْشَتَهَا‘‘} has become accusative. As is in Surah Al-A'raf (155): « وَ اخْتَارَ مُوْسٰى قَوْمَهٗ سَبْعِيْنَ رَجُلًا » {’’ أَيْ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ ‘‘}. This is the second answer to their excuse, that is, you have assumed that if you believe, you will be destroyed and ruined, and if you do not believe, your glory, leadership, honor, wealth, and highly developed economy will remain safe. So your assumption is wrong; how many nations before you, who became proud of their economy and whose inhabitants, due to their prosperity and affluence, became intoxicated, such as 'Ad, Thamud, the people of Lot, and the people of Shu'ayb, etc., We destroyed and ruined them in such a way that their towns are before you; there is such misfortune in them that after them, no one settled in them, except for a little, that a traveler, while passing by, stayed for a short while and then moved on. You should take a lesson from their end.
➋ { وَ كُنَّا نَحْنُ الْوٰرِثِيْنَ :} means that none of them remained who could inherit their houses and wealth, He said: «{ فَهَلْ تَرٰى لَهُمْ مِّنْۢ بَاقِيَةٍ }» [ الحآقۃ : ۸ ] "So do you see any remnant of them?" We became their heirs, and We are always the heirs of everything. In {’’ كُنَّا ‘‘}, {’’كَانَ‘‘} is for continuity and perpetuity.
➋ { وَ كُنَّا نَحْنُ الْوٰرِثِيْنَ :} means that none of them remained who could inherit their houses and wealth, He said: «{ فَهَلْ تَرٰى لَهُمْ مِّنْۢ بَاقِيَةٍ }» [ الحآقۃ : ۸ ] "So do you see any remnant of them?" We became their heirs, and We are always the heirs of everything. In {’’ كُنَّا ‘‘}, {’’كَانَ‘‘} is for continuity and perpetuity.
