سُوْرَةُ الْقَصَصِ
Surah Al-Qasas (28) — Ayah 59
وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ مُهْلِكَ ٱلْقُرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ يَبْعَثَ فِىٓ أُمِّهَا رَسُولًا يَتْلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا ۚ وَمَا كُنَّا مُهْلِكِى ٱلْقُرَىٰٓ إِلَّا وَأَهْلُهَا ظَـٰلِمُونَ ﴿59﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And never will your Lord destroy the towns (populations) until He sends to their mother town a Messenger reciting to them Our Verses. And never would We destroy the towns unless the people thereof are Zâlimûn (polytheists, wrong-doers, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allâh, oppressors and tyrants).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَمَا
wamā
And not
كَانَ
kāna
was
رَبُّكَ
rabbuka
your Lord
مُهْلِكَ
muh'lika
(the) one to destroy
ٱلْقُرَىٰ
l-qurā
the towns
حَتَّىٰ
ḥattā
until
يَبْعَثَ
yabʿatha
He (had) sent
فِىٓ
fī
in
أُمِّهَا
ummihā
their mother (town)
رَسُولًۭا
rasūlan
a Messenger
يَتْلُوا۟
yatlū
reciting
عَلَيْهِمْ
ʿalayhim
to them
ءَايَـٰتِنَا ۚ
āyātinā
Our Verses
وَمَا
wamā
And not
كُنَّا
kunnā
We would be
مُهْلِكِى
muh'likī
(the) one to destroy
ٱلْقُرَىٰٓ
l-qurā
the towns
إِلَّا
illā
except
وَأَهْلُهَا
wa-ahluhā
while their people
ظَـٰلِمُونَ
ẓālimūna
(were) wrongdoers
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 59) ➊ { وَ مَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ مُهْلِكَ الْقُرٰى … :} In this verse, Allah Almighty has stated the principle of destroying disobedient towns and answered the question of why, despite the disbelief, polytheism, rebellion, and extreme oppression of the disbelievers, they have not been destroyed. It is said that this is your Lord’s Lordship and His mercy, that He never destroys towns until He sends a warner (Messenger) to their central town, who recites Our verses before them and removes their excuse that they were not warned before the punishment came. In {’’ وَ مَا كَانَ ‘‘}, the negation is continuous, meaning this has never happened, nor will it ever happen. See also Surah Al-Imran (79) and Yunus (36).
➋ { وَ مَا كُنَّا مُهْلِكِي الْقُرٰۤى … :} This is the answer to the question of why, after the coming of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), punishment does not descend upon those who do not believe. It is said, it is also Our way that We never destroy towns until their inhabitants persist in oppression to such an extent that they become deserving of the title of oppressor. Now, with the coming of this Prophet, you are being given respite so that by insisting on disbelief, polytheism, and oppression, you become oppressors and deserving of punishment, or by believing, you become deserving of mercy.
➌ Ibn Kathir said: “This verse is evidence that the Prophet (peace be upon him), who was sent in Umm al-Qura (Makkah), was sent to all the towns of Arabs and non-Arabs, as Allah Almighty said: «{ وَ كَذٰلِكَ اَوْحَيْنَاۤ اِلَيْكَ قُرْاٰنًا عَرَبِيًّا لِّتُنْذِرَ اُمَّ الْقُرٰى وَ مَنْ حَوْلَهَا }» [ الشورٰی : ۷ ] ‘And thus We have revealed to you an Arabic Qur’an so that you may warn the Mother of Towns (Makkah) and those around it.’ And He said: «{ قُلْ يٰۤاَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اِنِّيْ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ اِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيْعًا }» [ الأعراف : ۱۵۸ ] ‘Say: O mankind! Indeed, I am the Messenger of Allah to you all.’ (Ibn Kathir) And the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: ‘I have been given five things which were not given to anyone before me.’ Among them, he stated: [ وَكَانَ النَّبِيُّ يُبْعَثُ إِلٰی قَوْمِهِ خَاصَّةً وَ بُعِثْتُ إِلَی النَّاسِ عَامَّةً ] [بخاري، التیمم، باب : ۳۳۵ ] ‘And every Prophet was sent only to his own people, but I have been sent to all mankind.’”
➋ { وَ مَا كُنَّا مُهْلِكِي الْقُرٰۤى … :} This is the answer to the question of why, after the coming of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), punishment does not descend upon those who do not believe. It is said, it is also Our way that We never destroy towns until their inhabitants persist in oppression to such an extent that they become deserving of the title of oppressor. Now, with the coming of this Prophet, you are being given respite so that by insisting on disbelief, polytheism, and oppression, you become oppressors and deserving of punishment, or by believing, you become deserving of mercy.
➌ Ibn Kathir said: “This verse is evidence that the Prophet (peace be upon him), who was sent in Umm al-Qura (Makkah), was sent to all the towns of Arabs and non-Arabs, as Allah Almighty said: «{ وَ كَذٰلِكَ اَوْحَيْنَاۤ اِلَيْكَ قُرْاٰنًا عَرَبِيًّا لِّتُنْذِرَ اُمَّ الْقُرٰى وَ مَنْ حَوْلَهَا }» [ الشورٰی : ۷ ] ‘And thus We have revealed to you an Arabic Qur’an so that you may warn the Mother of Towns (Makkah) and those around it.’ And He said: «{ قُلْ يٰۤاَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اِنِّيْ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ اِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيْعًا }» [ الأعراف : ۱۵۸ ] ‘Say: O mankind! Indeed, I am the Messenger of Allah to you all.’ (Ibn Kathir) And the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: ‘I have been given five things which were not given to anyone before me.’ Among them, he stated: [ وَكَانَ النَّبِيُّ يُبْعَثُ إِلٰی قَوْمِهِ خَاصَّةً وَ بُعِثْتُ إِلَی النَّاسِ عَامَّةً ] [بخاري، التیمم، باب : ۳۳۵ ] ‘And every Prophet was sent only to his own people, but I have been sent to all mankind.’”
