سُوْرَةُ الْعَنْكَبُوْتِ
Surah Al-Ankaboot (29) — Ayah 38
وَعَادًا وَثَمُودَا۟ وَقَد تَّبَيَّنَ لَكُم مِّن مَّسَـٰكِنِهِمْ ۖ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ فَصَدَّهُمْ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَكَانُوا۟ مُسْتَبْصِرِينَ ﴿38﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And ‘Âd and Thamûd (people)! And indeed (their destruction) is clearly apparent to you from their (ruined) dwellings. Shaitân (Satan) made their deeds fair-seeming to them, and turned them away from the (Right) Path, though they were intelligent.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَعَادًۭا
waʿādan
And Aad
وَثَمُودَا۟
wathamūdā
and Thamud
وَقَد
waqad
and verily
تَّبَيَّنَ
tabayyana
(has) become clear
لَكُم
lakum
to you
مِّن
min
from
مَّسَـٰكِنِهِمْ ۖ
masākinihim
their dwellings
وَزَيَّنَ
wazayyana
And made fair-seeming
لَهُمُ
lahumu
to them
ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ
l-shayṭānu
the Shaitaan
أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ
aʿmālahum
their deeds
فَصَدَّهُمْ
faṣaddahum
and averted them
عَنِ
ʿani
from
ٱلسَّبِيلِ
l-sabīli
the Way
وَكَانُوا۟
wakānū
though they were
مُسْتَبْصِرِينَ
mus'tabṣirīna
endowed with insight
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 38) ➊ {وَ عَادًا وَّ ثَمُوْدَاۡ وَ قَدْ تَّبَيَّنَ لَكُمْ مِّنْ مَّسٰكِنِهِمْ …:’’ مِنْ ‘‘} is for denoting a part (partitive), therefore it has been translated as "some of their dwellings have come before you." Obviously, their cities and settlements had been destroyed and ruined by Allah's punishment, but their traces and some remaining houses were left as objects of lesson. Both the people of ‘Ad and Thamud lived in regions that were located on well-known highways, and all the Arabs were familiar with them. The entire region of southern Arabia, now known as Ahqaf, Yemen, and Hadramaut, was the dwelling place of the people of ‘Ad, and the whole area from Rabigh to Aqabah in the northern part of Hijaz, and from Madinah and Khaybar to Tayma and Tabuk, is still filled with the remnants of Thamud. At the time when the Qur’an was revealed, those remnants must have been even more prominent.
➋ { وَ كَانُوْا مُسْتَبْصِرِيْنَ : ’’ أَبْصَرَ يُبْصِرُ‘‘} means to see, to be insightful. Due to the additional letters in {’’اِسْتَبْصَرَ يَسْتَبْصِرُ‘‘}, the meaning is intensified, i.e., they were very insightful, extremely intelligent, but all their insight and intelligence was limited to the world. They were very clever and skilled in worldly matters, the most advanced and powerful people of their time. But Satan made their deeds appear so attractive to them that he completely misled them regarding Allah and made them utterly heedless of the Hereafter. Elsewhere, Allah has described the same condition of most people: «{ وَ لٰكِنَّ اَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُوْنَ (6) يَعْلَمُوْنَ ظَاهِرًا مِّنَ الْحَيٰوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَ هُمْ عَنِ الْاٰخِرَةِ هُمْ غٰفِلُوْنَ}» [ الروم : ۶، ۷ ] "But most people do not know. They know only the outward of the life of this world, and of the Hereafter, they are heedless." Also look at the commentary on these verses. Some commentators have said that they were very intelligent, very insightful, and they knew well that what the Prophet was saying was the truth, but they were so immersed in their pleasures and Satan had so adorned their deeds for them that, despite knowing and understanding, they were not ready to leave their pleasures and come to the path of truth, and out of stubbornness and rebellion, they opposed the Prophets. Allah has described the same condition of Pharaoh and his people, that when Musa (peace be upon him) came to them with miracles: «{ وَ جَحَدُوْا بِهَا وَ اسْتَيْقَنَتْهَاۤ اَنْفُسُهُمْ ظُلْمًا وَّ عُلُوًّا فَانْظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِيْنَ }» [ النمل : ۱۴ ] "And they denied them out of injustice and arrogance, though their hearts were convinced of them, so see how was the end of the corrupters." Both interpretations are correct in their own place.
➌ In the incidents of the previous Prophets and their communities, there is a warning and lesson for the disbelievers of Quraysh that if they deny the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), their end will be like those who denied before, and for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the Muslims, there is comfort and encouragement that after trials and difficulties, ultimately they will be the ones to succeed.
➋ { وَ كَانُوْا مُسْتَبْصِرِيْنَ : ’’ أَبْصَرَ يُبْصِرُ‘‘} means to see, to be insightful. Due to the additional letters in {’’اِسْتَبْصَرَ يَسْتَبْصِرُ‘‘}, the meaning is intensified, i.e., they were very insightful, extremely intelligent, but all their insight and intelligence was limited to the world. They were very clever and skilled in worldly matters, the most advanced and powerful people of their time. But Satan made their deeds appear so attractive to them that he completely misled them regarding Allah and made them utterly heedless of the Hereafter. Elsewhere, Allah has described the same condition of most people: «{ وَ لٰكِنَّ اَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُوْنَ (6) يَعْلَمُوْنَ ظَاهِرًا مِّنَ الْحَيٰوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَ هُمْ عَنِ الْاٰخِرَةِ هُمْ غٰفِلُوْنَ}» [ الروم : ۶، ۷ ] "But most people do not know. They know only the outward of the life of this world, and of the Hereafter, they are heedless." Also look at the commentary on these verses. Some commentators have said that they were very intelligent, very insightful, and they knew well that what the Prophet was saying was the truth, but they were so immersed in their pleasures and Satan had so adorned their deeds for them that, despite knowing and understanding, they were not ready to leave their pleasures and come to the path of truth, and out of stubbornness and rebellion, they opposed the Prophets. Allah has described the same condition of Pharaoh and his people, that when Musa (peace be upon him) came to them with miracles: «{ وَ جَحَدُوْا بِهَا وَ اسْتَيْقَنَتْهَاۤ اَنْفُسُهُمْ ظُلْمًا وَّ عُلُوًّا فَانْظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِيْنَ }» [ النمل : ۱۴ ] "And they denied them out of injustice and arrogance, though their hearts were convinced of them, so see how was the end of the corrupters." Both interpretations are correct in their own place.
➌ In the incidents of the previous Prophets and their communities, there is a warning and lesson for the disbelievers of Quraysh that if they deny the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), their end will be like those who denied before, and for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the Muslims, there is comfort and encouragement that after trials and difficulties, ultimately they will be the ones to succeed.
