سُوْرَةُ مُحَمَّدٍ
Surah Muhammad (47) — Ayah 13
وَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ هِىَ أَشَدُّ قُوَّةً مِّن قَرْيَتِكَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَخْرَجَتْكَ أَهْلَكْنَـٰهُمْ فَلَا نَاصِرَ لَهُمْ ﴿13﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And many a town, stronger than your town (Makkah) (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) which has driven you out We have destroyed. And there was none to help them.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَكَأَيِّن
waka-ayyin
And how many
مِّن
min
of
قَرْيَةٍ
qaryatin
a town
هِىَ
hiya
which
أَشَدُّ
ashaddu
(was) stronger
قُوَّةًۭ
quwwatan
(in) strength
مِّن
min
than
قَرْيَتِكَ
qaryatika
your town
ٱلَّتِىٓ
allatī
which
أَخْرَجَتْكَ
akhrajatka
has driven you out
أَهْلَكْنَـٰهُمْ
ahlaknāhum
We destroyed them
فَلَا
falā
so no
نَاصِرَ
nāṣira
helper
لَهُمْ
lahum
for them
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 13) ➊ {وَ كَاَيِّنْ مِّنْ قَرْيَةٍ هِيَ اَشَدُّ قُوَّةً …:} is connected to {’’ اَفَلَمْ يَسِيْرُوْا فِي الْاَرْضِ فَيَنْظُرُوْا ‘‘}, with the conversation digressing in between, and then the same sequence of speech is resumed. In this, there is a warning for the disbelievers of Makkah and consolation for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that the people of Makkah who forced you to leave your town should not be proud of their power and might, and you should not be disheartened by seeing their strength. What status do these poor people have? How many towns before them were there that were much stronger than them; We destroyed them, and then there was no one to help them. See Surah Ar-Rum (9, 10) and Surah Al-Mu’min (21).
➋ By { ’’ قَرْيَةٍ ‘‘} is meant the people of the town, as the brothers of Yusuf (peace be upon him) said to their noble father: « وَ سْـَٔلِ الْقَرْيَةَ الَّتِيْ كُنَّا فِيْهَا وَ الْعِيْرَ الَّتِيْۤ اَقْبَلْنَا فِيْهَا » [ یوسف:۸۲ ] “And ask the town in which we were, and the caravan with which we came.” Therefore, instead of {’’أَهْلَكْنَا هَا‘‘}, it is said {’’ اَهْلَكْنٰهُمْ ‘‘} (We destroyed them), meaning We destroyed the people of that town. Declaring the whole town as the expeller expresses anger, because some were the ones who expelled, and some remained silent and supported them, as is said about the people of ‘Ad: « فَكَذَّبُوْهُ فَعَقَرُوْهَا » [الشمس: ۱۴] “So they denied him, and hamstrung her (the she-camel).” Although the one who hamstrung the she-camel was only one person.
➌ Allah Almighty also gave this consolation to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) because he felt intense grief and sorrow at leaving Makkah. Abdullah bin ‘Adi bin Hamra’ az-Zuhri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) standing at {’’حزوَرَه‘‘}, and he said: [ وَاللّٰهِ! إِنَّكِ لَخَيْرُ أَرْضِ اللّٰهِ وَأَحَبُّ أَرْضِ اللّٰهِ إِلَی اللّٰهِ وَ لَوْ لَا أَنِّيْ أُخْرِجْتُ مِنْكِ مَا خَرَجْتُ ] [ ترمذي، المناقب، باب في فضل مکۃ: ۳۹۲۵، و قال الألباني صحیح ] “By Allah! You are the best of Allah’s land, and the most beloved land to Allah, and had I not been driven out from you, I would not have left.”
➋ By { ’’ قَرْيَةٍ ‘‘} is meant the people of the town, as the brothers of Yusuf (peace be upon him) said to their noble father: « وَ سْـَٔلِ الْقَرْيَةَ الَّتِيْ كُنَّا فِيْهَا وَ الْعِيْرَ الَّتِيْۤ اَقْبَلْنَا فِيْهَا » [ یوسف:۸۲ ] “And ask the town in which we were, and the caravan with which we came.” Therefore, instead of {’’أَهْلَكْنَا هَا‘‘}, it is said {’’ اَهْلَكْنٰهُمْ ‘‘} (We destroyed them), meaning We destroyed the people of that town. Declaring the whole town as the expeller expresses anger, because some were the ones who expelled, and some remained silent and supported them, as is said about the people of ‘Ad: « فَكَذَّبُوْهُ فَعَقَرُوْهَا » [الشمس: ۱۴] “So they denied him, and hamstrung her (the she-camel).” Although the one who hamstrung the she-camel was only one person.
➌ Allah Almighty also gave this consolation to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) because he felt intense grief and sorrow at leaving Makkah. Abdullah bin ‘Adi bin Hamra’ az-Zuhri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) standing at {’’حزوَرَه‘‘}, and he said: [ وَاللّٰهِ! إِنَّكِ لَخَيْرُ أَرْضِ اللّٰهِ وَأَحَبُّ أَرْضِ اللّٰهِ إِلَی اللّٰهِ وَ لَوْ لَا أَنِّيْ أُخْرِجْتُ مِنْكِ مَا خَرَجْتُ ] [ ترمذي، المناقب، باب في فضل مکۃ: ۳۹۲۵، و قال الألباني صحیح ] “By Allah! You are the best of Allah’s land, and the most beloved land to Allah, and had I not been driven out from you, I would not have left.”
