سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ
Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 74
وَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟ إِذْ جَعَلَكُمْ خُلَفَآءَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ عَادٍ وَبَوَّأَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِن سُهُولِهَا قُصُورًا وَتَنْحِتُونَ ٱلْجِبَالَ بُيُوتًا ۖ فَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟ ءَالَآءَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ ﴿74﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And remember when He made you successors after ‘Âd (people) and gave you habitations in the land, you build for yourselves palaces in plains, and carve out homes in the mountains. So remember the graces (bestowed upon you) from Allâh, and do not go about making mischief on the earth."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟
wa-udh'kurū
And remember
إِذْ
idh
when
جَعَلَكُمْ
jaʿalakum
He made you
خُلَفَآءَ
khulafāa
successors
مِنۢ
min
from
بَعْدِ
baʿdi
after
عَادٍۢ
ʿādin
Aad
وَبَوَّأَكُمْ
wabawwa-akum
and settled you
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
the earth
تَتَّخِذُونَ
tattakhidhūna
You take
مِن
min
from
سُهُولِهَا
suhūlihā
its plains
قُصُورًۭا
quṣūran
palaces
وَتَنْحِتُونَ
watanḥitūna
and you carve out
ٱلْجِبَالَ
l-jibāla
the mountains
بُيُوتًۭا ۖ
buyūtan
(as) homes
فَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟
fa-udh'kurū
So remember
ءَالَآءَ
ālāa
(the) Bounties
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
وَلَا
walā
and (do) not
تَعْثَوْا۟
taʿthaw
act wickedly
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
(the) earth
مُفْسِدِينَ
muf'sidīna
spreading corruption
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
And remember when He made you successors after the people of ‘Ad and settled you in the land. You build palaces on its plains and carve homes out of the mountains [78]. So remember Allah’s favors, and do not go about spreading corruption [79] in the land."
[78]
The Structure of the Houses of the People of Thamud:
The stature of these people was also very large and their lifespans were very long. If they built houses with ordinary wooden roofs, they would become worn out and collapse several times during the lifetime of the builder himself. According to common tradition, their lifespans in that era ranged between three hundred and six hundred years, while wooden houses would last at most a hundred years, then become worn out and weak and collapse. Therefore, they built their houses in the mountains. They were master stone carvers and engineers. They would carve out houses from within the mountains, in which there were windows, doors, everything, and due to their durability, they could spend a long time there. And if they built houses on level ground, those too would be so strong as if a palace had been erected.
[79]
The Corruption of the People of Thamud on Earth:
When the majority of these people did not believe even after seeing their demanded miracle, Salihؑ reminded them of Allah’s favors and said: When the people of ‘Ad disobeyed Allah and acted arrogantly, you saw what happened to them. Then Allah made you their successors, gave you strength, and granted you so much power and prosperity that instead of living in ordinary houses, you live in palaces. So, be grateful for these favors of Allah and do not become a cause of corruption on earth. Here, “corruption on earth” refers to adopting disbelief and polytheism, arrogantly rejecting the call of the prophets to guidance, mocking those who accept the call, treating them harshly, and confronting them. The purpose of all these things is that their own leaderships might not come to an end. Then, in such a society, the arrogant elite exploit the poor and oppress them in ways that everyone knows, and all these things fall under the category of “corruption on earth.”
[78]
The Structure of the Houses of the People of Thamud:
The stature of these people was also very large and their lifespans were very long. If they built houses with ordinary wooden roofs, they would become worn out and collapse several times during the lifetime of the builder himself. According to common tradition, their lifespans in that era ranged between three hundred and six hundred years, while wooden houses would last at most a hundred years, then become worn out and weak and collapse. Therefore, they built their houses in the mountains. They were master stone carvers and engineers. They would carve out houses from within the mountains, in which there were windows, doors, everything, and due to their durability, they could spend a long time there. And if they built houses on level ground, those too would be so strong as if a palace had been erected.
[79]
The Corruption of the People of Thamud on Earth:
When the majority of these people did not believe even after seeing their demanded miracle, Salihؑ reminded them of Allah’s favors and said: When the people of ‘Ad disobeyed Allah and acted arrogantly, you saw what happened to them. Then Allah made you their successors, gave you strength, and granted you so much power and prosperity that instead of living in ordinary houses, you live in palaces. So, be grateful for these favors of Allah and do not become a cause of corruption on earth. Here, “corruption on earth” refers to adopting disbelief and polytheism, arrogantly rejecting the call of the prophets to guidance, mocking those who accept the call, treating them harshly, and confronting them. The purpose of all these things is that their own leaderships might not come to an end. Then, in such a society, the arrogant elite exploit the poor and oppress them in ways that everyone knows, and all these things fall under the category of “corruption on earth.”
