AL AHQAAF — Ayat 21

Tafsir Ibnu Katsir

وَاذْكُرْ أَخَا عَادٍ إِذْ أَنذَرَ قَوْمَهُ بِالاٌّحْقَافِ وَقَدْ خَلَتِ النُّذُرُ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ أَلاَّ تَعْبُدُواْ إِلاَّ اللَّهَ إِنِّى أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ - قَالُواْ أَجِئْتَنَا لِتَأْفِكَنَا عَنْ ءَالِهَتِنَا فَأْتِنَا بِمَا تَعِدُنَآ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّـدِقِينَ - قَالَ إِنَّمَا الْعِلْمُ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَأُبَلِّغُكُمْ مَّآ أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ وَلَـكِنِّى أَرَاكُمْ قَوْماً تَجْهَلُونَ - فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهُ عَارِضاً مُّسْتَقْبِلَ أَوْدِيَتِهِمْ قَالُواْ هَـذَا عَارِضٌ مُّمْطِرُنَا بَلْ هُوَ مَا اسْتَعْجَلْتُم بِهِ رِيحٌ فِيهَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ - تُدَمِّرُ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ بِأَمْرِ رَبِّهَا فَأْصْبَحُواْ لاَ يُرَى إِلاَّ مَسَـكِنُهُمْ كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى الْقَوْمَ الْمُجْرِمِينَ

21. And remember the brother of `Ad, when he warned his people in Al-Ahqaf. And surely, warners had already passed on before him and after him (saying): ”Worship none but Allah; truly, I fear for you the torment of a mighty Day.'' 22. They said: ”Have you come to delude us from our gods Then bring us that with which you threaten us, if you are one of the truthful!'' 23. He said: ”The knowledge (of that) is only with Allah. And I convey to you that wherewith I have been sent, but I see that you are a people given to ignorance!'' 24. Then, when they saw it as a dense cloud approaching their valleys, they said: ”This is a cloud bringing us rain!'' Nay, but it is that which you were asking to be hastened - a wind wherein is a painful torment! 25. Destroying everything by the command of its Lord! So they became such that nothing could be seen except their dwellings! Thus do We recompense the criminal people!   Allah says, consoling His Prophet in regard to the rejection of those who opposed him among his people,