Translation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary * - Translations’ Index
Translation of the meanings Ayah: (59) Surah: Al-Isrā’
وَمَا مَنَعَنَآ أَن نُّرۡسِلَ بِٱلۡأٓيَٰتِ إِلَّآ أَن كَذَّبَ بِهَا ٱلۡأَوَّلُونَۚ وَءَاتَيۡنَا ثَمُودَ ٱلنَّاقَةَ مُبۡصِرَةٗ فَظَلَمُواْ بِهَاۚ وَمَا نُرۡسِلُ بِٱلۡأٓيَٰتِ إِلَّا تَخۡوِيفٗا
(59) [3623]Nothing withholds Us from sending with the Signs, except that the ancients denied them: We gave the Thamūd the she-camel, a Sign clear ˹to the sight˺, yet they wronged through her[3624]—We only send the signs to instil fear[3625].
[3623] As defensive strategy, the Makkan idolaters used to ask the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) to provide them with miracles. They were not obliged out of mercy, because if they were to be given what they asked for and still did not Believe, Punishment was sure to come as it did with the Thamūd tribe (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Kathīr).
The great Qur’anic exegete, ʿAbdullāh Ibn al-ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) gives the reason for the revelation of this aya as follows: “The Makkans asked the Prophet (ﷺ) to turn Mount Ṣafā into gold and that he should drive the mountains away from their town so that they may have more land for planting. He was told: “If you want you can delay them, but should you wish, you may give them what they ask for. But if they still Deny, then they shall be destroyed as those before them were destroyed”. He replied: “No! But I shall delay them”. Then Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) revealed this aya”. (Imām Aḥmad: 2333; al-Nasā’ī, al-Sunan al-Kubrā: 11226.)
[3624] Úalamū bihā (lit. they wronged through her) is that they committed an injustice by slaughtering the she-camel (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr. Al-Saʿdī): “They then slayed the she-camel, insolently rebelled against their Lord’s Command and said: “Ṣāliḥ, bring down on us what you promise us if ˹only˺ you are ˹truly˺ one of the ones who were sent ˹the Messengers˺”!” *Then the quake ˹soon˺ betook them and they became ˹dead˺ fallen prone in their ˹very˺ land” (7: 77-78).
[3625] Whatever, ‘Sign’ which should be a cause for cogitation, God makes perceptible, is meant to instil fear in people, so that they may Believe and/or mend their ways (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn ʿAṭiyyah, al-Rasʿanī, Abū Ḥayyān).
Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī (رضي الله عنه) narrated: “The sun eclipsed and the Prophet (ﷺ) rose alarmed, fearing that the Hour had come! Then he went to the mosque and Prayed observing the longest standing and prostrating I ever saw him observe. Then he (ﷺ) said: “These signs that Allah sends are not caused by anyone’s death or birth. But through them Allah instils fear in His servants. When you see any of them, rush to remembering, invocating and asking Him for forgiveness” (al-Bukhārī: 1059; Muslim: 912).
The great Qur’anic exegete, ʿAbdullāh Ibn al-ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) gives the reason for the revelation of this aya as follows: “The Makkans asked the Prophet (ﷺ) to turn Mount Ṣafā into gold and that he should drive the mountains away from their town so that they may have more land for planting. He was told: “If you want you can delay them, but should you wish, you may give them what they ask for. But if they still Deny, then they shall be destroyed as those before them were destroyed”. He replied: “No! But I shall delay them”. Then Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) revealed this aya”. (Imām Aḥmad: 2333; al-Nasā’ī, al-Sunan al-Kubrā: 11226.)
[3624] Úalamū bihā (lit. they wronged through her) is that they committed an injustice by slaughtering the she-camel (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr. Al-Saʿdī): “They then slayed the she-camel, insolently rebelled against their Lord’s Command and said: “Ṣāliḥ, bring down on us what you promise us if ˹only˺ you are ˹truly˺ one of the ones who were sent ˹the Messengers˺”!” *Then the quake ˹soon˺ betook them and they became ˹dead˺ fallen prone in their ˹very˺ land” (7: 77-78).
[3625] Whatever, ‘Sign’ which should be a cause for cogitation, God makes perceptible, is meant to instil fear in people, so that they may Believe and/or mend their ways (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn ʿAṭiyyah, al-Rasʿanī, Abū Ḥayyān).
Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī (رضي الله عنه) narrated: “The sun eclipsed and the Prophet (ﷺ) rose alarmed, fearing that the Hour had come! Then he went to the mosque and Prayed observing the longest standing and prostrating I ever saw him observe. Then he (ﷺ) said: “These signs that Allah sends are not caused by anyone’s death or birth. But through them Allah instils fear in His servants. When you see any of them, rush to remembering, invocating and asking Him for forgiveness” (al-Bukhārī: 1059; Muslim: 912).
Arabic explanations of the Qur’an:
Translation of the meanings Ayah: (59) Surah: Al-Isrā’
Translation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary - Translations’ Index
Translation of the meanings of the Noble Qur’an into English - in progress - translated by Dr. Walid Bleihesh Al-Omari.