Surah Al-Qamar (54): Read Online and Download - English Translation

The Story of the People of Nuh and the Lesson from it

Allah the Exalted said,

(denied) `before your people, O Muhammad,'

(the people of Nuh. They rejected Our servant) means, they denied him categorically and accused him of madness,

(and said: "A madman!" Wazdujir.) Mujahid said about Wazdujir: "He was driven out accused on account of madness." It was also said that Wazdujir means, he was rebuked, deterred, threatened and warned by his people saying:

("If you do not stop O Nuh, you will be among those who will be stoned.") 26:116 This was said by Ibn Zayd, and it is sound.

(Then he invoked his Lord (saying): "I have been overcome, so help (me)!") meaning, `I am weak and cannot overcome or resist my people, so help Your religion!' Allah the Exalted said,

(So, We opened the gates of the heaven with water Munhamir.) As-Suddi said about Munhamir, "It means abundant."

(And We caused springs to gush forth from the earth.) means, from every part of the earth, and even ovens in which fire was burning -- water and springs gushed forth,

(So, the waters met), means, of the heaven and the earth,

(for a matter predestined.) Ibn Jurayj reported from Ibn `Abbas:

(So, We opened the gates of the heaven with water Munhamir), Torrential rain, the only water that fell from the sky before that day and ever since was from clouds. But the sky's gates were opened on them that day, and therefore, the water that came down was not from clouds. So both the waters (of the earth and the heaven) met according to a matter ordained." Allah said,

(And We carried him on a (ship) made of planks and nails (Dusur)), Ibn `Abbas, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Al-Qurazi, Qatadah and Ibn Zayd said that Dusur means nails. Ibn Jarir preferred this view. Allah's statement,

(Floating under Our Eyes), means, `by Our command and under Our protection and observation,'

(a reward for him who had been rejected!) meaning, as recompense for them because of their disbelief in Allah and as reward for Nuh, peace be upon him. Allah the Exalted said,

(And indeed, We have left this as a sign.) Qatadah said, "Allah left the ship of Nuh intact until the first generation of this Ummah were able to see it." However, it appears that the meaning here is that Allah kept ships as a sign. For instance, Allah the Exalted said,

(And a sign for them is that We bore their offspring in the laden ship. And We have created for them of the like thereunto, on which they ride.)(36:41-42),

(Verily, when the water rose beyond its limits, We carried you in the boat. That We might make it an admonition for you and that it might be retained by the retaining ears.)(69:11-12) Allah's statement here,

(Then is there any that will remember) means, `is there any that will receive admonition and reminder. Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "The Prophet recited to me,

(Then is there any that will remember)" Al-Bukhari collected a similar Hadith from `Abdullah that he said, "I recited to the Prophet (فَهَلْ مِن مُّذَّكِرٍ) (then is there any that will remember) and the Prophet said,

(Then is there any that will remember)" Allah's statement,

(Then how (terrible) was My torment and My warnings) means, `how terrible was My torment that I inflicted on those who disbelieved in Me and denied My Messengers, who did not heed to My warnings How was My help that I extended to My Messengers and the revenge exerted on their behalf,'

(And We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to understand and remember); meaning, `We have made the Qur'an easy to recite and comprehend for those who seek these traits, to remind mankind,' as Allah said,

((This is) a Book which We have sent down to you, full of blessings, that they may ponder over its Ayat, and that men of understanding may remember.)(38:29),

(So We have made this (the Qur'an) easy in your own tongue, only that you may give glad tidings to those who have Taqwa and warn with it the most quarrelsome people.)(19:97) Allah said,

(then is there any that will remember), meaning, `is there anyone who will remember through this Qur'an, which We made easy to memorize and easy to understand' Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi commented on this Ayah, "Is there anyone who will avoid evil"

The Story of ` Ad Allah states that ` Ad, the People of Hud, denied their Messenger, just as the people of Nuh did.

So, Allah sent on them,

(against them a violently cold (Sarsar) wind), means, a bitterly cold and furious wind,

(on a day of calamity), against them, according to Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah and As-Suddi,

(continuous), upon them because the calamity, torment and destruction that they suffered in this life on that day continued with that of the Hereafter,

(Plucking out men as if they were uprooted stems of date palms.) The wind would pluck one of them and raise him high, until he could no longer be seen, and then violently send him down on his head to the ground. His head would be smashed and only his body would be left, headless,

(as if they were uprooted stems of date palms. Then, how was My torment and My warnings And We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to understand and remember; then is there any that will remember)

The Story of Thamud

Allah states here that the people of Thamud denied their Messenger Salih,

(And they said: "A man, alone among us -- shall we follow him Truly, then we should be in error and distress!") They said, `We would have earned failure and loss if we all submitted to a man from among us.' They were amazed that the Reminder was sent to him alone among them, and therefore, accused him of being a liar,

(Nay, he is an insolent liar!), means, he has tresspassed the limits in his lies. Allah the Exalted responded,

(Tomorrow they will come to know who is the liar, the insolent one!), thus warning and threatening them and delivering a sure promise to them,

(Verily, We are sending the she-camel as a test for them.) To test and try the people of Thamud, Allah sent to them a superb, pregnant female camel that emerged from solid rock, according to their request, so that it would become a proof against them from Allah, the Exalted. Thereafter, they were supposed to believe in what was brought to them by Salih, peace be upon him. Allah ordered His servant and Messenger Salih,

(So watch them, and be patient!) Allah commanded, `await, O Salih, and see what will become of them and be patient; verily the better end will be yours and you will have success in this life and the Hereafter,'

(And inform them that the water is to be shared between them) one day for her to drink and one day for them to drink,

(He said: "Here is a she-camel: it has a right to drink, and you have a right to drink (water) on a day, known.") (26:155) Allah's statement,

(each one's right to drink being established.) Mujahid said, "When she did not drink, they would drink the water, and when she drank, they would drink her milk." Allah the Exalted said;

(But they called their comrade and he took and killed.) According to the Scholars of Tafsir, his name was Qudar bin Salif; he was the evilest among them,

(When the most wicked man among them went forth (to kill the she-camel).)(91:12) Allah said here,

(and he took) meaning to harm,

(and killed (her). Then, how was My torment and My warnings), `I tormented them, so how was the torment I sent on them because of their disbe- lief in Me and denying My Messenger'

(Verily, We sent against them a single Sayhah, and they became like straw Al-Muhtazir.) They all perished and none of them remained. They were no more, they died out, just as plants and grass dry and die out. As-Suddi said that they became like the dry grass in the desert when it becomes burned and the wind scatters it all about. Ibn Zayd said, "The Arabs used to erect fences (Hizar, from which the word, Al-Muhtazir, is derived) made of dried bushes, around their camels and cattle, so Allah said,

(like straw Al-Muhtazir.)