40. How are we to understand the words, “they cried lies to their Messengers” (in plural) when we know that Nuh was the only Messenger sent to his people? The answer is that perhaps they denied Messengers sent to peoples earlier to Nuh, or, that they denied the need for Messengers altogether, as the Brahmins do (Zamakhshari, Razi).

41. For lack of details in the Qur’an and hadith, there are various opinions over who the Companions of the Russ were. Qatadah’s opinion was that it was a town in Yamamah called Falj. `Ikrimah identified them with Companions of Yaaseen in Falj (in Yamamah). Ibn `Abbas and Mujahid simply said that Russ was a well; and the allusion is to Shu`ayb’s people who were largely shepherds (Razi). Doughty wrote in Travels in Arabia Deserta having seen a russ in Qaseem region in Waadiyy Rummah: “Where are seen wide ruins and foundations” (Majid).

Linguistically, russ is for any hole dug in the ground, such as a grave or a well. Hence Ibn Jarir believes they must be identified with the As-haab al-Ukhdood (Companions of the Trenches). Nonetheless, Ibn Is-haq has a narration from Ka`b al-Qurazi, who attributed his words to the Prophet, (but whose authenticity could not be checked: Au.). The Prophet said, “The first to enter Paradise will be a black slave. That is because Allah sent a Prophet to a town. But none believed but a black man. The townspeople dug a well, threw the Prophet in and sealed it with a stone slab. This (black) man used to carry wood on his back, sell it, buy food and drink and then, sliding the slab by Allah’s help, he would let the victuals down to him. It went on until one day he slept off before he could go to the woods. Allah sent on him seven years of sleep, after which he turned to another side, He sent another seven years of sleep on him. When he finally woke up, he thought he had slept off a few hours. He proceeded to gather the wood, sold it, and as usual went up to the well with the food. But he didn’t find him, for, in the meantime, his people were sorry for what they had done to him, and had brought him out. The Prophet (who was brought out) kept inquiring about the black slave, but nobody knew anything about him, until he (that Prophet) died (Ibn Jarir).

The above report seems to be pretty weak (Ibn Kathir).

Further, Allah tells us that the people mentioned here were destroyed, whereas the above report says that they came to believe in their Prophet. If the above report is true then perhaps the Qur’anic verse does not allude to them, or, maybe, they were destroyed thereafter, for some other reason (Qurtubi).

42. Although one opinion says that qarn is a period – some saying 120 years, others, 100, and yet others 80, etc. – the Prophet at least used the term in the sense of generation. He said, “The best generation is mine (qarni), then those who come after them and then those who come after them” (Ibn Kathir).

Hakim has a report in his Al-Kuna coming from Ibn `Abbas who said, “Whenever the Prophet counted, he went as far as Ma`d b. `Adnan, at whom he would stop and say, ‘Genealogists lied (when they counted beyond this).’ Then he would recite, ‘and many generations between that’” (Shawkani).

43. In explanation of the singular pronoun, Qatadah said, “That is, unto each one Allah sent the warning to eliminate his excuse, and then destroyed him because of consistent denial” (Ibn Jarir).

44. That is, the people of Loot.

45. The allusion is to the Makkan trade caravans passing by the destroyed towns of the people of Loot.

46. Whoever follows his desires in religious matters, blindly going after everything that he receives (from others), seeking neither evidence nor proof, is the one who worships his (lower) self (Zamakhshari).

Yusuf Ali adds: “The man who worships his own passions or impulses or desires is the most hopeless to teach or lead or guide. If it were anything else the matter with him, the Prophet could argue with him. But Reason cannot prevail over blind passion. It is vain to hope that such a man could be led, until his mad desires are kindled. No one could undertake any responsibility for him, for he obeys no laws and follows no advice. He is worse than brute beasts, which may not understand, but at least follow the wholesome instincts implanted in them by Allah. The lawless man has killed his instincts and is unwilling to submit to guidance.”