Surah Hud 11:61-68 - Quran Translation Commentary

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Tafsir Maariful Quran

Quran Translation and Commentary by Maulana Mufti Mohammad Shafi. Translation by Prof. Muhammad Hasan Askari & Prof. Muhammad Shamim. Revised by Justice Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani

Quran Translation
Word for Word by
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh
& Kausar Khatri

41. Ha-Meem-As-Sajdah

Surah 11. Hud

Verses [Section]: 1-8[1], 9-24 [2], 25-35 [3], 36-49 [4], 50-60 [5], 61-68 [6], 69-83 [7], 84-95 [8], 96-109 [9], 110-123 [10]

Quran Text of Verse 61-68وَ اِلٰیAnd toثَمُوْدَThamudاَخَاهُمْ(We sent) their brother صٰلِحًا ۘSalihقَالَHe saidیٰقَوْمِO my people!اعْبُدُواWorshipاللّٰهَAllahمَاnotلَكُمْyou haveمِّنْanyاِلٰهٍgod غَیْرُهٗ ؕother than HimهُوَHeاَنْشَاَكُمْproduced youمِّنَfromالْاَرْضِthe earthوَ اسْتَعْمَرَكُمْand settled youفِیْهَاin itفَاسْتَغْفِرُوْهُSo ask forgiveness of Himثُمَّthenتُوْبُوْۤاturn in repentance اِلَیْهِ ؕto HimاِنَّIndeedرَبِّیْmy Lordقَرِیْبٌ(is) nearمُّجِیْبٌ All-Responsive قَالُوْاThey saidیٰصٰلِحُO SalihقَدْVerilyكُنْتَyou wereفِیْنَاamong usمَرْجُوًّاthe one in whom hope was placedقَبْلَbeforeهٰذَاۤthisاَتَنْهٰىنَاۤDo you forbid usاَنْthatنَّعْبُدَwe worshipمَاwhatیَعْبُدُworshippedاٰبَآؤُنَاour forefathersوَ اِنَّنَاAnd indeed weلَفِیْsurely (are) inشَكٍّdoubtمِّمَّاabout whatتَدْعُوْنَاۤyou call usاِلَیْهِto itمُرِیْبٍ suspicious 11. Hud Page 229قَالَHe saidیٰقَوْمِO my people!اَرَءَیْتُمْDo you seeاِنْifكُنْتُI amعَلٰیonبَیِّنَةٍa clear proofمِّنْfromرَّبِّیْmy Lordوَ اٰتٰىنِیْand He has given meمِنْهُfrom Himرَحْمَةًa Mercyفَمَنْthen whoیَّنْصُرُنِیْ(can) help meمِنَagainstاللّٰهِAllahاِنْif عَصَیْتُهٗ ۫I (were to) disobey HimفَمَاSo notتَزِیْدُوْنَنِیْyou would increase meغَیْرَbutتَخْسِیْرٍ (in) loss وَ یٰقَوْمِAnd O my people!هٰذِهٖThisنَاقَةُshe-camelاللّٰهِ(of) Allahلَكُمْ(is) for youاٰیَةًa Signفَذَرُوْهَاso leave herتَاْكُلْto eatفِیْۤinاَرْضِthe earthاللّٰهِ(of) Allahوَ لَاand (do) notتَمَسُّوْهَاtouch herبِسُوْٓءٍwith harmفَیَاْخُذَكُمْlest will seize youعَذَابٌa punishmentقَرِیْبٌ impending فَعَقَرُوْهَاBut they hamstrung herفَقَالَSo he saidتَمَتَّعُوْاEnjoy (yourselves)فِیْinدَارِكُمْyour home(s)ثَلٰثَةَ(for) three اَیَّامٍ ؕdaysذٰلِكَThatوَعْدٌ(is) a promiseغَیْرُnotمَكْذُوْبٍ (to) be belied فَلَمَّاSo whenجَآءَcameاَمْرُنَاOur commandنَجَّیْنَاWe savedصٰلِحًاSalihوَّ الَّذِیْنَand those whoاٰمَنُوْاbelievedمَعَهٗwith himبِرَحْمَةٍby a Mercyمِّنَّاfrom Usوَ مِنْand fromخِزْیِ(the) disgrace یَوْمِىِٕذٍ ؕ(of) that DayاِنَّIndeedرَبَّكَyour LordهُوَHeالْقَوِیُّ(is) All- Strongالْعَزِیْزُ All-Mighty وَ اَخَذَAnd seizedالَّذِیْنَthose whoظَلَمُواwrongedالصَّیْحَةُthe thunderous blastفَاَصْبَحُوْاthen they becameفِیْinدِیَارِهِمْtheir homesجٰثِمِیْنَۙfallen prone كَاَنْAs ifلَّمْnotیَغْنَوْاthey (had) prospered فِیْهَا ؕthereinاَلَاۤNo doubtاِنَّindeedثَمُوْدَاۡThamudكَفَرُوْاdisbelieved رَبَّهُمْ ؕ(in) their Lordاَلَاsoبُعْدًاawayلِّثَمُوْدَ۠with Thamud

Translation of Verse 61-68

(11:61) And to (the people of) Thamūd (We sent) their brother, SāliH. He said, “O my people, worship Allah. You have no god other than Him. He has created you from earth and made you settle therein. So, seek His forgiveness, then turn to Him in repentance. Surely, my Lord is near, responsive to the prayers.”

(11:62) They said, “O SāliH, we had hopes in you before this. Do you ask us not to worship what our fathers used to worship? We have serious doubts that have disturbed us about the faith to which you are calling us.”

(11:63) He said, “O my people, tell me: If I have a clear proof from my Lord, and He has bestowed mercy upon me from Himself, who will come to my help against Allah, if I still disobey Him? So, you extend nothing to me but loss

(11:64) And O my people, this is the she-camel of Allah, a sign for you. So, leave her free to eat on the earth of Allah, and do not even touch her with evil (intention), lest an approaching punishment should seize you.”

(11:65) Then they slaughtered her. So, he said, “Enjoy yourselves in your homes for three days (only). That is a promise, not to be backed out.”

(11:66) So, when came Our command, We saved SāliH and those who believed along with Him, out of mercy from Us, and (We saved them) from the disgrace of that day. Surely, your Lord is the Powerful, the All Mighty

(11:67) And those who transgressed were caught by the Cry, and they were found dead in their homes, fallen on their knees

(11:68) as though they had never lived there. Lo! The people of Thamūd disbelieved their Lord. Lo! Ruined were the people of Thamūd

Commentary

Verse:61 Commentary - - - Verse:62 Commentary As part of this event, the people of Sayyidna Salih (علیہ السلام) have been reported to have said to him: قَدْ كُنتَ فِينَا مَرْ‌جُوًّا قَبْلَ هَـٰذَا ( O Salih, we had hopes in you before this - 62). It means that, before he claimed to be a prophet and started telling them to shun idol-worship, they had great hopes in him. They thought he would rise to be a great reformer and leader of their people. The reason is that Allah Ta` a1a nurtures and grooms his prophets from their childhood in a way that they become models of good morals and habits. Whoever looks at them, loves and respects them. This is what happened in the case of the Last Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم Before he declared that he has been sent as a prophet, the whole Arabia called him al-amin (the trustworthy one) and took him to be true and righteous. It was only when he announced his prophet-hood and prohibited idol-worship that everyone turned hostile to him. Verse:63 Commentary - - - Verse:64 Commentary - - - Verse:65 Commentary In verse 65, it was said: تَمَتَّعُوا فِي دَارِ‌كُمْ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ "Enjoy yourselves in your homes for three days [ only ]." That is, when these people killed the she-camel associated with the miracle in flagrant contravention of the Di-vine command, then, something serious happened. As warned earlier, ` lest a near punishment should seize you - 64', the punishment did come upon them in a manner that they were given a respite of three days and told that they all will be destroyed on the fourth day. Verse:66 Commentary - - - Verse:67 Commentary According to Tafsir al-Qurtubi, these three days were Thursday, Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, the punishment descended upon them: وَأَخَذَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا الصَّيْحَةُ (And those who transgressed were caught by the Cry - 67). This awesome Cry was that of the archangel, Sayyidna Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) which was far more terrorizing that the combined thunderbolts of worldly lightening could ever be, something human senses could not take. All hearts were rent apart by the horrific sound resulting in the mass destruction of those people.

From this verse we learn that the people of Sayyidna Salih (علیہ السلام) were destroyed by a severe Sound, but what Surah al-A` raf says about them is: فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّ‌جْفَةُ (So, the earthquake seized them - 7:78, 91) which, as obvious, tells us that the punishment visiting them was that of the earthquake. Commentator al-Qurtubi has said that there is no contradiction here. It is possible that the earthquake came first and then they all were destroyed by the severe Sound. Allah knows best. Verse:68 Commentary - - -