Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 23 Al-Mu'minun, Ayat 75-77

وَلَوۡ رَحِمۡنٰهُمۡ وَكَشَفۡنَا مَا بِهِمۡ مِّنۡ ضُرٍّ لَّـلَجُّوۡا فِىۡ طُغۡيَانِهِمۡ يَعۡمَهُوۡنَ‏ ﴿23:75﴾ وَلَقَدۡ اَخَذۡنٰهُمۡ بِالۡعَذَابِ فَمَا اسۡتَكَانُوۡا لِرَبِّهِمۡ وَمَا يَتَضَرَّعُوۡنَ‏  ﴿23:76﴾ حَتّٰٓى اِذَا فَتَحۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ بَابًا ذَا عَذَابٍ شَدِيۡدٍ اِذَا هُمۡ فِيۡهِ مُبۡلِسُوۡنَ‏ ﴿23:77﴾

(23:75) Were We to be merciful to them and remove from them their present afflictions, they would persist in their transgression, blindly wandering on.72 (23:76) (They are such) that We seized them with chastisement (and yet) they did not humble themselves before their Lord, nor do they entreat (23:77) until We opened upon them the door of a severe chastisement. Then lo, in this state they become utterly despaired of any good.73

Notes

72. The affliction alluded to in this verse was the famine which occurred in Makkah some time after the advent of Prophethood. According to Abdullah bin Masud, when the Quraish persistently refused to accept the invitation of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and started putting up stiff resistance, he prayed: O Allah, help me against them with a seven year famine like the seven year famine of the time of Prophet Joseph. So a severe famine started in Makkah with the result that people were obliged to eat carrion. This famine has been alluded to in a number of Makki Surahs. For instance see (Surah Al-Anaam, Ayats 42-44); (Surah Al- Aaraf, Ayats 94-99); (Surah Yunus, Ayats 11, 12, 21); (Surah An-Nahl, Ayats 112-113) and (Surah Ad-Dukhan, Ayats 10- 16 ) along with the relevant E.Ns.

73. The Arabic word mublis is used for one whom frustration makes so desperate and obdurate that he does not hesitate to resort to any crime. The Devil has been called Iblis for the same reason.