Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 29 Al-'Ankabut, Ayat 39-40

وَقَارُوۡنَ وَفِرۡعَوۡنَ وَهَامٰنَ​ وَلَقَدۡ جَآءَهُمۡ مُّوۡسٰى بِالۡبَيِّنٰتِ فَاسۡتَكۡبَرُوۡا فِى الۡاَرۡضِ وَمَا كَانُوۡا سٰبِقِيۡنَ ​ ۖ ​ ۚ‏ ﴿29:39﴾ فَكُلًّا اَخَذۡنَا بِذَنۡۢبِهٖ​ ۚ فَمِنۡهُمۡ مَّنۡ اَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ حَاصِبًا​ ۚ وَمِنۡهُمۡ مَّنۡ اَخَذَتۡهُ الصَّيۡحَةُ​ ۚ وَمِنۡهُمۡ مَّنۡ خَسَفۡنَا بِهِ الۡاَرۡضَ​ ۚ وَمِنۡهُمۡ مَّنۡ اَغۡرَقۡنَا​ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ اللّٰهُ لِيَـظۡلِمَهُمۡ وَلٰـكِنۡ كَانُوۡۤا اَنۡفُسَهُمۡ يَظۡلِمُوۡنَ‏ ﴿29:40﴾

(29:39) And We destroyed Qarun (Korah) and Pharaoh and Haman. Moses came to them with Clear Signs but they waxed arrogant in the land although they could not have outstripped67 (Us). (29:40) So We seized each for their sin. We let loose upon some a violent tornado with showers of stones;68 some were overtaken by a mighty Cry;69 some were caused to be swallowed up by the earth,70 and some We drowned.71 Allah would not wrong them, but it is they who wronged themselves.72

Notes

67. That is, “They could not have gotten away and escaped Allah’s grasp: they had no power to frustrate and defeat Allah’s plans and schemes.”

68. That is, Aad who were subjected to a furious windstorm which blew on them for seven nights and eight days continuously.

69. That is, Thamud.

70. That is, Korah.

71. That is, Pharaoh and Haman.

72. The stories that have been related in the foregoing verses, have been addressed and directed both to the believers and to the disbelievers. To the believers they have been addressed so that they do not feel discouraged and distressed at heart, and keep aloft the banner of the truth firmly and patiently even in the face of the severe persecutions and hardships, and should have full faith in Allah that His succor shall ultimately come, and He will frustrate the designs of the wicked people and make the word of the truth to prevail. On the other hand, these have been addressed to those wicked people also, who in their arrogance were bent upon exterminating the Islamic movement. They have been warned to the effect: “You have formed a wrong opinion about Allah’s forbearance and clemency. You think; that His is a lawless Kingdom. If you have not been seized so far for your rebellion and your tyrannies and wicked deeds and have been granted a long respite so that you may reform yourselves, you have inferred that there exists no power whatsoever which can call you to account, and that one can go on doing whatever one likes endlessly on this earth. This misconception will ultimately lead you to the same doom that has already been met by the peoples of Noah and Lot and Shuaib, (peace be upon them) and experienced by Aad and Thamud, and seen by Korah and Pharaoh.