Tafheem ul Quran
Surah 46 Al-Ahqaf, Ayat 24-25
فَلَمَّا رَاَوۡهُ عَارِضًا مُّسۡتَقۡبِلَ اَوۡدِيَتِهِمۡ ۙ قَالُوۡا هٰذَا عَارِضٌ مُّمۡطِرُنَا ؕ بَلۡ هُوَ مَا اسۡتَعۡجَلۡتُمۡ بِهٖ ۚ رِيۡحٌ فِيۡهَا عَذَابٌ اَ لِيۡمٌۙ
﴿46:24﴾
تُدَمِّرُ كُلَّ شَىۡءٍ ۭ بِاَمۡرِ رَبِّهَا فَاَصۡبَحُوۡا لَا يُرٰٓى اِلَّا مَسٰكِنُهُمۡؕ كَذٰلِكَ نَجۡزِى الۡقَوۡمَ الۡمُجۡرِمِيۡنَ
﴿46:25﴾
(46:24) When they saw the scourge advancing towards their valleys, they said:
“This is a cloud that will bring much rain to us.” “By no means;28
it is what you had sought to hasten � a wind-storm bearing a grievous chastisement
(46:25) that will destroy everything by the command of its Lord.” Thereafter
nothing was left to be seen except their dwellings. Thus do We requite the wrong-doers.29
Notes
28. Here, there is no indication as to who gave them this answer. However,
the style shows explicitly that this was the answer they were given by the existing
conditions. They thought it was a cloud which was coming to give rain to their
valleys, but in reality it was a windstorm that was coming on to completely
exterminate them.
29. For the details of the story of Aad, see
(Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayats 65-72);
(Surah Houd, Ayats 50-60);
(Surah Al- Muminun, Ayats 31-41);
(Surah Ash-Shuara, Ayats 123-140);
(Surah Al-Ankabut, Ayat 40);
(Surah HaMim-AsSajdah, Ayats 15-16 and the
corresponding E.Ns).