Tafheem ul Quran
Surah 85 Al-Buruj, Ayat 17-20
هَلۡ اَتٰٮكَ حَدِيۡثُ الۡجُـنُوۡدِۙ ﴿85:17﴾
فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَثَمُوۡدَؕ ﴿85:18﴾
بَلِ الَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡا فِىۡ تَكۡذِيۡبٍۙ ﴿85:19﴾
وَّاللّٰهُ مِنۡ وَّرَآئِهِمۡ مُّحِيۡطٌۚ ﴿85:20﴾
(85:17) Has the story of the armies reached you, (85:18) the armies of Pharaoh and Thamud?8 (85:19) The unbelievers are indeed engaged in denying it, calling it a lie,
(85:20) although Allah surrounds them.
Notes
8. The address is directed to the people who in their false pride of having
powerful hosts, are breaking the law of God on His earth. They are being warned,
as if to say: Do you know what evil fate was met before by those who broke the
bounds set by Allah on the strength of the power of their hosts.