ﱲ ﱳ ﱴ ﱵ ﱶ ﱷ ﱸ ﱹ ﱺ ﱻ ﱼ ﱽ ﱾ ﱿ ﲀ ﲁ ﲂ ﲃ ﲄ ﲅ ﲆ ﲇ ﲈ ﲉ ﲊ ﲋ ﲌ ﲍ ﲎ ﲏ ﲐ ﲑ ﲒ ﲓ
Have they not traveled through the earth and observed how was the end of those before them? They were greater than them in power, and they plowed the earth and built it up more than they have built it up, and their messengers came to them with clear evidences. And Allah would not ever have wronged them, but they were wronging themselves.
Tafsir
Verse range: 30:9
"Have they not traveled through the land" — a rebuke to them for their failure to take heed by witnessing the conditions of their predecessors, which serve as evidence of their ultimate fate and outcome. The interrogative particle (al-hamza) is for reprimanding negation or invalidation. Since it enters upon a negation, and the negation of a negation is an affirmation, it is said: it is to confirm the negated matter. The waw (and) is for conjunction with an implied meaning necessitated by the context; that is: Did they sit in their places and not travel through the land?
His saying, "then they observed," is a conjunction to "traveled," falling under its ruling. The meaning is that they indeed traveled through the regions of the earth and observed "how was the end of those who were before them"—from the destroyed nations, such as 'Ad and Thamud.
His saying, "they were stronger than them in power," and so on, is an explanation of the beginning of their conditions and their end. It means that they were more capable than them in enjoying the worldly life, for they were stronger than them in power, "and they plowed the earth," meaning they turned it over for tillage and cultivation, as al-Farra’ said. It is also said: for the extraction of water, the mining of minerals, and other things.
Abu Ja’far read it as (wa-atharū) with a lengthening after the hamza. Ibn Mujahid said: "It is nothing." Abu al-Fath interpreted this as being for rhythmic fullness, like the saying, "And whoever blames time from a distance..." and mentioned that this is a necessity of poetry and does not occur in the Quran. Abu Haywah read it as (wa-atharū) from al-atharah, which is the exclusivity or monopolization of something; "They monopolized the earth," meaning they left traces in it.
"And they inhabited it"—that is, those who were before them inhabited it with various kinds of structures, such as cultivation, planting, construction, and others. It is also said: it means they resided in it. It is said, "I inhabited such-and-such a place," and "I inhabited it," meaning I resided in it.
"More than they inhabited it"—meaning an inhabitation greater than the inhabitation of these people. The apparent meaning is that the superiority in quantity is regarding the number of inhabitants. Some generalized it, saying: greater in quantity, quality, and duration. If "inhabitation" is intended in the sense of residence, then the meaning is that they resided in it for a longer duration than these people resided in it.
In mentioning the superlative (af'al), there is sarcasm toward them, for there is no comparison between the disbelievers of Mecca and those destroyed nations; for the latter were known for the ultimate in power and abundance of construction, while the people of Mecca were weak, driven to a valley without cultivation, fearing that people would snatch them away. Something similar is said if "inhabitation" is interpreted as residence, for those people were famous for having extremely long lives, while the lives of the people of Mecca were short, such that there is no significant comparison between them and the works of those who were destroyed.
"And their messengers came to them with clear proofs"—with miracles or manifest signs.
"So it was not for Allah to wrong them"—that is, they denied them, so He destroyed them; so it was not for Allah—Exalted is His status—to destroy them without a crime on their part necessitating it. The expression of this as "wronging" is a demonstration of His perfect transcendence above it. Otherwise, the Sunnis have stated: that His destruction of someone without a crime is not "wrong" at all, because He—the Mighty and Majestic—is the Owner, and an owner does with his property whatever He wills. The dispute regarding this issue is famous.
"But they were themselves wronging"—in that they committed, by their own choice, sins that necessitated this [destruction] according to the requirements of wisdom. The advancement of "themselves" before "wronging" is for the sake of the rhythmic verse-ending. It is also permitted that it is for the sake of restriction [exclusive to themselves], in relation to the messengers whom they were calling.
