Tafsir of Al-Hijr 15:65-66

Al-Hijr: Verses 65–75

Verse 65:

فَأَسْرِ بِأَهْلِكَ بِقِطْعٍ مِّنَ اللَّيْلِ وَاتَّبِعْ أَدْبَارَهُمْ وَلَا يَلْتَفِتْ مِنكُمْ أَحَدٌ وَامْضُوا حَيْثُ تُؤْمَرُونَ

• "F-asri" (فَأَسْرِ): It is read with both a hamza (أَسْرِ) and without it (سِرْ), both derived from asrā (to travel by night) and sarā (to travel).
  • The author of Al-Kashshāf relates from the author of Al-Iqlīd that min (from) here means traveling and cutting through the night. A poet said:

    "Open the door and look at the stars, How many stretches of dark night have passed over us!"

• "Wa-ttabi‘ adbārahum" (وَاتَّبِعْ أَدْبَارَهُمْ): This means: Follow the tracks of your daughters and family.
• "Wa lā yaltafit minkum aḥad" (وَلَا يَلْتَفِتْ مِنكُمْ أَحَدٌ): The benefit of this prohibition is fourfold:
  1. So that none of you remains behind to face the punishment.
  2. So that no one sees the magnitude of the affliction descending upon them.
  3. It signifies haste and not paying attention to what is left behind, as you say: "Go about your business and do not pause for anything."
  4. If any of his possessions remained in that place, he must absolutely not return for them.
• "Wa-mḍū ḥaythu tu’marūn" (وَامْضُوا حَيْثُ تُؤْمَرُونَ): Ibn ‘Abbās said this means the Levant (Syria/Sham). Al-Mufaḍḍal said it means where Gabriel instructs you, because Gabriel commanded them to proceed to a specific town whose people had committed acts like those of Lot's people.

Verse 66:

وَقَضَيْنَا إِلَيْهِ ذَٰلِكَ الْأَمْرَ أَنَّ دَابِرَ هَٰؤُلَاءِ مَقْطُوعٌ مُّصْبِحِينَ

• "Wa qaḍaynā ilayhi" (وَقَضَيْنَا إِلَيْهِ): The verb qaḍā (decreed/judged) is used with ilayhi (to him) because it implies the meaning of awḥaynā (We revealed). It is as if it means: "And We revealed to him a decree, final and absolute."
  • A similar usage is found in: {And We decreed to the Children of Israel} (Al-Isrā’: 4) and {Then judge between them} (Yūnus: 71).
  • This absolute decree was then explained by the subsequent statement: "that the end of these people is cut off" (أَنَّ دَابِرَ هَٰؤُلَاءِ مَقْطُوعٌ).
  • The initial ambiguity (إبهام) followed by the clarification (تفسير) serves to magnify and glorify the matter.
• Recitation Variants: Al-A‘mash recited "A-nna" (أَنَّ) with a hamza below (as a new sentence), as if someone asked about the matter, and the answer was: "Indeed, the end of these people..." Ibn Mas‘ūd recited: "And We said: 'That the end of these people'..."
• "Dābir" (دَابِر): Means their last part, implying they will be utterly exterminated until none remains.
• "Muṣbiḥīn" (مُّصْبِحِينَ): Meaning, at the time when dawn appears.

Verse 67:

وَجَاءَ أَهْلُ الْمَدِينَةِ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ

• And the people of the city came rejoicing (expecting the guests).

Verse 68:

قَالَ إِنَّ هَٰؤُلَاءِ ضَيْفِي فَلَا تَفْضَحُونِ

• He said: "Indeed, these are my guests, so do not shame me (by exposing them)."

Verse 69:

وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلَا تُخْزُونِ

• "And fear Allah and do not disgrace me."

Verse 70:

قَالُوا أَوَلَمْ نَنْهَكَ عَنِ الْعَالَمِينَ

• They said: "Did we not forbid you from [hosting] any of the worlds (i.e., any strangers)?"

Verse 71:

قَالَ هَٰؤُلَاءِ بَنَاتِي إِن كُنتُمْ فَاعِلِينَ

• He said: "These are my daughters, if you are intent on doing [what you intend]." (This refers to marrying them, which was permissible for them at that time, unlike the practice of the Prophet’s community).

Verse 72:

لَعَمْرُكَ إِنَّهُمْ لَفِي سَكْرَتِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ

• By your life! Indeed, they are wandering blindly in their intoxication (bewilderment).

Verse 73:

فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّيْحَةُ مُشْرِقِينَ

• So the blast seized them at sunrise.

Verse 74:

فَجَعَلْنَا عَالِيَهَا سَافِلَهَا وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ حِجَارَةً مِّن سِجِّيلٍ

• And We made their city the highest part of it the lowest, and We rained down upon them stones of baked clay (sijjīl).

Verse 75:

إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ

• Indeed, in that are signs for those who observe and take heed (al-mutawassimīn).

Verse 76:

وَإِنَّهَا لَبِسَبِيلٍ مَّقِيمٍ

• And indeed, they (the ruins of the cities) are on an established road (a clear path that remains visible).

Verse 77:

إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

• Indeed, in that is a sign for the believers.