Al-Hajj: (42-46) And if they deny you, then...

Know that when the Almighty previously clarified the unjust expulsion of the disbelievers from their homes, and permitted fighting them, promising victory to the Messenger and the believers, and established that Allah is the ultimate disposer of affairs, He followed this with what serves as solace for the Messenger (peace be upon him) to patiently endure the harm they inflict upon him and the believers through denial and other means. He said:

"And if they deny you, then certainly were messengers denied before you."

Allah mentioned seven of them. If it is asked: Why did He say, "And Moses was denied," and not "The people of Moses were denied"? The answer is twofold:

Prophet Moses (عليه السلام) was not denied by his own people, the Children of Israel, but rather by others, namely the Copts.
It is as if the meaning is: After mentioning the denial of every nation towards its messenger, and Moses was also denied despite the clarity of his signs and the greatness of his miracles, what then do you expect concerning others?

As for His saying: "So I gave respite to the disbelievers." This means I granted them a reprieve until the appointed time, and then I seized them with punishment. "And how [severe] was My rebuke!" This is a rhetorical interrogative, meaning: How severe was My reprimand upon them with the punishment? Was it not surely realized? Did I not replace their blessings with affliction, abundance with scarcity, life with death, and habitation with ruin? Did I not grant the prophets all that I promised them of victory over their enemies and establishment in the land? Therefore, your custom, O Muhammad, should be patience with them, for Allah grants respite only for a beneficial purpose, so submission and acceptance are necessary, even if it is hard on the heart. Know that without this, solace is achieved for those whose station is below that of the Messenger (عليه السلام), so how much more so for him given his high station? Yet, he receives from them daily what increases his grief, so Allah established His custom of comforting him situation after situation. The mention of these deniers and the type of annihilation punishment they suffered has already preceded.

Here is a discussion: This verse indicates that Allah does everything to him and his people that He did to previous nations, except the punishment of complete annihilation (Ist'isal), which He will not inflict upon the Ummah of Muhammad (peace be upon him), even though He has empowered them to kill their enemies and established them. Al-Hasan said the reason for the delay of the annihilation punishment for this Ummah is that this punishment is conditional upon two things:

That the level of disbelief reaches a limit determined by Allah; whoever reaches it is punished, and whoever does not is not punished.
Allah does not punish a people until He knows that none among them will believe.

When both conditions are met—that they reach that extreme level of disbelief, and Allah knows that none among them will believe—then He commands the prophets, and they supplicate against their nations. Allah answers their supplication and punishes them with the punishment of annihilation. This is what is meant by His saying: "Until, when the messengers despaired..." (Yusuf: 110), meaning they despaired of the people responding. And His saying to Noah: "And it was revealed to Noah that none will believe from your people except those who have already believed..." (Hud: 36). When Allah punishes them, He saves the believers, according to His saying: "So when Our command came..." (Hud: 66), meaning the command of punishment, "We saved Hud..." Know that the discussion on this issue has already been covered, so there is no benefit in repetition.

If it is asked: How is the destruction that descends upon the disbelievers, which is a hastened punishment, described as Nakīr (rebuke/disapproval)? We reply: It is called Nakīr when it serves as a deterrent and a clear warning to others against doing what necessitated that punishment.

As for His saying: "And how many a town We destroyed..." (The verse continues in the next section, but the excerpt focuses on the beginning of this phrase):

Issue 1: Some said the meaning of "And how many a town" (Faka'ayna min qaryatin) is "How many" (Fa-kam) in the sense of multiplication, emphasizing the abundance. Another view is that it means "And by the Lord of many a town." The first view is stronger because it is more emphatic in warning. It is as if the Almighty, after explaining the state of some deniers and that He hastened their destruction, followed it up by indicating that there are precedents for this, even if not detailed.

Issue 2: Ibn Kathir, the people of Kufa, and Medina recited "We destroyed them" (Ahlaqnāhā) with the letter Nūn (We). Abu Amr and Ya'qub recited "I destroyed it" (Ahlaqtuhā), which Abu Ubayd preferred due to the preceding verse: "Moses, so I gave respite to the disbelievers, then I seized them..."

Issue 3: His saying "We destroyed them" (Ahlaqnāhā) means We destroyed their inhabitants. His saying, "while they were unjust," indicates what we have mentioned. It is also possible that the intended meaning is the destruction of the town itself, in which case the destruction of its inhabitants is included, because when the descending punishment reaches the point of destroying the town, causing its structures to collapse, the destruction of its inhabitants is achieved thereby, even if the first interpretation is closer.

As for His saying: "It lay in ruins upon its roofs" (khāwiyatan 'alā 'urūshihā), there are two questions:

Question 1: What is the meaning of this word? The author of Al-Kashshāf said: Every elevated structure that shades you, whether the roof of a house, a tent, or an awning, is called a 'arsh (plural of 'arsh). Khāwī means fallen, from khawā an-najm (the star fell), or empty, from khawā al-manzil (the dwelling became empty of its people).

If we interpret khāwī as fallen, the meaning is that it fell upon its roofs, meaning its roofs collapsed onto the ground, and then its walls crumbled and fell upon the roofs. If we interpret it as empty, the meaning is that it was empty of people while its roofs remained intact. He also suggested it could be a second description (khabar ba'da khabar), as if saying: It was empty while it was upon its roofs, meaning the roofs fell to the ground and settled at the base of the walls, while the walls remained standing, overlooking the fallen roofs. In summary, the verse indicates that it remained a lesson for contemplation.

Question 2: What is the grammatical status of these two clauses: "while it was unjust" (wa hiya ẓālimah) and "it lay in ruins upon its roofs" (fa-hiya khāwiyatan 'alā 'urūshihā)? The answer: The first clause is in the accusative case (naṣb) as a circumstantial adverb (ḥāl). The second clause has no grammatical position because it is coordinated (ma'ṭūf) with "We destroyed them" (Ahlaqnāhā), and this verb has no grammatical position (as it is part of the description). Abu Muslim said the meaning is: How many a town We destroyed while it was unjust, and now it lies in ruins.

As for His saying: "And [how many] a deserted well and a lofty palace" (wa bi'rin mu'aṭṭalah wa qaṣrin mashīd), there are issues here:

Issue 1: Al-Hasan recited "mu'aṭṭalah" derived from a'ṭalahu, meaning "neglected/abandoned." The meaning of mu'aṭṭalah is that it was inhabited, had water, and water could be drawn from it, but it was abandoned, meaning left unused because its people perished. Regarding mashīd, there are two views:

It means plastered with gypsum, as gypsum in Medina is called shayd.
It means elevated and made tall.

The meaning is that the Almighty showed that the town, despite the effort they put into building it and their pride in it, became described this way due to their disbelief. Likewise, the well, which they labored over to make their source of water, became deserted without drinkers or visitors. And the palace, which they perfected with plaster and elevated, became exposed and empty without an occupant. Allah made this a lesson for those who consider and reflect. This indicates that the interpretation of 'alā (upon) in the preceding phrase is preferable, as the structure is: "while it lay in ruins upon its roofs," which is more conducive to being a lesson. This is like His saying: "And indeed, you pass by them in the morning..." (As-Saffat: 137). And Allah knows best what is correct.

Issue 2: Abu Hurayrah (radiya Allahu 'anhu) narrated that this well was descended upon by the Prophet Salih along with four thousand believers whom Allah saved from the punishment. They were in Hadramaut. It was named this way because Salih died near it. There was a town near the well called Hāḍūra, built by the people of Salih. They appointed Ḥāsir ibn Jilās as their leader and Sinjārīb as his vizier. They remained there for a time, then disbelieved and worshipped an idol. Allah sent them Ḥanẓalah ibn Ṣafwān, whom they killed in the marketplace. Allah then destroyed them, deserted their well, and ruined their palaces. Imam Abu Al-Qasim Al-Anṣārī said this is strange because I visited the grave of Salih in Syria, in a town called 'Akkā, so how can it be said to be in Hadramaut?

As for His saying: "Have they not traveled through the earth and have [then] hearts with which to reason or ears with which to hear?" The purpose is to mention what completes that contemplation, as sight has a great share in contemplation, and listening to reports also plays a role. However, these two matters are not perfected except through the contemplation of the heart. Whoever witnesses and hears but does not contemplate or take heed will never benefit. If he reflects, he will hear and benefit. Therefore, He said: "For indeed, it is not the eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are in the breasts." It is as if He said: There is no blindness in their eyes, for they see with them, but the blindness is in their hearts, as they do not benefit from what they see. Here are some questions:

Question 1: Does His saying, "Have they not traveled through the earth?" indicate a command to travel? It is possible that they had not traveled, so He urged them to travel to see the downfall of those whom Allah destroyed for their disbelief and to witness their ruins so they might take heed. It is also possible that they had traveled and seen this, but they did not take heed, so it is as if they never traveled or saw.

Question 2: What is the meaning of the pronoun in "For indeed, it is not the eyes that are blinded..." (fa-innaha lā ta'mā al-abṣār)? This pronoun refers to the story/matter (ḍamīr al-qiṣṣah wa ash-sha'n), which can be feminine or masculine. In Ibn Mas'ud's recitation, it is "For indeed, it is not..." (fa-innahu). It could also be an ambiguous pronoun (ḍamīr mubham) explained by "the eyes" (al-abṣār).

Question 3: What is the benefit of mentioning the breasts, when everyone knows the heart is only in the breast? The benefit is that blindness is conventionally associated with the pupil of the eye. When it is intended to affirm it for the heart, contrary to convention, extra clarification is needed, similar to saying: "Sharpness belongs not to the sword, but to your tongue which is between your jaws." Your saying "which is between your jaws" confirms what you claimed for the tongue and establishes it, because the location of sharpness is only there. It is as if you said: I did not deny sharpness from the sword and attribute it to your tongue by mistake, but I intentionally did so with certainty. I have another view on this: the heart is sometimes used metaphorically for thought and reflection, as in His saying: "Indeed, in that is a reminder for whoever has a heart" (Qāf: 37). Some scholars hold that the location of reflection is the brain, so Allah clarified that the location for this [reflection] is the breast.

Question 4: Does the verse indicate that intellect (al-'aql) is knowledge, and that the location of knowledge is the heart? Yes, because the purpose of "hearts with which to reason" (qulūbun ya'qilūna bihā) is knowledge. His saying "with which to reason" indicates that the heart is the instrument for this reasoning, so the heart must be established as the locus of reasoning. Ignorance is called blindness because the ignorant person, being bewildered, resembles the blind.

"And they urge you to hasten the punishment, and never will Allah fail in His promise. And indeed, a day with your Lord is like a thousand years of those which you count. And how many a town I gave respite to while it was unjust, then I seized it; and to Me is the final destination. Say, [O Muhammad], 'O people, I am only a clear warner to you.'"

Tafsir of Al-Hajj 22:42-46

Mafatih al-Ghayb

Al-Hajj: (42-46) And if they deny you, then...