Tafsir of Al-Furqan 25:40

Al-Furqan (25:40)

"And certainly had they passed by the town upon which were rained a foul rain..."

Know that by "the town" (القرية), Allah intended Sodom, one of the towns of the people of Lot (peace be upon him). There were five towns; Allah destroyed four along with their inhabitants, and one remained.

The "foul rain" (مطر السوء) means stones (الحجارة).

This implies that the Quraysh, during their trade journeys to Sham, passed by that town many times, the one destroyed by stones from the sky.

"Have they not seen it?" (أفلم يكونوا) — In their repeated passing (مرار), did they not look at the vestiges of Allah's punishment and wrath?

"...and remember?" (ويذكرون) — "Nay, they were a people who did not expect a resurrection." (بل كانوا قوماً لا يرجون نشوراً).

Regarding the interpretation of "expect" (يرجون), several meanings have been mentioned:

1. The Strongest View (The Judge's Opinion): It refers to the true meaning of hope (رجاء). A person only undertakes the burdens of religious obligations and the hardships of contemplation and deduction because they hope for the reward of the Hereafter. If one does not believe in the Hereafter, they will not hope for its reward, and thus will not undertake those hardships.
2. Second View: It means they do not anticipate (يتوقعون) a consequence or outcome (عاقبة). Hope (رجاء) is substituted for anticipation (توقع) because only one who believes anticipates an outcome.
3. Third View: It means they do not fear (لا يخافون), which is a weak interpretation based on the language of Tihamah.

The first view is the correct one.

"And when they see you, they take you only in ridicule, saying, 'Is this the one whom Allah has sent as a messenger? Indeed, he almost led us astray from our gods, had we not been patient with them.' And they will know, when they see the punishment, who is more astray in the way."

"Have you seen the one who takes his desire as his god? Then will you be a guardian over him?"

"Or do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are not but like cattle; rather, they are more astray in way."