Surah Ash-Shu`ara' 26:209
ﱐ ﱑ ﱒ ﱓ
As a reminder; and never have We been unjust.
Tafsir of Ash-Shu`ara' 26:203-209
Tafsir
Mafatih al-Ghayb
Verse range: 26:203-209
Surah Ash-Shu'ara: (203 - 209) And they would say: Are we then...
Know that when the Almighty established that they would not believe in the Prophet until they saw the painful torment, and that the torment would come upon them suddenly, He followed this by describing what they would do at that moment out of regret, saying:
**{And they would say: Are we then reprieved?}** (26:203)
This is like when a person cries out for help when escape is impossible, because in the Hereafter they know there is no refuge, yet they mention this seeking solace.
As for His saying: {Do they then hasten Our punishment?} (26:204), the meaning is that in the world, they were hastening the torment, even though their state upon its arrival would be to beg for respite. This contrast is mentioned so that the difference between the two paths may be known and serve as a lesson.
Then, the Almighty explained that their hastening of the punishment, done out of denial, was only so they could enjoy themselves in this world. However, this is ignorance, because the duration of enjoyment in this world is finite and brief, while the duration of the torment that follows is infinite. It is not rational to prefer finite, brief pleasures over infinite pains.
It is narrated that Maymun ibn Mahran met Al-Hasan [Al-Basri] during the Tawaf (circumambulation) and asked him for advice. Al-Hasan did nothing more than recite this verse (26:205). Maymun then said: "You have advised eloquently and sufficiently."
It was also read as {ليتمتعوا} (li-yatamatta'u) with the tashdīd (doubling) on the tā’ (meaning: so that they may be given respite/enjoyment), and also read {ليمتعوا} (li-yamatta'u) without the tashdīd (meaning: so that they may enjoy).
Then, the Almighty clarified that He did not destroy any town except that there was a warner among them to establish the proof against them.
As for His saying: {A reminder} (26:208), the author of Al-Kashshāf said that dhikrā (reminder) is in the accusative case, meaning tadhkirah (a means of reminding). This is either because andhara (to warn) and dhakkara (to remind) are close in meaning, as if it were said: "They are warned with a reminder." Or, it is a circumstantial adverb (ḥāl) referring to the pronoun in {منذرون} (warners), meaning: "They warn them possessing a reminder." Or, it is an object of cause (maf'ūl li-ajlih), meaning they warn for the sake of admonition and remembrance.
Alternatively, it could be in the nominative case as the predicate of an omitted subject, meaning: "This is a reminder," and the sentence is parenthetical or an adjective meaning "warners possessing a reminder." They were made a reminder due to their intense focus on remembrance and their elaboration upon it.
Another view is that dhikrā is related to {أهلكنا} (We destroyed) as an object of cause. The meaning is: "And We did not destroy any town of the wrongdoers except after We established the proof against them by sending warners to them, so that their destruction would be a reminder and a lesson for others, so they do not disobey as they disobeyed." {And We were never unjust} (26:209), meaning We do not destroy people who are not unjust. This last view is the most relied upon.
If you ask: Why is the wāw (conjunction) separated from the clause following illā (except) here, while it is not separated in the verse: {And We would never destroy a town unless it had a known term} (Al-Hijr 15:4)?
The answer is: The wāw should originally be separated because the clause is an adjective describing the town (qaryah). When the wāw is added, it is for emphasis, connecting the adjective to the noun being described.