Surah Muhammad 47:10
ﲾ ﲿ ﳀ ﳁ ﳂ ﳃ ﳄ ﳅ ﳆ ﳇ ﳈ ﳉ ﳊ ﳋ ﳌ ﳍ ﳎ ﳏ ﳐ
Have they not traveled through the land and seen how was the end of those before them? Allah destroyed [everything] over them, and for the disbelievers is something comparable.
Tafsir of Muhammad 47:10
Tafsir
Mafatih al-Ghayb
Verse range: 47:10
Surah Muhammad (47): Verse 10
{أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ} (Have they not traveled through the earth...)
This serves as a connection to the third point, meaning they should look at their condition and know that the world is transient.
{فَتَكُونَ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ يَعْقِلُونَ بِهَا أَوْ آذَانٌ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا} (and have hearts with which to understand, or ears with which to hear?)
(This part is implied from the context of the preceding verses, focusing on reflection.)
{فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى الْأَبْصَارُ وَلَكِن تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّدُورِ} (For indeed, it is not the eyes that are blind, but blind are the hearts which are in the breasts.)
(This part is also implied, leading to the consequence mentioned next.)
{وَدَمَّرَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ} (And Allah destroyed them.)
Meaning, Allah destroyed their worldly possessions—wealth, children, spouses, and bodies.
{وَلِلْكَافِرِينَ أَمْثَالُهَا} (And for the disbelievers are the likes of that.)
This phrase has two possible interpretations:
- The first meaning: That the likenesses refer to what they will face in this world. In this case, the disbelievers mentioned are those who disbelieved in the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
- The second meaning: That the likenesses refer to what they will face in the Hereafter. Thus, the verse implies: "Allah destroyed them in this world, and they will have the likes of that in the Hereafter."
Regarding the feminine pronoun in {أَمْثَالُهَا} (their likes), there are two possibilities:
- It refers to {الْعَاقِبَةُ} (the consequence/fate), as mentioned previously.
- It refers to the understood meaning, which is {الْعُقُوبَةُ} (the punishment), since the destruction was a punishment for them.
If we adopt the first interpretation—that the disbelievers of Muhammad's time will have a fate similar to those who preceded them—a question arises: The earlier nations were destroyed by severe calamities like earthquakes, fire, wind, and floods, which did not happen to the people of Muhammad (PBUH).
We reply: It is possible that their punishment was more severe than that of the first nations because the religion of Muhammad (PBUH) was more manifest due to the preceding prophets announcing and warning about him. Furthermore, they were killed and captured by the very people they used to mock and belittle; being killed by one's equal is more painful than destruction by a general calamity.
Another question: If the pronoun refers to the consequence (fate), how can that fate have "likes"? We reply: It is permissible to say that what is meant is the punishment which is the implication of the fate, or the pain associated with that fate.
Then Allah Almighty said:
{ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ مَوْلَى الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَأَنَّ الْكَافِرِينَ لَا مَوْلَى لَهُمْ} (That is because Allah is the Protector of those who believe, but the disbelievers have no protector.)