Tafsir of Muhammad 47:13

Surah Muhammad (47): Verse 13

[47:13] And how many a town, stronger than your town which expelled you, did We destroy! And there was no helper for them.

Tafsir Points:

1. Context: After Allah the Exalted presented the parable of travel in the land (as mentioned in verse 10) and it did not benefit them, despite the preceding proofs, He presented a parable to the Prophet (peace be upon him) as a consolation for him.

2. The Parable: Allah says: "And how many a town, stronger than your town which expelled you, did We destroy!" (referring to Mecca). This means those towns were stronger than the people of Mecca.

3. The Command: "We destroyed them." Therefore, be patient, just as the messengers before you were patient.

4. The Phrase "And there was no helper for them" (فلا ناصر لهم):
   • Al-Zamakhshari's Question: How can the statement "And there was no helper for them" be used when the destruction (الإهلاك) is in the past tense, yet the phrase implies a present or future state (الحال والاستقبال)?
   • Answer 1 (Narration/Hikaayah): It is understood as a narration (Hikaayah), and narration is treated as if it were a present situation.
   • Answer 2 (Present Suffering): We destroyed them in this world, and now there is no helper to aid them or save them from the torment they are currently in.
   • Answer 3 (Referring to the Prophet's People): The phrase "And there was no helper for them" refers back to the people of the Prophet's town (Mecca). It is as if Allah is saying: "We destroyed the predecessors who were like the people of your town, and there is no helper for the people of your town who can save them from what befell the former ones."

[47:14] Is he who is upon a clear proof from his Lord like one for whom his evil deed has been made attractive, and they follow their own desires?