Tafsir of Ad-Dhariyat 51:37

Surah Adh-Dhariyat (51): Verse 37

وَتَرَكْنَا فِيهَا آيَةً لِلَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ الْعَذَابَ الْأَلِيمَ (And We left therein a Sign for those who fear the painful punishment.)

There is a difference of opinion regarding what this "Sign" (آية) is:

1. Opinion 1: It was black, foul-smelling water that erupted from the earth when their land split open.
2. Opinion 2: It refers to stones (or pebbles) scattered in their dwelling places, which were situated between Sham (Syria) and Hijaz.

The phrase "for those who fear the painful punishment" (لِلَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ الْعَذَابَ الْأَلِيمَ) means that the one who benefits from this Sign is the fearful one, similar to His saying in Surah Al-'Ankabut: "for a people who use reason" (لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ).

There is a slight difference in wording between this verse and the one in Surah Al-'Ankabut (29:35):

• Here, He said: "a Sign" (آيَةً).
• There, He said: "a clear Sign for a people" (بَيِّنَةً لِقَوْمٍ).
• There, He said: "for a people who use reason" (لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ).
• Here, He said: "for those who fear" (لِلَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ).

Is there a difference in meaning?

We say: In Surah Al-'Ankabut, the Sign is described in the most emphatic way, as indicated by His statement: "a clear Sign" (بَيِّنَةً), signifying its obviousness. Similarly, the preposition مِن (from) in the phrase مِنْهَا (from it) implies partiality (للتبعيض), as if Allah meant: "From its remnants, We left a Sign for you."

Furthermore, saying "for a people who use reason" (لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ) implies a broader category, as the rational person (العاقل) is more general than the fearful person (الخائف). Therefore, the Sign mentioned there is more apparent/clearer.

The reason for this difference is what we previously mentioned: the purpose there (in Al-'Ankabut) was to intimidate the people, whereas the purpose here (in Adh-Dhariyat) is to console the heart. Do you not see His statement preceding this: "So We brought out those who were in it of the believers. But We found therein not more than one house of Muslims" (51:35-36)? In contrast, in Surah Al-'Ankabut, He said: "Indeed, We will save you and your family" (29:33) without fully detailing the salvation of all Muslims and believers.

وَفِي مُوسَىٰ إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَاهُ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ بِسُلْطَانٍ مُبِينٍ (And in Moses, when We sent him to Pharaoh with a clear authority.)