Tafsir of Ad-Dhariyat 51:44

Surah Adh-Dhariyat (51): Verse 44

فَعَتَوْا عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِمْ فَأَخَذَهُمْ أَخْذَةً رَابِيَةً (So they rebelled against the command of their Lord, and the punishment seized them with a mighty seizure.)

There is a point of discussion here regarding the preposition used with the verb عَتَا ('atā - to rebel/be arrogant).

1. Usage with 'Ala (Upon): Allah says:

   { أَيُّهُمْ أَشَدُّ عَلَى الرَّحْمَٰنِ عُتُوًّا } (Surah Maryam: 69) (Which of them is more severe in arrogance against the Most Merciful?)

2. Usage with 'An (Away from): Here, the verse uses the preposition عَنْ ('an - away from).

Interpretation:

When used with عَنْ (as in عَتَوْا عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِمْ), it carries the meaning of abstaining or turning away from the command. This is similar to the verse:

{ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ } (Surah Al-A'raf: 206) (They are not too proud to worship Him, nor do they disdain it.)

When used with عَلَى ('ala - upon), it signifies active opposition or arrogance directed towards someone, like saying, "So-and-so is arrogant towards us."

The text mentions two possible meanings for the term الصاعقة (the thunderbolt/seizure) in the context of the preceding verses (though the specific word ṣā'iqah is not in this verse, the context implies a sudden, overwhelming punishment):

1. It refers to the actual calamity/event that occurred.
2. It refers to the intense sound accompanying the punishment.

This phrase suggests two possibilities:

1. Inability to Defend: It signifies their complete submission and inability to ward off the punishment, similar to saying to someone being struck, "So-and-so is striking you while you watch," implying they cannot defend themselves.
2. Prior Warning: It means the punishment did not come suddenly while they were heedless. Rather, they had been warned about it beforehand (perhaps for three days, as mentioned in some narrations) and were expecting it. If the punishment had come without warning, one might assume they were caught off guard, like an unprepared person being seized. However, the phrase indicates they were aware, much like a brave warrior announcing his intention: "I informed you of my intent to attack you, so wait for me."

Surah Adh-Dhariyat (51): Verse 45

فَمَا اسْتَطَاعُوا مِن قِيَامٍ وَمَا كَانُوا مُنتَصِرِينَ (And they were unable to stand up, nor could they be victorious.)