Tafheem-ul-Quran - Abul Ala Maududi

Ayah by Ayah

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Tafheem-ul-Quran - Abul Ala Maududi translation for Surah Al-'Ankabut — Ayah 40

29:40
فَكُلًّا أَخَذۡنَا بِذَنۢبِهِۦۖ فَمِنۡهُم مَّنۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ حَاصِبٗا وَمِنۡهُم مَّنۡ أَخَذَتۡهُ ٱلصَّيۡحَةُ وَمِنۡهُم مَّنۡ خَسَفۡنَا بِهِ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَمِنۡهُم مَّنۡ أَغۡرَقۡنَاۚ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيَظۡلِمَهُمۡ وَلَٰكِن كَانُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ يَظۡلِمُونَ ٤٠
So We seized each for their sin. We let loose upon some a violent tornado with showers of stones;1 some were overtaken by a mighty Cry;2 some were caused to be swallowed up by the earth,3 and some We drowned.4 Allah would not wrong them, but it is they who wronged themselves.5
Footnotes
  • [1] Qira’at: Nafieʻ, Abu Jaʻfar and Yaʻqub read it as: “. . . one thousand angels succeeding one another .”
  • [2] The Arabic word used for support isnasr which also means ‘victory’.
  • [3] Qira’at: Ibn Kathir, Abu ʻAmr and Yaʻqub read it as: “. . . and sending down to you water from the sky . . .”
  • [4] That is, Aad who were subjected to a furious windstorm which blew on them for seven nights and eight days continuously.
  • [5] That is, Thamud.
  • [6] That is, Korah.
  • [7] That is, Pharaoh and Haman.
  • [8] Qira’at: Ibn Kathir and Abu ʻAmr read it as: “Recall: drowsiness covering you, and Him bestowing upon . . .” Nafieʻ and Abu Jaʻfar read it as: “Recall: (Allah) covering you pl with drowsiness . . .”
  • [9] This is said in sarcasm to the deniers, as they were defeated in the battle of Badr.
  • [10] The stories that have been related in the foregoing verses, have been addressed and directed both to the believers and to the disbelievers. To the believers they have been addressed so that they do not feel discouraged and distressed at heart, and keep aloft the banner of the truth firmly and patiently even in the face of the severe persecutions and hardships, and should have full faith in Allah that His succor shall ultimately come, and He will frustrate the designs of the wicked people and make the word of the truth to prevail. On the other hand, these have been addressed to those wicked people also, who in their arrogance were bent upon exterminating the Islamic movement. They have been warned to the effect: “You have formed a wrong opinion about Allah’s forbearance and clemency. You think; that His is a lawless Kingdom. If you have not been seized so far for your rebellion and your tyrannies and wicked deeds and have been granted a long respite so that you may reform yourselves, you have inferred that there exists no power whatsoever which can call you to account, and that one can go on doing whatever one likes endlessly on this earth. This misconception will ultimately lead you to the same doom that has already been met by the peoples of Noah and Lot and Shuaib, (peace be upon them) and experienced by Aad and Thamud, and seen by Korah and Pharaoh.