Surah Shuara ayat 137 Tafsir Quran 26:137

﴿إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا خُلُقُ الْأَوَّلِينَ﴾
[ الشعراء: 137]

26:137 This is not but the custom of the former peoples,

This that you threaten us with is merely the fabrication of the ancients that is their inventions and lies a variant reading for khalq ‘fabrication’ is khuluq ‘ethos’ in other words this denial of resurrection to which we adhere is merely ‘the ethos of the ancients’ in other words their nature and wont;

This is nothing, they said, other than the customary manner of thinking of those of old used often enough that it bred the same habit in you

They said: "It is the same to us whether you preach or be not of those who preach.
( 136 )"This is no other than Khuluq of the ancients, ( 137 )"And we are not going to be punished.
( 138 )So they denied him, and We destroyed them.
Verily, in this is indeed a sign, yet most of them are not believers ( 139 )And verily your Lord, He is indeed the Almighty, the Most Merciful ( 140 ) The Response of the People of Hud, and Their Punishment Allah tells us how the people of Hud responded to him after he had warned them, encouraged them, and clearly explained the truth to them. قَالُوا سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْنَا أَوَعَظْتَ أَمْ لَمْ تَكُن مِّنَ الْوَاعِظِينَ ( They said: "It is the same to us whether you preach or be not of those who preach." ) meaning, 'we will not give up our ways.' وَمَا نَحْنُ بِتَارِكِي آلِهَتِنَا عَن قَوْلِكَ وَمَا نَحْنُ لَكَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ ( And we shall not leave our gods for your (mere ) saying! And we are not believers in you)( 11:53 ).
This is how it was, as Allah says: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ( Verily, those who disbelieve, it is the same to them whether you warn them or do not warn them, they will not believe )( 2:6 ). إِنَّ الَّذِينَ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ( Truly, those, against whom the Word of your Lord has been justified, will not believe )( 10:96 ).
And they said: إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا خُلُقُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ( This is no other than Khuluq of the ancients. ) Some scholars read this: "Khalq".
According to Ibn Mas'ud and according to 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas – as reported from Al-'Awfi – and 'Alqamah and Mujahid, they meant, "What you have brought to us is nothing but the tales ( Akhlaq ) of the ancients." This is like what the idolators of Quraysh said: وَقَالُوا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ اكْتَتَبَهَا فَهِيَ تُمْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلًا ( And they say: "Tales of the ancients, which he has written down, and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon." )( 25:5 ) And Allah said: وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا إِفْكٌ افْتَرَاهُ وَأَعَانَهُ عَلَيْهِ قَوْمٌ آخَرُونَ ۖ فَقَدْ جَاءُوا ظُلْمًا وَزُورًا - وَقَالُوا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ( Those who disbelieve say: "This is nothing but a lie that he has invented, and others have helped him in it.
In fact, they have produced an injustice and a lie." And they say: "Tales of the ancients..." )( 25:4-5 ) وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُم مَّاذَا أَنزَلَ رَبُّكُمْ ۙ قَالُوا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ( And when it is said to them: "What is it that your Lord has sent down?" They say: "Tales of the ancient!" )( 16:24 ).
Some other scholars recited it, إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا خُلُقُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ( This is no other than Khuluq of the ancients, ) "as Khuluq," meaning their religion.
What they were following was the religion of the ancients, their fathers and grandfathers, as if they were saying: "We are following them, we will live as they lived and die as they died, and there will be no resurrection and no judgement." Hence they said: وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ ( And we are not going to be punished. ) Allah's saying; فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ ( So they denied him, and We destroyed them. ) meaning, they continued to disbelieve and stubbornly oppose Allah's Prophet Hud, so Allah destroyed them.
The means of their destruction has been described in more than one place in the Qur'an: Allah sent against them a strong and furious wind, i.e., a fiercely blowing wind that was intensely cold.
Thus the means of their destruction was suited to their nature, for they were the strongest and fiercest of people, so Allah overpowered them with something that was even stronger and fiercer than them, as Allah says: أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ - إِرَمَ ذَاتِ الْعِمَادِ ( Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with 'Ad of Iram? Possesors of the pillars )( 89:6-7 ).
This refers to the former 'Ad, as Allah says: وَأَنَّهُ أَهْلَكَ عَادًا الْأُولَىٰ ( And that it is He Who destroyed the former 'Ad )( 53:50 ).
They were descendents of Iram bin Sam bin Nuh, ذَاتِ الْعِمَادِ ( Possesors of the pillars )( 89:7 ) They used to live among pillars.
Those who claim that Iram was a city take this idea from Isra'iliyyat narrations, from the words of Ka'b and Wahb, but there is no real basis for that.
Allah says: الَّتِي لَمْ يُخْلَقْ مِثْلُهَا فِي الْبِلَادِ ( The like of which were not created in the land )( 89:8 ).
meaning, nothing like this tribe was created in terms of might, power and tyranny.
If what was meant was a city, it would have said, "The like of which was not built in the land." And Allah says: فَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَاسْتَكْبَرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَقَالُوا مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً ۖ أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِي خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً ۖ وَكَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ ( As for 'Ad, they were arrogant in the land without right, and they said: "Who is mightier than us in strength?" See they not that Allah Who created them was mightier in strength than them.
And they used to deny Our Ayat! )( 41:15 ) And Allah says: وَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَأُهْلِكُوا بِرِيحٍ صَرْصَرٍ عَاتِيَةٍ ( And as for 'Ad, they were destroyed by a furious violent wind! ) until His saying: حُسُومًا ( in succession )( 69:6-7 ) meaning, consecutively ( i.e., seven nights and eight days ). فَتَرَى الْقَوْمَ فِيهَا صَرْعَىٰ كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ خَاوِيَةٍ ( so that you could see men lying overthrown (destroyed ), as if they were hollow trunks of date palms!)( 69:7 ) means, they were left as headless bodies, because the wind would come and carry one of them, then drop him on his head, so that his brains were spilled out, his head was broken and he was thrown aside, as if they were uprooted stems of date-palms. They used to build fortresses in the mountains and caves, and they dug ditches half as deep as a man is tall, but that did not help them against the command of Allah at all. إِنَّ أَجَلَ اللَّهِ إِذَا جَاءَ لَا يُؤَخَّرُ ( Verily, the term given by Allah, when it comes, cannot be delayed )( 71:4 ).
Allah says here: فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ ( So they denied him, and We destroyed them. ) كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ - إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ أَخُوهُمْ صَالِحٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ - إِنِّي لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٌ - فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ - وَمَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ ۖ إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ( 141.
Thamud denied the Messengers. )( 142.
When their brother Salih said to them: "Will you not have Taqwa?" )( 143.
"I am a trustworthy Messenger to you." )( 144.
"So, have Taqwa of Allah, and obey me." )( 145.
"No reward do I ask of you for it; my reward is only from the Lord of Al-'Alamin." ) Salih and the People of Thamud Here Allah tells us about His servant and Messenger Salih, whom He sent to his people Thamud.
They were Arabs living in the city of Al-Hijr – which is between Wadi Al-Qura and Greater Syria.
Their location is well known.
In our explanation of Surat Al-A'raf, we mentioned the Hadiths which tell how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed by their dwelling place when he wanted to launch a raid on Syria.
He went as far as Tabuk, then he went back to Al-Madinah to prepare himself for the campaign. Thamud came after 'Ad and before Ibrahim, peace be upon him.
Their Prophet Salih called them to Allah, to worship Him alone with no partner or associate, and to obey whatever commands were conveyed to them, but they refused, rejecting him and opposing him.
He told them that he did not seek any reward from them for his call to them, but that he would seek the reward for that with Allah.
Then he reminded them of the blessings of Allah.

(26:137) such things have been said in the past as well, *93

This is not but the custom of meaning

*93) This can have two meanings: ( 1 ) " Whatever we are doing is not new but has been happening from the tune of our elders since centuries: they had the same creed, the same way of life, the same morality and the same kind of dealings and yet they remained unharmed and safe from every calamity.
If there was any evil in this way of life, we should have met the doom with which you are threatening us. " ( 2 ) " The things you are preaching have been preached and said before also by religious maniacs and so-called moralists, but they could not change the ways of the world.
It has never happened that the world suffered a disaster only because people refused to listen to preachers like you. "
 

They said: "It is the same to us whether you preach or be not of those who preach.
( 136 )"This is no other than Khuluq of the ancients, ( 137 )"And we are not going to be punished.
( 138 )So they denied him, and We destroyed them.
Verily, in this is indeed a sign, yet most of them are not believers ( 139 )And verily your Lord, He is indeed the Almighty, the Most Merciful ( 140 ) The Response of the People of Hud, and Their Punishment Allah tells us how the people of Hud responded to him after he had warned them, encouraged them, and clearly explained the truth to them. قَالُوا سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْنَا أَوَعَظْتَ أَمْ لَمْ تَكُن مِّنَ الْوَاعِظِينَ ( They said: "It is the same to us whether you preach or be not of those who preach." ) meaning, 'we will not give up our ways.' وَمَا نَحْنُ بِتَارِكِي آلِهَتِنَا عَن قَوْلِكَ وَمَا نَحْنُ لَكَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ ( And we shall not leave our gods for your (mere ) saying! And we are not believers in you)( 11:53 ).
This is how it was, as Allah says: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ( Verily, those who disbelieve, it is the same to them whether you warn them or do not warn them, they will not believe )( 2:6 ). إِنَّ الَّذِينَ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ( Truly, those, against whom the Word of your Lord has been justified, will not believe )( 10:96 ).
And they said: إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا خُلُقُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ( This is no other than Khuluq of the ancients. ) Some scholars read this: "Khalq".
According to Ibn Mas'ud and according to 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas – as reported from Al-'Awfi – and 'Alqamah and Mujahid, they meant, "What you have brought to us is nothing but the tales ( Akhlaq ) of the ancients." This is like what the idolators of Quraysh said: وَقَالُوا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ اكْتَتَبَهَا فَهِيَ تُمْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلًا ( And they say: "Tales of the ancients, which he has written down, and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon." )( 25:5 ) And Allah said: وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا إِفْكٌ افْتَرَاهُ وَأَعَانَهُ عَلَيْهِ قَوْمٌ آخَرُونَ ۖ فَقَدْ جَاءُوا ظُلْمًا وَزُورًا - وَقَالُوا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ( Those who disbelieve say: "This is nothing but a lie that he has invented, and others have helped him in it.
In fact, they have produced an injustice and a lie." And they say: "Tales of the ancients..." )( 25:4-5 ) وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُم مَّاذَا أَنزَلَ رَبُّكُمْ ۙ قَالُوا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ( And when it is said to them: "What is it that your Lord has sent down?" They say: "Tales of the ancient!" )( 16:24 ).
Some other scholars recited it, إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا خُلُقُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ( This is no other than Khuluq of the ancients, ) "as Khuluq," meaning their religion.
What they were following was the religion of the ancients, their fathers and grandfathers, as if they were saying: "We are following them, we will live as they lived and die as they died, and there will be no resurrection and no judgement." Hence they said: وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ ( And we are not going to be punished. ) Allah's saying; فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ ( So they denied him, and We destroyed them. ) meaning, they continued to disbelieve and stubbornly oppose Allah's Prophet Hud, so Allah destroyed them.
The means of their destruction has been described in more than one place in the Qur'an: Allah sent against them a strong and furious wind, i.e., a fiercely blowing wind that was intensely cold.
Thus the means of their destruction was suited to their nature, for they were the strongest and fiercest of people, so Allah overpowered them with something that was even stronger and fiercer than them, as Allah says: أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ - إِرَمَ ذَاتِ الْعِمَادِ ( Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with 'Ad of Iram? Possesors of the pillars )( 89:6-7 ).
This refers to the former 'Ad, as Allah says: وَأَنَّهُ أَهْلَكَ عَادًا الْأُولَىٰ ( And that it is He Who destroyed the former 'Ad )( 53:50 ).
They were descendents of Iram bin Sam bin Nuh, ذَاتِ الْعِمَادِ ( Possesors of the pillars )( 89:7 ) They used to live among pillars.
Those who claim that Iram was a city take this idea from Isra'iliyyat narrations, from the words of Ka'b and Wahb, but there is no real basis for that.
Allah says: الَّتِي لَمْ يُخْلَقْ مِثْلُهَا فِي الْبِلَادِ ( The like of which were not created in the land )( 89:8 ).
meaning, nothing like this tribe was created in terms of might, power and tyranny.
If what was meant was a city, it would have said, "The like of which was not built in the land." And Allah says: فَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَاسْتَكْبَرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَقَالُوا مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً ۖ أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِي خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً ۖ وَكَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ ( As for 'Ad, they were arrogant in the land without right, and they said: "Who is mightier than us in strength?" See they not that Allah Who created them was mightier in strength than them.
And they used to deny Our Ayat! )( 41:15 ) And Allah says: وَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَأُهْلِكُوا بِرِيحٍ صَرْصَرٍ عَاتِيَةٍ ( And as for 'Ad, they were destroyed by a furious violent wind! ) until His saying: حُسُومًا ( in succession )( 69:6-7 ) meaning, consecutively ( i.e., seven nights and eight days ). فَتَرَى الْقَوْمَ فِيهَا صَرْعَىٰ كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ خَاوِيَةٍ ( so that you could see men lying overthrown (destroyed ), as if they were hollow trunks of date palms!)( 69:7 ) means, they were left as headless bodies, because the wind would come and carry one of them, then drop him on his head, so that his brains were spilled out, his head was broken and he was thrown aside, as if they were uprooted stems of date-palms. They used to build fortresses in the mountains and caves, and they dug ditches half as deep as a man is tall, but that did not help them against the command of Allah at all. إِنَّ أَجَلَ اللَّهِ إِذَا جَاءَ لَا يُؤَخَّرُ ( Verily, the term given by Allah, when it comes, cannot be delayed )( 71:4 ).
Allah says here: فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ ( So they denied him, and We destroyed them. ) كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ - إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ أَخُوهُمْ صَالِحٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ - إِنِّي لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٌ - فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ - وَمَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ ۖ إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ( 141.
Thamud denied the Messengers. )( 142.
When their brother Salih said to them: "Will you not have Taqwa?" )( 143.
"I am a trustworthy Messenger to you." )( 144.
"So, have Taqwa of Allah, and obey me." )( 145.
"No reward do I ask of you for it; my reward is only from the Lord of Al-'Alamin." ) Salih and the People of Thamud Here Allah tells us about His servant and Messenger Salih, whom He sent to his people Thamud.
They were Arabs living in the city of Al-Hijr – which is between Wadi Al-Qura and Greater Syria.
Their location is well known.
In our explanation of Surat Al-A'raf, we mentioned the Hadiths which tell how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed by their dwelling place when he wanted to launch a raid on Syria.
He went as far as Tabuk, then he went back to Al-Madinah to prepare himself for the campaign. Thamud came after 'Ad and before Ibrahim, peace be upon him.
Their Prophet Salih called them to Allah, to worship Him alone with no partner or associate, and to obey whatever commands were conveyed to them, but they refused, rejecting him and opposing him.
He told them that he did not seek any reward from them for his call to them, but that he would seek the reward for that with Allah.
Then he reminded them of the blessings of Allah.

( This ) that in which we are now ( is but a fable of the men of old ) the religion of the people of old; the religion of our forefathers; it is also said that this means: what you say is nothing but the invention of the people of old,

"This is no other than the false-tales and religion of the ancients, [Tafsir At-Tabari, Vol. 19, Page 97]

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