Surah Al Isra ayat 16 Tafsir Quran 17:16

﴿وَإِذَا أَرَدْنَا أَن نُّهْلِكَ قَرْيَةً أَمَرْنَا مُتْرَفِيهَا فَفَسَقُوا فِيهَا فَحَقَّ عَلَيْهَا الْقَوْلُ فَدَمَّرْنَاهَا تَدْمِيرًا﴾
[ الإسراء: 16]

17:16 And when We intend to destroy a city, We command its affluent but they defiantly disobey therein; so the word comes into effect upon it, and We destroy it with [complete] destruction.

And when We desire to destroy a town We command its affluent ones those inhabitants of its who enjoy the graces of God meaning its leaders We command them to obedience by the tongue of Our messengers; but they fall into immorality therein rebelling against Our command and so the Word is justified concerning it that it should be chastised and We destroy it utterly We annihilate it by annihilating its inhabitants and leaving it in ruins.

And when We justly decide to do away with a town by reason of obliquity, We incite those of its people who live in luxury to indulge in the style of shameless luxury, and there comes to be what was predicted beforehand that they were born to be losers and We reduce it to a useless form

Meanings of Amarna The commentators differed over the meaning of this word.
It was said that the phrase translated here as "Amarna those who live luxuriously.
Then, they transgress therein" means, "We send Our decree upon them" as Allah says elsewhere: أَتَاهَآ أَمْرُنَا لَيْلاً أَوْ نَهَارًا ( Our decree reaches it by night or by day ) For Amarna cannot mean "Our command" because Allah does not command or enjoin immorality.
Or, they said it means that Allah subjugated them to commit immoral deeds, so they deserved the punishment.
Or it was said that it means: "We commanded them to obey Us, but they committed immoral sins, so they deserved punishment." This was reported from Ibn Jurayj from Ibn `Abbas, and it is also the view of Sa`id bin Jubayr. أَمَرْنَا مُتْرَفِيهَا فَفَسَقُواْ فِيهَا ( Amarna those who live luxuriously.
Then, they transgress therein, ) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said: this means "We gave power to the evil people, so they committed sin therein ( in the town ), and because they did that, Allah destroyed them with the punishment." This is similar to the Ayah: وَكَذلِكَ جَعَلْنَا فِي كُلِّ قَرْيَةٍ أَكَـبِرَ مُجْرِمِيهَا ( And thus We have set up in every town great ones of its wicked people ) 6:133 This was also the view of Abu Al-`Aliyah, Mujahid and Ar-Rabi' bin Anas. وَإِذَآ أَرَدْنَآ أَن نُّهْلِكَ قَرْيَةً أَمَرْنَا مُتْرَفِيهَا فَفَسَقُواْ فِيهَا ( And when We decide to distroy a town (populaton ), Amarna those who live luxuriously.
Then, they transgress therein,) Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said, ( it means ) "We increase their numbers.
This was also the view of `Ikrimah, Al-Hasan, Ad-Dahhak and Qatadah, and it was reported from Malik and Az-Zuhri. وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مِن بَعْدِ نُوحٍ وَكَفَى بِرَبِّكَ بِذُنُوبِ عِبَادِهِ خَبِيرَا بَصِيرًا

(17:16) When We decree that a habitation should be destroyed, We give Commands to its well-to-do people and they show disobedience; then that habitation incurs just torment and We totally exterminate it. *18

And when We intend to destroy a meaning

*18) Here a definite form of Divine procedure for the destruction of a people has been stated.
When the well-to-do people of a habitation become disobedient, it is a portent that it is doomed to destruction.
After their persistent and continuous transgression, the well-to-do people become so obdurate in their disobedience that they begin to discard the instinctive dictates of their conscience.
The same thing has been stated in v.
16: " When We decree that a habitation should be destroyed We give Commands to its well-to-do people and they show disobedience. " This is because Allah has created conscience for the guidance of man.
Therefore, the dictates of conscience are really the commands of Allah.
Thus it has become quite obvious that by " When We decree that a habitation should be destroyed .
.
.
.
" is not meant that Allah intends to destroy it without any reason.
It is destroyed because after their disobedience " that habitation incurs Our just wrath and We totally exteminate it. " The habitation deserves such a punishment because its common people follow the well-to-do people who are the factual leaders of a community and are mainly responsible for the corruption of the community.
At first the well-to-do people commit acts of disobedience, wickedness, mischief, cruelty and tyranny and then the common people follow them and incur the torment of Allah.
Incidentally, this is a warning for every community that it should be very discreet and prudent in choosing and electing its leaders and rulers, for if the latter are mean and wicked, they will inevitably lead the community to destruc
 

Meanings of Amarna The commentators differed over the meaning of this word.
It was said that the phrase translated here as "Amarna those who live luxuriously.
Then, they transgress therein" means, "We send Our decree upon them" as Allah says elsewhere: أَتَاهَآ أَمْرُنَا لَيْلاً أَوْ نَهَارًا ( Our decree reaches it by night or by day ) For Amarna cannot mean "Our command" because Allah does not command or enjoin immorality.
Or, they said it means that Allah subjugated them to commit immoral deeds, so they deserved the punishment.
Or it was said that it means: "We commanded them to obey Us, but they committed immoral sins, so they deserved punishment." This was reported from Ibn Jurayj from Ibn `Abbas, and it is also the view of Sa`id bin Jubayr. أَمَرْنَا مُتْرَفِيهَا فَفَسَقُواْ فِيهَا ( Amarna those who live luxuriously.
Then, they transgress therein, ) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said: this means "We gave power to the evil people, so they committed sin therein ( in the town ), and because they did that, Allah destroyed them with the punishment." This is similar to the Ayah: وَكَذلِكَ جَعَلْنَا فِي كُلِّ قَرْيَةٍ أَكَـبِرَ مُجْرِمِيهَا ( And thus We have set up in every town great ones of its wicked people ) 6:133 This was also the view of Abu Al-`Aliyah, Mujahid and Ar-Rabi' bin Anas. وَإِذَآ أَرَدْنَآ أَن نُّهْلِكَ قَرْيَةً أَمَرْنَا مُتْرَفِيهَا فَفَسَقُواْ فِيهَا ( And when We decide to distroy a town (populaton ), Amarna those who live luxuriously.
Then, they transgress therein,) Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said, ( it means ) "We increase their numbers.
This was also the view of `Ikrimah, Al-Hasan, Ad-Dahhak and Qatadah, and it was reported from Malik and Az-Zuhri. وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مِن بَعْدِ نُوحٍ وَكَفَى بِرَبِّكَ بِذُنُوبِ عِبَادِهِ خَبِيرَا بَصِيرًا

( And when We would destroy a township We send commandment to its folk who live at ease ) We send commandments to its leaders and tyrants to obey; it is also said that this means: We increase the number of its chiefs, tyrants and wealthy people; and it is also said that this means: We rouse against them their tyrants and leaders, ( and afterward they commit abomination therein ) they commit acts of disobedience therein, ( and so the Word (of doom ) hath effect for it) its destruction takes effect, ( and We annihilate it with complete annihilation ) We completely destroy them.

And when We decide to destroy a town (population), We (first) send a definite order (to obey Allah and be righteous) to those among them [or We (first) increase in number those of its population] who are given the good things of this life. Then, they transgress therein, and thus the word (of torment) is justified against it (them). Then We destroy it with complete destruction.

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