Surah Sad ayat 3 Tafsir Quran 38:3

﴿كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّن قَرْنٍ فَنَادَوا وَّلَاتَ حِينَ مَنَاصٍ﴾
[ ص: 3]

38:3 How many a generation have We destroyed before them, and they [then] called out; but it was not a time for escape.

How many — in other words many — a generation a community of past communities We have destroyed before them and they cried out when the chastisement was sent down on them when it was no longer the time for escape that is to say the time was not one for fleeing the suffixed tā’ of wa-lāta is extra; the sentence is a circumstantial qualifier referring to the subject of the verb nādaw ‘they cried out’ in other words they called for help but the situation was such that there could be no escape or deliverance; but still the Meccan disbelievers have not taken heed from their example.

How many generations who came to this world before them did We justly reduce to a useless form! In their distress they cried for mercy and help but that was not the time for either, it was too late

Which was revealed in Makkah بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. وَالْقُرْءَانِ ذِى الذِّكْرِ ( By the Qur'an full of reminding. ) means, by the Qur'an which includes all that is in it as a reminder and a benefit to people in this life and the Hereafter.
Ad-Dahhak said that the Ayah, ذِى الذِّكْرِ ( full of reminding. ) is like the Ayah, لَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكُمْ كِتَـباً فِيهِ ذِكْرُكُمْ ( Indeed, We have sent down for you (O mankind ) a Book in which there is Dhikrukum) ( 21:10 ).
i.e., your reminder.
This was also the view of Qatadah and of Ibn Jarir.
Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Isma`il bin Abi Khalid, Ibn `Uyaynah, Abu Husayn, Abu Salih and As-Suddi said: ذِى الذِّكْرِ ( full of reminding. ) "Full of honor," i.e., of high standing.
There is no contradiction between the two views, because it is a noble Book which includes reminders and leaves no excuse and brings warnings.
The reason for this oath is to be found in the Ayah: إِن كُلٌّ إِلاَّ كَذَّبَ الرٌّسُلَ فَحَقَّ عِقَابِ ( Not one of them but denied the Messengers; therefore My torment was justified. ) ( 38:14 ).
Qatadah said, "The reason for it is to be found in the Ayah: بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فِى عِزَّةٍ وَشِقَاقٍ ( Nay, those who disbelieve are in false pride and opposition )." This was the view favored by Ibn Jarir. بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فِى عِزَّةٍ وَشِقَاقٍ ( Nay, those who disbelieve are in false pride and opposition. ) means, in this Qur'an there is a reminder for those who will be reminded and a lesson for those who will learn a lesson, but the disbelievers will not benefit from it because they فِى عِزَّةٍ ( are in false pride ) meaning, arrogance and tribalism, وَشِقَاقٍ ( and opposition. ) means, they are stubbornly opposed to it and go against it.
Then Allah scares them with news of how the nations who came before them were destroyed because of their opposition to the Messengers and their disbelief in the Scriptures that were revealed from heaven.
Allah says: كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّن قَرْنٍ ( How many a generation have We destroyed before them! ) meaning, disbelieving nations. فَنَادَوْاْ ( And they cried out ) means, when the punishment came to them, they called for help and cried out to Allah, but that did not save them at all.
This is like the Ayat: فَلَمَّآ أَحَسُّواْ بَأْسَنَآ إِذَا هُمْ مِّنْهَا يَرْكُضُونَ - لاَ تَرْكُضُواْ وَارْجِعُواْ إِلَى مَآ أُتْرِفْتُمْ فِيهِ وَمَسَـكِنِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُسْأَلُونَ ( Then, when they perceived (saw ) Our torment, behold, they ( tried to ) flee from it.
Flee not, but return to that wherein you lived a luxurious life, and to your homes, in order that you may be questioned.) ( 21:12-13 ).
Abu Dawud At-Tayalisi recorded that At-Tamimi said, "I asked Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, about the Ayah: فَنَادَواْ وَّلاَتَ حِينَ مَنَاصٍ ( And they cried out when there was no longer time for escape. ) He said that it was not the time for them to call or flee or escape.
Muhammad bin Ka`b said, concerning the Ayah: فَنَادَواْ وَّلاَتَ حِينَ مَنَاصٍ ( And they cried out when there was no longer time for escape. ) "They called for Tawhid when their lives were over, and they resorted to repentance when their lives were over." Qatadah said, "When they saw the punishment, they wanted to repent when there was no longer time to call out." Mujahid said: فَنَادَواْ وَّلاَتَ حِينَ مَنَاصٍ ( And they cried out when there was no longer time for escape. ) "It was not the time to flee or escape." Allah says: وَّلاَتَ حِينَ مَنَاصٍ ( when there was no longer time for escape. ) meaning, there was no time to escape or run away; and Allah knows best.

Which was revealed in Makkah بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. وَالْقُرْءَانِ ذِى الذِّكْرِ ( By the Qur'an full of reminding. ) means, by the Qur'an which includes all that is in it as a reminder and a benefit to people in this life and the Hereafter.
Ad-Dahhak said that the Ayah, ذِى الذِّكْرِ ( full of reminding. ) is like the Ayah, لَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكُمْ كِتَـباً فِيهِ ذِكْرُكُمْ ( Indeed, We have sent down for you (O mankind ) a Book in which there is Dhikrukum) ( 21:10 ).
i.e., your reminder.
This was also the view of Qatadah and of Ibn Jarir.
Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Isma`il bin Abi Khalid, Ibn `Uyaynah, Abu Husayn, Abu Salih and As-Suddi said: ذِى الذِّكْرِ ( full of reminding. ) "Full of honor," i.e., of high standing.
There is no contradiction between the two views, because it is a noble Book which includes reminders and leaves no excuse and brings warnings.
The reason for this oath is to be found in the Ayah: إِن كُلٌّ إِلاَّ كَذَّبَ الرٌّسُلَ فَحَقَّ عِقَابِ ( Not one of them but denied the Messengers; therefore My torment was justified. ) ( 38:14 ).
Qatadah said, "The reason for it is to be found in the Ayah: بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فِى عِزَّةٍ وَشِقَاقٍ ( Nay, those who disbelieve are in false pride and opposition )." This was the view favored by Ibn Jarir. بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فِى عِزَّةٍ وَشِقَاقٍ ( Nay, those who disbelieve are in false pride and opposition. ) means, in this Qur'an there is a reminder for those who will be reminded and a lesson for those who will learn a lesson, but the disbelievers will not benefit from it because they فِى عِزَّةٍ ( are in false pride ) meaning, arrogance and tribalism, وَشِقَاقٍ ( and opposition. ) means, they are stubbornly opposed to it and go against it.
Then Allah scares them with news of how the nations who came before them were destroyed because of their opposition to the Messengers and their disbelief in the Scriptures that were revealed from heaven.
Allah says: كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّن قَرْنٍ ( How many a generation have We destroyed before them! ) meaning, disbelieving nations. فَنَادَوْاْ ( And they cried out ) means, when the punishment came to them, they called for help and cried out to Allah, but that did not save them at all.
This is like the Ayat: فَلَمَّآ أَحَسُّواْ بَأْسَنَآ إِذَا هُمْ مِّنْهَا يَرْكُضُونَ - لاَ تَرْكُضُواْ وَارْجِعُواْ إِلَى مَآ أُتْرِفْتُمْ فِيهِ وَمَسَـكِنِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُسْأَلُونَ ( Then, when they perceived (saw ) Our torment, behold, they ( tried to ) flee from it.
Flee not, but return to that wherein you lived a luxurious life, and to your homes, in order that you may be questioned.) ( 21:12-13 ).
Abu Dawud At-Tayalisi recorded that At-Tamimi said, "I asked Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, about the Ayah: فَنَادَواْ وَّلاَتَ حِينَ مَنَاصٍ ( And they cried out when there was no longer time for escape. ) He said that it was not the time for them to call or flee or escape.
Muhammad bin Ka`b said, concerning the Ayah: فَنَادَواْ وَّلاَتَ حِينَ مَنَاصٍ ( And they cried out when there was no longer time for escape. ) "They called for Tawhid when their lives were over, and they resorted to repentance when their lives were over." Qatadah said, "When they saw the punishment, they wanted to repent when there was no longer time to call out." Mujahid said: فَنَادَواْ وَّلاَتَ حِينَ مَنَاصٍ ( And they cried out when there was no longer time for escape. ) "It was not the time to flee or escape." Allah says: وَّلاَتَ حِينَ مَنَاصٍ ( when there was no longer time for escape. ) meaning, there was no time to escape or run away; and Allah knows best.

( How many a generation ) past generation ( We destroyed before them ) before the Quraysh, ( and they cried out when it was no longer the time for escape! ) the angels cried out to them upon their destruction: this is no context for attacking or fleeing; stop! And they stopped until Allah destroyed all of them. This is because before this, upon fighting an enemy, they used to say: attack all together! ( Manas! Manas! ). Some would therefore survive and others die. But when they were defeated by the enemy they used to cry: flee! Flee! ( Manasa! Manasa! ), and so they used to flee all together from the battlefield. These were two different signs whenever they engaged in fighting either to attack or to flee from the enemy. When Allah wished to destroy them, the angels cried out to them: this is no context for attacking or fleeing.

How many a generation We have destroyed before them, and they cried out when there was no longer time for escape!

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