Surah Hijr ayat 4 Tafsir Quran 15:4

﴿وَمَا أَهْلَكْنَا مِن قَرْيَةٍ إِلَّا وَلَهَا كِتَابٌ مَّعْلُومٌ﴾
[ الحجر: 4]

15:4 And We did not destroy any city but that for it was a known decree.

And We did not destroy any town min qaryatin min is extra meaning its inhabitants but that it had a known decree a pre-determined term after which it would be destroyed.

We never destroyed a city, a people or a nation arbitrarily but according to a justified act. There and then their end is being predetermined and unalterably decreed

Every Township has its allotted Time Allah is informing us that He never destroys a township until He has established evidences for it and its allotted time has ended.
When the time for a nation's destruction has come, He never delays it, and He never moves its appointed time forward.
This was a message and a warning to the people of Makkah, telling them to give up their Shirk, their stubbornness and disbelief for which they deserved to be destroyed.

(15:4) We had prescribed a respite for every habitation that we destroyed before this. *2

And We did not destroy any city meaning

*2) This is to refute the fallacious argument of the disblievers that Muhammad ( Allah's peace be upon him ) was not a true Prophet because they had received no prompt punishment for their disbelief.
It is like this: "We have never seized a community at the first commital of kufr.

We prescribe a limit for every community to hear and understand the message and reform its ways.
Then We tolerate its mischief and evil deeds up to that limit and allow it full freedom to do as it likes, and give it respite till the term expires.
That is why We are tolerating their attitude of ridicule and denial.
( For the full meaning of respite, please refer to E.N.
18 of Surah Ibrehim ).

 

Every Township has its allotted Time Allah is informing us that He never destroys a township until He has established evidences for it and its allotted time has ended.
When the time for a nation's destruction has come, He never delays it, and He never moves its appointed time forward.
This was a message and a warning to the people of Makkah, telling them to give up their Shirk, their stubbornness and disbelief for which they deserved to be destroyed.

( And We destroyed no township ) We destroyed no people of a township ( but there was a known decree for it ) except that there is an appointed term for their destruction.

And never did We destroy a township but there was a known decree for it.

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