Surah zariyat ayat 41 Tafsir Quran 51:41

﴿وَفِي عَادٍ إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الرِّيحَ الْعَقِيمَ﴾
[ الذاريات: 41]

51:41 And in 'Aad [was a sign], when We sent against them the barren wind.

And also in the destruction of ‘Ād was a sign when We unleashed against them a barren wind a wind which brings nothing of good for it does not bear any rain and does not pollinate any trees; this wind was the west wind al-dabūr.

And in the case of Ad - the Adites - We drove against them a cold terrifying and destructive hurricane, merciless, pitiless and unrelenting

Lessons from the Destruction of Fir`awn, `Ad, Thamud, and the People of Nuh Allah the Exalted said, وَفِى مُوسَى إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَـهُ إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ بِسُلْطَـنٍ مُّبِينٍ ( And in Musa, when We sent him to Fir`awn with a manifest authority. ) meaning, with clear proof and plain evidence, فَتَوَلَّى بِرُكْنِهِ ( But he turned away along with his hosts, ) meaning, in rebellion and arrogance, Fir`awn turned away from the plain truth that Musa was sent with, ثَانِىَ عِطْفِهِ لِيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ( Bending his neck in pride, and leading (others ) too ( far ) astray from the path of Allah.)( 22:9 ), meaning turning away from truth in arrogance, وَقَالَ سَـحِرٌ أَوْ مَجْنُونٌ ( and said: "A sorcerer, or a madman." ) meaning Fir`awn said to Musa, "With regards to the message that you brought me, you are either a magician or a madman." Allah the Exalted replied, فَأَخَذْنَـهُ وَجُنُودَهُ فَنَبَذْنَـهُمْ ( So We took him and his armies, and dumped them ), meaning `We threw them,' فِى الْيَمِّ ( into the Yamm ), into the sea, وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ ( for he was blameworthy. ) meaning, Fir`awn was a denying sinner and a stubborn disbeliever worthy of blame.
Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said, وَفِى عَادٍ إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الرِّيحَ الْعَقِيمَ ( And in `Ad when We sent against them the barren wind ) that destroys everything and produces nothing.
This was said by Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah and others.
Allah's statement, مَا تَذَرُ مِن شَىْءٍ أَتَتْ عَلَيْهِ ( It spared nothing that it reached, ) meaning, everything that the wind could destroy, إِلاَّ جَعَلَتْهُ كَالرَّمِيمِ ( but blew it into broken spreads of rotten ruins. ) meaning, made it just like a rotten and destroyed.
Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib and others commented on: إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الرِّيحَ الْعَقِيمَ ( when We sent against them the barren wind ),"Southerly winds." However, there is a Hadith in the Sahih from Shu`bah bin Al-Hakam, from Mujahid, from Ibn `Abbas, who said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«نُصِرْتُ بِالصَّبَا وَأُهْلِكَتْ عَادٌ بِالدَّبُور»
( I have been made victorious with the Saba (easterly wind ), and the people of `Ad were destroyed with the Dabur ( westerly wind ).) Allah saying, وَفِى ثَمُودَ إِذْ قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَمَتَّعُواْ حَتَّى حِينٍ ( And in Thamud, when they were told: "Enjoy yourselves for a while!" ) is just as He said in another Ayah, وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْنَـهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّواْ الْعَمَى عَلَى الْهُدَى فَأَخَذَتْهُمْ صَـعِقَةُ الْعَذَابِ الْهُونِ ( And as for Thamud, We guided them to the path of truth, but they preferred blindness to guidance; so the Sa`iqah of disgracing torment seized them. ) ( 41:17 ) Allah said here, وَفِى ثَمُودَ إِذْ قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَمَتَّعُواْ حَتَّى حِينٍ - فَعَتَوْاْ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِمْ فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ وَهُمْ يَنظُرُونَ ( And in Thamud, when they were told: "Enjoy yourselves for a while!" But they insolently defied the command of their Lord, so the Sa`iqah overtook them while they were looking. ) Thamud were given a respite for three days, during which they await the torment.
In the early morning of the fourth day, the torment overtook them, فَمَا اسْتَطَـعُواْ مِن قِيَامٍ ( Then they were unable to rise up, ) they were unable to escape and run away from it, وَمَا كَانُواْ مُنتَصِرِينَ ( nor could they help themselves. ) nor could they save themselves from the torment that befell them.
Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said, وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍ مِّن قَبْلُ ( (So were ) the people of Nuh before them.) meaning, `We destroyed the people of Nuh before these people ( Fir`awn, `Ad and Thamud ).' إِنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ قَوْماً فَـسِقِينَ ( Verily, they were a people who were revellious. ) We mentioned these stories in details before in the Tafsir of several other Surahs.

Lessons from the Destruction of Fir`awn, `Ad, Thamud, and the People of Nuh Allah the Exalted said, وَفِى مُوسَى إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَـهُ إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ بِسُلْطَـنٍ مُّبِينٍ ( And in Musa, when We sent him to Fir`awn with a manifest authority. ) meaning, with clear proof and plain evidence, فَتَوَلَّى بِرُكْنِهِ ( But he turned away along with his hosts, ) meaning, in rebellion and arrogance, Fir`awn turned away from the plain truth that Musa was sent with, ثَانِىَ عِطْفِهِ لِيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ( Bending his neck in pride, and leading (others ) too ( far ) astray from the path of Allah.)( 22:9 ), meaning turning away from truth in arrogance, وَقَالَ سَـحِرٌ أَوْ مَجْنُونٌ ( and said: "A sorcerer, or a madman." ) meaning Fir`awn said to Musa, "With regards to the message that you brought me, you are either a magician or a madman." Allah the Exalted replied, فَأَخَذْنَـهُ وَجُنُودَهُ فَنَبَذْنَـهُمْ ( So We took him and his armies, and dumped them ), meaning `We threw them,' فِى الْيَمِّ ( into the Yamm ), into the sea, وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ ( for he was blameworthy. ) meaning, Fir`awn was a denying sinner and a stubborn disbeliever worthy of blame.
Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said, وَفِى عَادٍ إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الرِّيحَ الْعَقِيمَ ( And in `Ad when We sent against them the barren wind ) that destroys everything and produces nothing.
This was said by Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah and others.
Allah's statement, مَا تَذَرُ مِن شَىْءٍ أَتَتْ عَلَيْهِ ( It spared nothing that it reached, ) meaning, everything that the wind could destroy, إِلاَّ جَعَلَتْهُ كَالرَّمِيمِ ( but blew it into broken spreads of rotten ruins. ) meaning, made it just like a rotten and destroyed.
Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib and others commented on: إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الرِّيحَ الْعَقِيمَ ( when We sent against them the barren wind ),"Southerly winds." However, there is a Hadith in the Sahih from Shu`bah bin Al-Hakam, from Mujahid, from Ibn `Abbas, who said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, «نُصِرْتُ بِالصَّبَا وَأُهْلِكَتْ عَادٌ بِالدَّبُور» ( I have been made victorious with the Saba (easterly wind ), and the people of `Ad were destroyed with the Dabur ( westerly wind ).) Allah saying, وَفِى ثَمُودَ إِذْ قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَمَتَّعُواْ حَتَّى حِينٍ ( And in Thamud, when they were told: "Enjoy yourselves for a while!" ) is just as He said in another Ayah, وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْنَـهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّواْ الْعَمَى عَلَى الْهُدَى فَأَخَذَتْهُمْ صَـعِقَةُ الْعَذَابِ الْهُونِ ( And as for Thamud, We guided them to the path of truth, but they preferred blindness to guidance; so the Sa`iqah of disgracing torment seized them. ) ( 41:17 ) Allah said here, وَفِى ثَمُودَ إِذْ قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَمَتَّعُواْ حَتَّى حِينٍ - فَعَتَوْاْ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِمْ فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ وَهُمْ يَنظُرُونَ ( And in Thamud, when they were told: "Enjoy yourselves for a while!" But they insolently defied the command of their Lord, so the Sa`iqah overtook them while they were looking. ) Thamud were given a respite for three days, during which they await the torment.
In the early morning of the fourth day, the torment overtook them, فَمَا اسْتَطَـعُواْ مِن قِيَامٍ ( Then they were unable to rise up, ) they were unable to escape and run away from it, وَمَا كَانُواْ مُنتَصِرِينَ ( nor could they help themselves. ) nor could they save themselves from the torment that befell them.
Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said, وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍ مِّن قَبْلُ ( (So were ) the people of Nuh before them.) meaning, `We destroyed the people of Nuh before these people ( Fir`awn, `Ad and Thamud ).' إِنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ قَوْماً فَـسِقِينَ ( Verily, they were a people who were revellious. ) We mentioned these stories in details before in the Tafsir of several other Surahs.

( And in (the tribe of ) ’Aad) the people of Hud ( (there is a portent ) when We sent) We set on them ( the fatal wind against them ) the severe wind in which there was no comfort for them, this is the west wind.

And in 'Ad (there is also a sign) when We sent against them the barren wind;

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