Surah Naml ayat 49 Tafsir Quran 27:49

﴿قَالُوا تَقَاسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ لَنُبَيِّتَنَّهُ وَأَهْلَهُ ثُمَّ لَنَقُولَنَّ لِوَلِيِّهِ مَا شَهِدْنَا مَهْلِكَ أَهْلِهِ وَإِنَّا لَصَادِقُونَ﴾
[ النمل: 49]

27:49 They said, "Take a mutual oath by Allah that we will kill him by night, he and his family. Then we will say to his executor, 'We did not witness the destruction of his family, and indeed, we are truthful.' "

They said that is some said to others ‘Swear to one another by God that we will attack him by night la-nubayyitannahu; or read la-tubayyitunnahu ‘that you will attack him by night’ together with his folk that is those who believed in him in other words swear that we will kill them at night; then we will surely say la-naqūlanna; or read la-taqūlunna ‘you surely will say’ to his heir the avenger of his blood that we did not witness we were not present at the destruction of his folk read muhlika or mahlika meaning ‘the destroying of them’ or ‘their death’ respectively and so we do not know who killed them and that indeed we are being truthful’.

They mutually agreed and resolved under oath (their kind of oath) to launch an attack upon him -Saleh- and his people by night to finish them off and rid the town of them and then declare their innocence to his next of kin and insist on their statement, thus: We, they would say, were never present at the scene of the massacre of his people and this is the truth

The Plot of the Mischief-Makers and the End of the People of Thamud Allah tells us about the evildoers of Thamud and their leaders who used to call their people to misguidance and disbelief, and to deny Salih.
Eventually they killed the she-camel and were about to kill Salih too.
They plotted to let him sleep with his family at night, then they would assassinate him and tell his relatives that they knew nothing about what happened to him, and that they were telling the truth because none of them had seen anything.
Allah says: وَكَانَ فِى الْمَدِينَةِ ( And there were in the city ) meaning, in the city of Thamud, تِسْعَةُ رَهْطٍ ( nine Raht, ) meaning, nine people, يُفْسِدُونَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَلاَ يُصْلِحُونَ ( who made mischief in the land, and would not reform. ) They forced their opinions on the people of Thamud, because they were the leaders and chiefs.
Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said: "These were the people who killed the she-camel," Meaning, that happened upon their instigation, may Allah curse them.
Allah says: فَنَادَوْاْ صَـحِبَهُمْ فَتَعَاطَى فَعَقَرَ ( But they called their comrade and he took (a sword ) and killed ( the she-camel ).
) ( 54:29 ) إِذِ انبَعَثَ أَشْقَـهَا ( When the most wicked man among them went forth (to kill the she-camel ).) ( 91:12 ) `Abdur-Razzaq said that Yahya bin Rabi`ah As-San`ani told them, "I heard `Ata' -- i.e.
Ibn Abi Rabah -- say: وَكَانَ فِى الْمَدِينَةِ تِسْعَةُ رَهْطٍ يُفْسِدُونَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَلاَ يُصْلِحُونَ ( And there were in the city nine Raht, who made mischief in the land, and would not reform. ) `They used to break silver coins."' They would break off pieces from them, as if they used to trade with them in terms of numbers as opposed to weight, as the Arabs used to do.
Imam Malik narrated from Yahya bin Sa`id that Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib said: "Cutting gold and silver ( coins ) is part of spreading corruption on earth." What is meant is that the nature of these evil disbelievers was to spread corruption on earth by every means possible, one of which was that mentioned by these Imams. قَالُواْ تَقَاسَمُواْ بِاللَّهِ لَنُبَيِّتَنَّهُ وَأَهْلَهُ ( They said: "Swear one to another by Allah that we shall make a secret night attack on him and his household..." ) They took a mutual oath, pledging that during the night, whoever met the Allah's Prophet Salih, peace be upon him, he would assassinate him.
But Allah planned against them and caused their plot to backfire.
Mujahid said, "They took a mutual oath pledging to kill him, but before they could reach him, they and their people were all destroyed." `Abdur-Rahman bin Abi Hatim said: "When they killed the she-camel, Salih said to them: تَمَتَّعُواْ فِى دَارِكُمْ ثَلَـثَةَ أَيَّامٍ ذلِكَ وَعْدٌ غَيْرُ مَكْذُوبٍ ( "Enjoy yourselves in your homes for three days.
This is a promise (i.e., a threat ) that will not be belied.") ( 11:65 ).
They said: `Salih claims that he will finish with us in three days, but we will finish him and his family before the three days are over.' Salih had a place of worship in a rocky tract in a valley, where he used to pray.
So they set out to go to a cave there one night, and said, `When he comes to pray, we will kill him, then we will return.
When we have finished him off, we will go to his family and finish them off too.' Then Allah sent down a rock upon them from the mountains round about; they feared that it would crush them, so they ran into the cave and the rock covered the mouth of the cave while they were inside.
Their people did not know where they were or what had happened to them.
So Allah punished some of them here, and some of them there, and He saved Salih and the people who were with him.
Then he recited: وَمَكَرُواْ مَكْراً وَمَكَرْنَا مَكْراً وَهُمْ لاَ يَشْعُرُونَ فَانظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـقِبَةُ مَكْرِهِمْ أَنَّا دَمَّرْنَـهُمْ وَقَوْمَهُمْبُيُوتُهُمْ خَاوِيَةً ( So, they plotted a plot, and We planned a plan, while they perceived not.
Then see how was the end of their plot! Verily, We destroyed them and their nation, all together.
These are their houses in utter ruin, ) i.e., deserted." فَتِلْكَ بُيُوتُهُمْ خَاوِيَةً بِمَا ظَلَمُواْ إِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ لاّيَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ - وَأَنجَيْنَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَكَانُواْ يَتَّقُونَ ( for they did wrong.
Verily, in this is indeed an Ayah for people who know.
And We saved those who believed, and had Taqwa of Allah. )

(27:49) They said to one another, "Let us pledge on an oath by Allah that we shall attack Salih and his household by night, and then tell his guardian *63 that we were not even present at the time his family were killed: we are telling the truth." *64

They said, "Take a mutual oath by meaning

*63) " The guardian ": the chief of the Prophet Salih's tribe, who, according to the ancient tribal tradition and custom, could make a claim to blood vengeance.
The same was the position in Makkah of the Holy Prophet's uncle, Abu Talib.
The Quraish were hesitant that if they attacked and killed the Holy Prophet, Abu Talib, the chief of Bani Hashim, would come out with a claim to blood vengeance on behalf of his clan .

*64) This precisely was the kind of plot which the Makkan chiefs of the clans were devising against the Holy Prophet, and they devised the same ultimately on the occasion of migration ( Hijrah ) to kill him.
They decided that men from all the clans would attack him in a body so that the Bani Hashim could not hold any one of the clans as responsible for the murder, and, therefore, would fmd it impossible to fight all of them at one and the same time.

 

The Plot of the Mischief-Makers and the End of the People of Thamud Allah tells us about the evildoers of Thamud and their leaders who used to call their people to misguidance and disbelief, and to deny Salih.
Eventually they killed the she-camel and were about to kill Salih too.
They plotted to let him sleep with his family at night, then they would assassinate him and tell his relatives that they knew nothing about what happened to him, and that they were telling the truth because none of them had seen anything.
Allah says: وَكَانَ فِى الْمَدِينَةِ ( And there were in the city ) meaning, in the city of Thamud, تِسْعَةُ رَهْطٍ ( nine Raht, ) meaning, nine people, يُفْسِدُونَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَلاَ يُصْلِحُونَ ( who made mischief in the land, and would not reform. ) They forced their opinions on the people of Thamud, because they were the leaders and chiefs.
Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said: "These were the people who killed the she-camel," Meaning, that happened upon their instigation, may Allah curse them.
Allah says: فَنَادَوْاْ صَـحِبَهُمْ فَتَعَاطَى فَعَقَرَ ( But they called their comrade and he took (a sword ) and killed ( the she-camel ).
) ( 54:29 ) إِذِ انبَعَثَ أَشْقَـهَا ( When the most wicked man among them went forth (to kill the she-camel ).) ( 91:12 ) `Abdur-Razzaq said that Yahya bin Rabi`ah As-San`ani told them, "I heard `Ata' -- i.e.
Ibn Abi Rabah -- say: وَكَانَ فِى الْمَدِينَةِ تِسْعَةُ رَهْطٍ يُفْسِدُونَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَلاَ يُصْلِحُونَ ( And there were in the city nine Raht, who made mischief in the land, and would not reform. ) `They used to break silver coins."' They would break off pieces from them, as if they used to trade with them in terms of numbers as opposed to weight, as the Arabs used to do.
Imam Malik narrated from Yahya bin Sa`id that Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib said: "Cutting gold and silver ( coins ) is part of spreading corruption on earth." What is meant is that the nature of these evil disbelievers was to spread corruption on earth by every means possible, one of which was that mentioned by these Imams. قَالُواْ تَقَاسَمُواْ بِاللَّهِ لَنُبَيِّتَنَّهُ وَأَهْلَهُ ( They said: "Swear one to another by Allah that we shall make a secret night attack on him and his household..." ) They took a mutual oath, pledging that during the night, whoever met the Allah's Prophet Salih, peace be upon him, he would assassinate him.
But Allah planned against them and caused their plot to backfire.
Mujahid said, "They took a mutual oath pledging to kill him, but before they could reach him, they and their people were all destroyed." `Abdur-Rahman bin Abi Hatim said: "When they killed the she-camel, Salih said to them: تَمَتَّعُواْ فِى دَارِكُمْ ثَلَـثَةَ أَيَّامٍ ذلِكَ وَعْدٌ غَيْرُ مَكْذُوبٍ ( "Enjoy yourselves in your homes for three days.
This is a promise (i.e., a threat ) that will not be belied.") ( 11:65 ).
They said: `Salih claims that he will finish with us in three days, but we will finish him and his family before the three days are over.' Salih had a place of worship in a rocky tract in a valley, where he used to pray.
So they set out to go to a cave there one night, and said, `When he comes to pray, we will kill him, then we will return.
When we have finished him off, we will go to his family and finish them off too.' Then Allah sent down a rock upon them from the mountains round about; they feared that it would crush them, so they ran into the cave and the rock covered the mouth of the cave while they were inside.
Their people did not know where they were or what had happened to them.
So Allah punished some of them here, and some of them there, and He saved Salih and the people who were with him.
Then he recited: وَمَكَرُواْ مَكْراً وَمَكَرْنَا مَكْراً وَهُمْ لاَ يَشْعُرُونَ فَانظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـقِبَةُ مَكْرِهِمْ أَنَّا دَمَّرْنَـهُمْ وَقَوْمَهُمْبُيُوتُهُمْ خَاوِيَةً ( So, they plotted a plot, and We planned a plan, while they perceived not.
Then see how was the end of their plot! Verily, We destroyed them and their nation, all together.
These are their houses in utter ruin, ) i.e., deserted." فَتِلْكَ بُيُوتُهُمْ خَاوِيَةً بِمَا ظَلَمُواْ إِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ لاّيَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ - وَأَنجَيْنَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَكَانُواْ يَتَّقُونَ ( for they did wrong.
Verily, in this is indeed an Ayah for people who know.
And We saved those who believed, and had Taqwa of Allah. )

( They said: Swear one to another by Allah that we verily will attack him and his household by night ) and kill them all, ( and afterward we will surely say unto his friend ) to his inheritors and relatives: ( We witnessed not the destruction of his household ) we did not witness the killing of Salih and his household. ( And lo! we are truth tellers ) they will believe us and no one will reject what we say.

They said: "Swear one to another by Allah that we shall make a secret night attack on him and his household, and afterwards we will surely say to his near relatives: 'We witnessed not the destruction of his household, and verily! We are telling the truth.'"

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