Surah Qasas ayat 59 Tafsir Quran 28:59

﴿وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ مُهْلِكَ الْقُرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ يَبْعَثَ فِي أُمِّهَا رَسُولًا يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِنَا ۚ وَمَا كُنَّا مُهْلِكِي الْقُرَىٰ إِلَّا وَأَهْلُهَا ظَالِمُونَ﴾
[ القصص: 59]

28:59 And never would your Lord have destroyed the cities until He had sent to their mother a messenger reciting to them Our verses. And We would not destroy the cities except while their people were wrongdoers.

And your Lord never destroyed the towns because of evildoing on their part until He had raised up in their mother-town that is the major town among them a messenger to recite Our signs to them. And We never destroyed the towns unless their inhabitants were committing evil by denying the messengers.

And never did Allah, your Creator, reduce the towns to a useless form until He had sent a Messenger to their capital to recite to the people Our divine revelations but they closed their hearts ears. Therefore, never did We reduce the towns to a useless form except when the fundamental truth failed to govern their thoughts and they proved themselves wrongful of actions

The Destruction of Towns, which are not destroyed until Evidence is established against Them Referring to the people of Makkah, Allah says: وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِن قَرْيَةٍ بَطِرَتْ مَعِيشَتَهَا ( And how many a town have We destroyed, which was thankless for its means of livelihood! ) They were arrogant transgressors who denied Allah's blessing of giving them ample provision.
This is like the Ayah, o وَضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلاً قَرْيَةً كَانَتْ ءَامِنَةً مُّطْمَئِنَّةً يَأْتِيهَا رِزْقُهَا رَغَدًا مِّن كُلِّ مَكَانٍ ( And Allah puts forward the example of a township, that dwelt secure and well-content: its provision coming to it in abundance from every place ) until: فَأَخَذَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ وَهُمْ ظَـلِمُونَ ( So the torment overtook them while they were wrongdoers. ) ( 16:112-113 ) Allah said: فَتِلْكَ مَسَـكِنُهُمْ لَمْ تُسْكَن مِّن بَعْدِهِمْ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً ( And those are their dwellings, which have not been inhabited after them except a little. ) Their land became empty and desolate, and you can see nothing but their dwellings. وَكُنَّا نَحْنُ الْوَرِثِينَ ( And verily, We have been the heirs. ) Their towns became ruins, with none remaining.
Then Allah tells us of His justice and that He does not destroy anyone unjustly; on the contrary, He destroys those whom He destroys after establishing proof against them.
So, he says: وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ مُهْلِكَ الْقُرَى حَتَّى يَبْعَثَ فِى أُمِّهَا ( And never will your Lord destroy the towns until He sends to their mother town ) i.e., Makkah -- رَسُولاً يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـتِنَا ( a Messenger reciting to them Our Ayat. ) This indicates that the Unlettered Prophet, Muhammad was sent from the Mother of Cities as a Messenger to all cities and towns, Arab and non-Arab alike.
This is like the Ayat: لِّتُنذِرَ أُمَّ الْقُرَى وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا ( so that you may warn the Mother of Towns and all those around it ) ( 6:92 ). قُلْ يَأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا ( Say: "O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah." ) ( 7:158 ), لاٌّنذِرَكُمْ بِهِ وَمَن بَلَغَ ( That I may therewith warn you and whomsoever it may reach. ) ( 6:19 ) وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِ مِنَ الاٌّحْزَابِ فَالنَّارُ مَوْعِدُهُ ( but those of the sects that reject it, the Fire will be their promised meeting place. ) ( 11:17 ). وَإِن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ إِلاَّ نَحْنُ مُهْلِكُوهَا قَبْلَ يَوْمِ الْقِيَـمَةِ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُوهَا عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا ( And there is not a town but We shall destroy it before the Day of Resurrection, or punish it with a severe torment. ) ( 17:58 ).
Allah tells us that He will destroy every town before the Day of Resurrection, as He says: وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولاً ( And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger. ) ( 17:15 ).
Allah has sent the Unlettered Prophet to all the towns ( all of mankind ), because he has been sent to the Mother of Cities, their source to which they all return.
It was recorded in the Two Sahihs that the Prophet said:
«بُعِثْتُ إِلَى الْأَحْمَرِ وَالْأَسْوَد»
( I have been sent to the red and the black. ) Prophethood ended with him, and there is no Prophet or Messenger to come after him, but his way will remain as long as night and day remain, until the Day of Resurrection.

(28:59) And your Lord would never destroy habitations until He had sent in their central place a Messenger, who recited to them Our Revelations; and We would not destroy Habitations until their dwellers had become wicked. *83

And never would your Lord have destroyed meaning

*83) This is the third answer to their excuse.
It means: " The nations which were destroyed before you had become wicked.
To warn them finally Allah sent His Messengers, but when they took no notice of their warnings and persisted in their evil ways, they were destroyed.
The same is the case with you now.
You have also become wicked, and a Messenger has come to you to warn you too.
Now if you persist in your disbelief and denial, you will not be safeguarding your prosperity and comforts of life but endangering them.
The destruction that you are afraid of will overtake you not because of believing but on account of refusal to believe.
"
 

The Destruction of Towns, which are not destroyed until Evidence is established against Them Referring to the people of Makkah, Allah says: وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِن قَرْيَةٍ بَطِرَتْ مَعِيشَتَهَا ( And how many a town have We destroyed, which was thankless for its means of livelihood! ) They were arrogant transgressors who denied Allah's blessing of giving them ample provision.
This is like the Ayah, o وَضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلاً قَرْيَةً كَانَتْ ءَامِنَةً مُّطْمَئِنَّةً يَأْتِيهَا رِزْقُهَا رَغَدًا مِّن كُلِّ مَكَانٍ ( And Allah puts forward the example of a township, that dwelt secure and well-content: its provision coming to it in abundance from every place ) until: فَأَخَذَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ وَهُمْ ظَـلِمُونَ ( So the torment overtook them while they were wrongdoers. ) ( 16:112-113 ) Allah said: فَتِلْكَ مَسَـكِنُهُمْ لَمْ تُسْكَن مِّن بَعْدِهِمْ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً ( And those are their dwellings, which have not been inhabited after them except a little. ) Their land became empty and desolate, and you can see nothing but their dwellings. وَكُنَّا نَحْنُ الْوَرِثِينَ ( And verily, We have been the heirs. ) Their towns became ruins, with none remaining.
Then Allah tells us of His justice and that He does not destroy anyone unjustly; on the contrary, He destroys those whom He destroys after establishing proof against them.
So, he says: وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ مُهْلِكَ الْقُرَى حَتَّى يَبْعَثَ فِى أُمِّهَا ( And never will your Lord destroy the towns until He sends to their mother town ) i.e., Makkah -- رَسُولاً يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـتِنَا ( a Messenger reciting to them Our Ayat. ) This indicates that the Unlettered Prophet, Muhammad was sent from the Mother of Cities as a Messenger to all cities and towns, Arab and non-Arab alike.
This is like the Ayat: لِّتُنذِرَ أُمَّ الْقُرَى وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا ( so that you may warn the Mother of Towns and all those around it ) ( 6:92 ). قُلْ يَأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا ( Say: "O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah." ) ( 7:158 ), لاٌّنذِرَكُمْ بِهِ وَمَن بَلَغَ ( That I may therewith warn you and whomsoever it may reach. ) ( 6:19 ) وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِ مِنَ الاٌّحْزَابِ فَالنَّارُ مَوْعِدُهُ ( but those of the sects that reject it, the Fire will be their promised meeting place. ) ( 11:17 ). وَإِن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ إِلاَّ نَحْنُ مُهْلِكُوهَا قَبْلَ يَوْمِ الْقِيَـمَةِ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُوهَا عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا ( And there is not a town but We shall destroy it before the Day of Resurrection, or punish it with a severe torment. ) ( 17:58 ).
Allah tells us that He will destroy every town before the Day of Resurrection, as He says: وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولاً ( And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger. ) ( 17:15 ).
Allah has sent the Unlettered Prophet to all the towns ( all of mankind ), because he has been sent to the Mother of Cities, their source to which they all return.
It was recorded in the Two Sahihs that the Prophet said: «بُعِثْتُ إِلَى الْأَحْمَرِ وَالْأَسْوَد» ( I have been sent to the red and the black. ) Prophethood ended with him, and there is no Prophet or Messenger to come after him, but his way will remain as long as night and day remain, until the Day of Resurrection.

( And never did thy Lord destroy the townships ) the inhabitants of any township, ( till He had raised up in their mother (-town )) their greatest town, i.e. Mecca; it is also said that this means: until He sends to their leaders and chiefs ( a messenger reciting unto them Our revelations ) explaining the commands and prohibitions. ( And never did We destroy the townships ) the inhabitants of any township ( unless the folk thereof were evil-doers ) idolaters.

And never will your Lord destroy the towns (populations) until He sends to their mother town a Messenger reciting to them Our Verses. And never would We destroy the towns unless the people thereof are Zalimun (polytheists, wrong-doers, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah, oppressors and tyrants).

Page 392 English transliteration