Inna allatheena yuhaddoona Allaha warasoolahu kubitoo kama kubita allatheena min qablihim waqad (surah Mujadilah: 5)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(58:5) Verily those who oppose Allah and His Messenger *14 shall be brought low even as those before them were brought low. *15 Surely We have sent down Clear Signs; and a humiliating chastisement awaits the unbelievers; *16

Innal lazeena yuhaaaddoonal laaha wa Rasoolahoo kubitoo kamaa kubital lazeena min qablihim; wa qad anzalnaaa aayaatim baiyinaat; wa lilkaa fireena `azaabum muheen

*14) "Those who oppose . . . " : Those who do not recognize the bounds set by Allah and instead set some other bounds for themselves. Ibn Jarir Tabari has given this commentary of this verse: "That is, the people who resist Allah with regard to the bounds and duties enjoined by Him, and set for themselves some other bounds instead of the bounds set by Him." Baidawi; has given this commentary of it: "That is, they show hostility towards and dispute with Allah and His Messenger, or set other bounds for themselves than the bounds set by them, or adopt the bounds set by others. " Alusi in his Ruh Al-Ma `ani has concurred with Baidawi in this commentary and cited the statement of Shaikh-ul-Islam Sa`dullah Chalpi to the effect: "In this verse a threat has been held out to those kings and evil rulers who have framed many such rules as are opposed to the bounds set by the Shari ah, and called tjem law." Here, `Allama Alusi has dwelt upon the constitutional status (i.e, constitutional from the Islamic viewpoint) of the manmade laws as against the Shari ah laws and concluded thus:
"There can be no doubt in the disbelief of the person who regards this law as commendable and superior to the Shari ah and says that it is wiser and better suited to the genius of the people. And when the Shari ah injunction in a particular matter is pointed out to him, he is angry, as we have seen some of those who are under the curse of Allah. "
*15) The word used in the original is kabt, which means to disgrace, to destroy, to curse, to drive off, to push out, to debase. What is meant to be said is that the communities of the former Prophets who resisted Allah and His Messenger and rebelled against His Commandments have already gone to their doom. Now those from among the Muslims who adopt the same attitude in life will also meet with the same evil end. Whenever the people made their own laws contradictory to Divine Law, or adopted laws made by others, they were deprived of Allah's bounty and grace, with the result that their lives were filled with deviations, immoralities and moral and social evils, which caused them to be ultimately degraded and humiliated oven in this world. If the same error now is committed by the community of the Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings), there is no reason why it should continue to be regarded with favour by AIIah and He may go on protecting it from a disgraceful destruction for ever and ever. AIlah had neither any ill will against the communities of His former Messengers nor has He any special connection with the community of this Messenger.
*16) A little consideration of the context shows that here two punishments of this attitude have been mentioned: (I) Kabt, i.e. debasement and humiliation of this world; and (2) adhab muhin, i.e. a disgraceful torment that they will suffer in the Hereafter.