The Calamities of the Disbelievers in Surah Qamar An Example to those Who had Disbelieved |
Written by Nuraz |
Salaam (WRWB). Not too long ago, I had made the article for Surah Tafsir on Surah Qamar, the entire Surah. This article is to dive even further into each “example”, or “remembrance” that the Surah mentions. In Surah Qamar Allah (SWT) mentions,
فَكَيۡفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ
Meaning - And We left it as a sign, so is there any who will remember? (54:18)
That “any” the Surah is talking about is to us the reciters and also the people who remain here on Earth. As you would have two fates. The Believers, otherwise the “Good Ending,” gets the glad tidings and bounties of Paradise. But as you’ve seen in the article’s title, this isn’t about the believers. Rather this is about the opposite, the disbelievers.
The Ayat I had just mentioned had been repeated 4 times, the fifth being a little different compared to this. More on that later. Each of the 4 times represents the disbelievers of a message. So now let us go over each of the 4 occurrences and examples
Warning #1 - Nuh (AS) (54:9-14)
The first set of disbelievers are from Nuh (AS) at the time of the ark. Some chose to follow the warning and take it seriously, whilst others ridiculed Nuh (AS), even resenting him out of their land, calling him a “madman.” The disbelief had spread so far to the point where even Nuh (AS)’s own children and wife hadn’t believed him. And if it wasn’t worse, Nuh (AS) had preached for 950 years. Just imagine somebody rejecting you for 950 years, that must be painful. Allah (SWT) clarifies the story, going even deeper to their fate,
كَذَّبَتۡ قَبۡلَهُمۡ قَوۡمُ نُوحٖ فَكَذَّبُواْ عَبۡدَنَا وَقَالُواْ مَجۡنُونٞ وَٱزۡدُجِرَ
Meaning - The people of Noah denied before them, and they denied Our servant and said, “A madman,” and he was repelled. (54:9)
فَدَعَا رَبَّهُۥٓ أَنِّي مَغۡلُوبٞ فَٱنتَصِرۡ
Meaning - So he invoked his Lord, “Indeed, I am overpowered, so help.” (54:10)
فَفَتَحۡنَآ أَبۡوَٰبَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ بِمَآءٖ مُّنۡهَمِرٖ
Meaning - Then We opened the gates of heaven with rain pouring down. (54:11)
وَفَجَّرۡنَا ٱلۡأَرۡضَ عُيُونٗا فَٱلۡتَقَى ٱلۡمَآءُ عَلَىٰٓ أَمۡرٖ قَدۡ قُدِر
Meaning - And caused the earth to burst with springs, and the watersmeet for a matter already predestined. (54:12)
وَحَمَلۡنَٰهُ عَلَىٰ ذَاتِ أَلۡوَٰحٖ وَدُسُرٖ
Meaning - And We carried him on a [construction of] planks and nails. (54:13)
The disbelievers were met with their punishment, hence the heavy rain and gushing springs. As it’s like a linking between the oceans of the Earth to the Heavens to carry out this punishment.
And you might ask, what had happened to those who believed? Well their life was spared with sailing with the ark of Nuh (AS), as it is said that 80 people had only survived. Some say 83, but you get the point. Very few survived. The first warning of remembrance is placed, that same ayat I had mentioned in the beginning, giving us the people living on the planet a decision, giving you the bad ending and the good ending both at the same time.
Warning #2 - Salih (AS) - (54:23-29)
The people of Thamud and Aad, are infamously known for their arrogant disbelief to the received message. Salih (AS) had been sent to this rock-carved city. They were then given a miraculous sign, like a nudge of the she-camel, providing each and every individual with water and milk. But instead of treating the she-camel with respect, instead they had killed it. And what came next was even worse for them. Allah (SWT) provides us with,
كَذَّبَتۡ ثَمُودُ بِٱلنُّذُرِ
Meaning - Thamud denied the warning. (54:23)
فَقَالُوٓاْ أَبَشَرٗا مِّنَّا وَٰحِدٗا نَّتَّبِعُهُۥٓ إِنَّآ إِذٗا لَّفِي ضَلَٰلٖ وَسُعُرٍ
Meaning - And said, “Is it one human being among us that we should follow? Indeed, we would then be in error and madness. (54:24)
أَءُلۡقِيَ ٱلذِّكۡرُ عَلَيۡهِ مِنۢ بَيۡنِنَا بَلۡ هُوَ كَذَّابٌ أَشِرٞ
Meaning - Has the message been sent down upon him from among us? Rather, he is an insolent liar.” (54:25)
سَيَعۡلَمُونَ غَدٗا مَّنِ ٱلۡكَذَّابُ ٱلۡأَشِرُ
Meaning - They will know tomorrow who is the insolent liar. (54:26)
إِنَّا مُرۡسِلُواْ ٱلنَّاقَةِ فِتۡنَةٗ لَّهُمۡ فَٱرۡتَقِبۡهُمۡ وَٱصۡطَبِرۡ
Meaning - Indeed, We are sending the she-camel as trial for them, so watch them and be patient. (54:27)
وَنَبِّئۡهُمۡ أَنَّ ٱلۡمَآءَ قِسۡمَةُۢ بَيۡنَهُمۡۖ كُلُّ شِرۡبٖ مُّحۡتَضَرٞ
Meaning - And inform them that the water is shared between them, each [day of] drink attended [by turn]. (54:28)
فَنَادَوۡاْ صَاحِبَهُمۡ فَتَعَاطَىٰ فَعَقَرَ
Meaning - But they called their companion, and he dared and hamstrung [her]. (54:29)
A lot of things just happened there. Let’s recap. As we know the people of Thamud are infamous for their life. These ayats had basically recapped my summary. The she-camel was killed, and the belief and gratitude they had for Salih (AS)’s warning had been non-existent. Allah (SWT) had described their punishment as,
إِنَّآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ صَيۡحَةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ فَكَانُواْ كَهَشِيمِ ٱلۡمُحۡتَظِرِ
Meaning - Indeed, We sent upon them one blast from the sky, and they became like the dry twig fragments of an [animal] pen. (54:31)
And again before this ayat the same warning and reminder is called to us. Further giving us even more examples, even after the warning being displayed here.
Warning #3 - Lut (AS) - (54:33-38)
Lut (AS) also had spread the message to a complete homosexual village. These people were embedded with corruption, homosexuality, and had an injustice system. He had preached his message to them. But in response came rejection, and amongst the disbeliever crowd even his wife had rejected his message. Allah (SWT) had mentioned,
كَذَّبَتۡ قَوۡمُ لُوطِۭ بِٱلنُّذُرِ
Meaning - The people of Lot denied the warning. (54:33)
وَلَقَدۡ أَنذَرَهُم بَطۡشَتَنَا فَتَمَارَوۡاْ بِٱلنُّذُرِ
Meaning - And he had already warned them of Our assault, but they disputed the warning. (54:36)
Allah (SWT) would then in similarity to the fate of the disbelievers in the other story had mentioned their punishment, further mentioning the warnings and grave punishments sent.
إِنَّآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ حَاصِبًا إِلَّآ ءَالَ لُوطٖۖ نَّجَّيۡنَٰهُم بِسَحَرٖ
Meaning - Indeed, We sent upon them a storm of stones, except the family of Lot – We saved them before dawn. (54:34)
نِّعۡمَةٗ مِّنۡ عِندِنَاۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجۡزِي مَن شَكَ
Meaning - As a favor from us. Thus do We reward he who is grateful. (54:35)
وَلَقَدۡ رَٰوَدُوهُ عَن ضَيۡفِهِۦ فَطَمَسۡنَآ أَعۡيُنَهُمۡ فَذُوقُواْ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ
Meaning - And they had demanded from him his guests, but We obliterated their eyes, [saying], “Taste My punishment and warning. (54:37)
وَلَقَدۡ صَبَّحَهُم بُكۡرَةً عَذَابٞ مُّسۡتَقِرّٞ
Meaning - And there came upon them by morning an abiding punishment. (54:38)
The punishment here is described with a heavy rain of stones, also a great wind that had arisen from the sky. Of course the believers again have their fate spared, but notice there is a significant amount of verses regarding the disbelievers. As when the last warning, the 2 angels disguised as 2 men confronting these arrogant men. Despite this significance, instead of the disbelievers considering their faith, they had instead continued to follow their own roots even almost harming the angels at their back.
And when that happened came the final straw. Hence that punishment. What becomes interesting here is how angry Allah (SWT) sounds. You might notice that these ayats aren’t just presented to us with a more pleasant, light-hearted message. Instead there is a clear anger, disappointment from Allah (SWT) about these people. Even showcasing that with the next ayat.
فَذُوقُواْ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ
Meaning - So taste My punishment and warning. (54:39)
Really going to show the punishment and fate that comes to these disbelievers.
4) Warning #4 - Musa (AS)
The 4th set of disbelievers mentioned in Surah Al-Qamar were the people of Musa (AS). Fir’awn and his people shared great ignorance, refusing to accept the message of Islam. Fir’awn was a tyrant who commanded the murder of the male children of Bani Israel. Fir’awn was generally adored by the Egyptian people. He had split the people into sects and oppressed certain groups most specifically Bani Israel. Allah had brought many warnings. In Surah Al-Qamar it is narrated,
وَلَقَدۡ جَآءَ ءَالَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ ٱلنُّذُرُ
Meaning - And there certainly came to the people of Pharaoh warning. (54:41)
كَذَّبُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا كُلِّهَا فَأَخَذۡنَٰهُمۡ أَخۡذَ عَزِيزٖ مُّقۡتَدِرٍ
Meaning - They denied Our signs, all of them, so We seized them with a seizure of one Exalted in Might and Perfect in Ability. (54:42)
Allah (SWT) had warned the people of Egypt yet they neglected these signs and continued to fall deeper into sin. Due to their neglect and ignorance they saw the might of Allah (SWT). The same people who had neglected the warning signs that had been shown were shortly later destroyed; Fir’awn included. Those who have ignored such warnings were destroyed and fell to the sheer might of Allah (SWT). Which goes to show again how we should ponder and remember, thus reflecting back to that same ayat I had mentioned about.
In conclusion, Surah Qamar gives us a good example into the fate of the disbelievers. You might be asking, how does this all time back to us? Simple. We might not have a messenger that's present, but we have its message in the Quran. Depending on whether we intake and follow the message comes our results. If you want a more broad and brief explanation of Surah Qamar on its own, check out that article. Salaam (WRWB)