English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 27: Al-Naml — The Naml (Revealed at Makkah: 7 sections, 93 verses)
Section 4 (Verses 27:45–27:58): Salih and Lot
Translation:
وَ لَقَدۡ اَرۡسَلۡنَاۤ اِلٰی ثَمُوۡدَ اَخَاہُمۡ صٰلِحًا اَنِ اعۡبُدُوا اللّٰہَ فَاِذَا ہُمۡ فَرِیۡقٰنِ یَخۡتَصِمُوۡنَ ﴿۴۵﴾
27:45 And certainly We sent to Thamūd their brother Sālih, saying: Serve Allah. Then lo! they became two factions, contending.
قَالَ یٰقَوۡمِ لِمَ تَسۡتَعۡجِلُوۡنَ بِالسَّیِّئَۃِ قَبۡلَ الۡحَسَنَۃِ ۚ لَوۡ لَا تَسۡتَغۡفِرُوۡنَ اللّٰہَ لَعَلَّکُمۡ تُرۡحَمُوۡنَ ﴿۴۶﴾
27:46 He said: My people, why do you hasten on the evil before the good? Why do you not ask forgiveness of Allah so that mercy may be shown to you?
قَالُوا اطَّیَّرۡنَا بِکَ وَ بِمَنۡ مَّعَکَ ؕ قَالَ طٰٓئِرُکُمۡ عِنۡدَ اللّٰہِ بَلۡ اَنۡتُمۡ قَوۡمٌ تُفۡتَنُوۡنَ ﴿۴۷﴾
27:47 They said: We consider you and those with you an evil omen. He said: (The cause of) your evil fortune is with Allah; rather, you are a people who are tried.
وَ کَانَ فِی الۡمَدِیۡنَۃِ تِسۡعَۃُ رَہۡطٍ یُّفۡسِدُوۡنَ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ وَ لَا یُصۡلِحُوۡنَ ﴿۴۸﴾
27:48 And there were in the city nine persons who made mischief in the land and did not act aright.1
قَالُوۡا تَقَاسَمُوۡا بِاللّٰہِ لَنُبَیِّتَنَّہٗ وَ اَہۡلَہٗ ثُمَّ لَنَقُوۡلَنَّ لِوَلِیِّہٖ مَا شَہِدۡنَا مَہۡلِکَ اَہۡلِہٖ وَ اِنَّا لَصٰدِقُوۡنَ ﴿۴۹﴾
27:49 They said: Swear to one another by Allah that we shall attack him and his family by night, then we shall say to his heir: We did not witness the destruction of his family, and we are surely truthful.2
وَ مَکَرُوۡا مَکۡرًا وَّ مَکَرۡنَا مَکۡرًا وَّ ہُمۡ لَا یَشۡعُرُوۡنَ ﴿۵۰﴾
27:50 And they planned a plan, and We planned a plan, while they did not perceive.
فَانۡظُرۡ کَیۡفَ کَانَ عَاقِبَۃُ مَکۡرِہِمۡ ۙ اَنَّا دَمَّرۡنٰہُمۡ وَ قَوۡمَہُمۡ اَجۡمَعِیۡنَ ﴿۵۱﴾
27:51 See, then, what was the end of their plan, that We destroyed them and their people, all (of them).
فَتِلۡکَ بُیُوۡتُہُمۡ خَاوِیَۃًۢ بِمَا ظَلَمُوۡا ؕ اِنَّ فِیۡ ذٰلِکَ لَاٰیَۃً لِّقَوۡمٍ یَّعۡلَمُوۡنَ ﴿۵۲﴾
27:52 So those are their houses fallen down because they did wrong. Surely there is a sign in this for a people who know.
وَ اَنۡجَیۡنَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ کَانُوۡا یَتَّقُوۡنَ ﴿۵۳﴾
27:53 And We delivered those who believed and kept their duty.
وَ لُوۡطًا اِذۡ قَالَ لِقَوۡمِہٖۤ اَتَاۡتُوۡنَ الۡفَاحِشَۃَ وَ اَنۡتُمۡ تُبۡصِرُوۡنَ ﴿۵۴﴾
27:54 And Lot, when he said to his people: Do you commit foul deeds, while you see?
اَئِنَّکُمۡ لَتَاۡتُوۡنَ الرِّجَالَ شَہۡوَۃً مِّنۡ دُوۡنِ النِّسَآءِ ؕ بَلۡ اَنۡتُمۡ قَوۡمٌ تَجۡہَلُوۡنَ ﴿۵۵﴾
27:55 Will you come to men lustfully rather than women? Indeed, you are a people who act ignorantly.
فَمَا کَانَ جَوَابَ قَوۡمِہٖۤ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ قَالُوۡۤا اَخۡرِجُوۡۤا اٰلَ لُوۡطٍ مِّنۡ قَرۡیَتِکُمۡ ۚ اِنَّہُمۡ اُنَاسٌ یَّتَطَہَّرُوۡنَ ﴿۵۶﴾
27:56 But the answer of his people was only that they said: Drive out Lot’s followers from your town; surely they are a people who would keep pure!
فَاَنۡجَیۡنٰہُ وَ اَہۡلَہٗۤ اِلَّا امۡرَاَتَہٗ ۫ قَدَّرۡنٰہَا مِنَ الۡغٰبِرِیۡنَ ﴿۵۷﴾
27:57 But We delivered him and his followers except his wife; We ordained her to be of those who remained behind.
وَ اَمۡطَرۡنَا عَلَیۡہِمۡ مَّطَرًا ۚ فَسَآءَ مَطَرُ الۡمُنۡذَرِیۡنَ ﴿٪۵۸﴾
27:58 And We rained on them a rain; and evil was the rain on those who had been warned.3
Commentary:
- There is no doubt a reference here to the enemies of the Holy Prophet, the chief of them being nine in number, eight of whom were slain at Badr, except Abu Lahab who died at Makkah on hearing the news of the defeat at Badr. ↩
- There seems to be a prophetical reference here to the plot against the Holy Prophet, for the same plan was ultimately agreed upon by the Quraish to do away with him. One man from every tribe of the Quraish was selected and, taking the Prophet unawares, they were to thrust their swords into his body simultaneously so that no particular tribe could be held guilty. This was agreed upon immediately before the Prophet’s flight to Madinah, and thus the incident as relating to Sālih is meant as a prophecy. ↩
- Stones were rained on them; see 7:84. ↩