In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.
Abridged by Dr. ‘Aqil ibn Salim al-Shammari.
Surah al-Hijr.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
“Announce, (O Muhammad) unto My slaves that verily I am the Forgiving, the Merciful,” (15:49)
“And that My doom is the dolorous doom.” (15:50)
Inform My servants, O Muhammad,
That I am the One who conceals their sins if they repent from them,
And that I am merciful toward them, such that I would not punish them after their repentance.
Inform them also that My punishment, for those who persist in their disobedience,
Is a painful torment, the likes of which no other torment resembles.
“And tell them of Abraham's guests,” (15:51)
When they entered upon him and said, "Peace."
“(How) when they came in unto him, and said: Peace. He said: Lo! we are afraid of you.” (15:52)
“They said: Be not afraid! Lo! we bring thee good tidings of a boy possessing wisdom.” (15:53)
Inform My servants, O Muhammad, about the guests of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) from among the angels,
Who entered upon Ibrahim, the Friend of the Most Merciful,
When their Lord sent them to the people of Lut (peace be upon him) to destroy them.
When they entered upon Ibrahim and said, "Peace."
Ibrahim said, "Indeed, we are fearful of you."
The guest said to Ibrahim, "Do not fear."
“They said: Be not afraid! Lo! we bring thee good tidings of a boy possessing wisdom.” (15:53)
“He said: Bring ye me good tidings (of a son) when old age hath overtaken me? Of what then can ye bring good tidings?” (15:54)
“They said: We bring thee good tidings in truth. So be not thou of the despairing.” (15:55)
“He said: And who despaireth of the mercy of his Lord save those who are astray?” (15:56)
Ibrahim said to the angels,
“He said: Bring ye me good tidings (of a son) when old age hath overtaken me? Of what then can ye bring good tidings?” (15:54)
"With what do you bring good tidings?"
The guest of Ibrahim said to him,
"We bring you good tidings of a certain truth,
And we have knowledge that Allah has granted you a knowledgeable boy."
"So do not be among those who despair of the bounty of Allah,
And lose hope in Him."
"Rather, rejoice in what we have brought you."
And before the good tidings,
Ibrahim said to the guest,
"And who despairs of the mercy of Allah
Except those who have strayed from the path of righteousness?"
And thus they have gone astray from the religion of Allah.
He said, "What is your business, O messengers?"
They said, "Indeed, we have been sent to a criminal people."
“(All) save the family of Lot. Them we shall deliver every one,” (15:59)
“Except his wife, of whom We had decreed that she should be of those who stay behind.” (15:60)
Ibrahim said to the angels,
"What is your command, O messengers?"
The angels said to him,
"We have been sent to a people who have acquired disbelief in Allah,
Except for the followers of Lut, who remain upon the religion,
For we shall not destroy them,
But we will save them from the punishment,
Except for the wife of Lut;
Allah has decreed concerning her that she is among those who remain behind,
And she will be destroyed thereafter."
“And when the messengers came unto the family of Lot,” (15:61)
“He said: Lo! ye are folk unknown (to me).” (15:62)
“They said: Nay, but we bring thee that concerning which they keep disputing,” (15:63)
“And bring thee the Truth, and lo! we are truth-tellers.” (15:64)
So when the messengers of Allah came to the family of Lut,
He said to them,
"Indeed, we do not recognize you; we do not know who you are."
The messengers said to him,
"Rather, we are the messengers of Allah.
We have come to you with that which your people were doubting would befall them of the punishment of Allah for their disbelief in Him,
And we have come to you with the certain truth from Allah,
Which is the punishment.
And we are truthful in what we have informed you of, O Lut,
That Allah is going to destroy your people.
So set out with your family during a portion of the night and follow behind them."
“So travel with thy household in a portion of the night, and follow thou their backs. Let none of you turn round, but go whither ye are commanded.” (15:65)
We decreed to him that command: that these people would be cut off by the morning.
So set out with your family during the remainder of the night,
And follow, O Lut, behind your family whom you are taking out,
And be behind them,
And walk behind them while they are in front of you,
And let not any among you look back,
And proceed to where Allah commands you.
We finished that matter for Lut,
And We revealed that the last of your people and the first of them
Would be cut off and eradicated by the morning of that night.
“And the people of the city came, rejoicing at the news (of new arrivals).” (15:67)
“He said: Lo! they are my guests. Affront me not!” (15:68)
“And keep your duty to Allah, and shame me not!” (15:69)
The people of the city of Sodom came,
And they were the people of Lut,
When they heard that guests had visited Lut,
Rejoicing at their arrival in their city,
Out of their greed to commit the immoral act.
Lut said to his people,
"Indeed, these people whom you have come to, desiring the immoral act from them,
Are my guests,
And it is a duty upon a man to honor his guest.
So do not disgrace me, O people, regarding my guests,
And honor me by refraining from harming them,
And fear Allah regarding me and yourselves, lest His punishment befall you,
And do not humiliate me or insult me regarding them."
“They said; Have we not forbidden you from (entertaining) anyone?” (15:70)
“He said: Here are my daughters, if ye must be doing (so).” (15:71)
His people said,
"Did we not forbid you from hosting anyone from the worlds?"
Lut said to his people,
"Marry women, and come to them,
And do not do what Allah has forbidden you of approaching men.
If you are going to do what I command you and follow my instruction."
“By thy life (O Muhammad) they moved blindly in the frenzy of approaching death.” (15:72)
So the blast seized them at sunrise.
“And We utterly confounded them, and We rained upon them stones of heated clay.” (15:74)
“And We utterly confounded them, and We rained upon them stones of heated clay.” (15:74)
By your life, O Muhammad,
That your people from Quraysh
Are wandering blindly in their misguidance and ignorance.
A thunderbolt of punishment seized them as the sun rose,
And We made the highest part of their land its lowest,
And We rained upon them stones of clay.
Indeed, what We did to the people of Lut
Are signs and indications for those who possess insight and take heed of the signs of Allah,
And a lesson regarding the consequences of the affairs of those who disobey Him and disbelieve in Him.
And this city,
The city of Sodom,
Is on a clear, established path,
Seen by the traveler passing by it; it is not hidden.
Indeed, in Our treatment of the people of Lut
Is a clear sign and indication for those who believe in Allah,
Of His retribution against the people of disbelief,
And His salvation of the people of faith from His punishment.
The companions of the thicket were also disbelievers in Allah,
So We took retribution from them.
And the city of the companions of the thicket and the city of Lut
Are on a path that they follow in their travels,
Which makes its straightness clear to those who follow it.
“And the dwellers in Al-Hijr denied (Our) messengers.” (15:80)
“And we gave them Our revelations, but they were averse to them.” (15:81)
They used to carve houses out of the mountains, feeling secure.
So the blast seized them in the morning.
And what they used to earn did not avail them at all.
And the inhabitants of al-Hijr denied the messengers,
And they were Thamud, the people of Salih (peace be upon him).
We showed them Our proofs and arguments
Regarding the truth of what We sent Our messenger Salih to them with,
But they were averse to Our signs,
Neither taking heed of them nor being admonished.
They used to carve houses out of the mountains, feeling secure from the punishment of Allah.
It is said they felt secure from ruin, that their houses which they carved from the mountains would not be destroyed.
And it is said they felt secure from death.
So the blast of destruction seized them when they reached the morning.
And what they used to commit of evil deeds before that did not avert the punishment of Allah from them.
“We created not the heavens and the earth and all that is between them save with truth, and lo! the Hour is surely coming. So forgive, (O Muhammad), with a gracious forgiveness.” (15:85)
And the Hour is surely coming.
So forgive with gracious forgiveness.
“Lo! Thy Lord! He is the All-Wise Creator.” (15:86)
And We did not create all of creation,
Its heavens and its earth,
And what is between them, except with justice and fairness.
And Allah, the Exalted, did not wrong any of the nations whose stories He recounted in this Surah.
And the Hour is surely coming.
So turn away from the polytheists of your people with gracious turning away,
And pardon them with gracious pardon.
Indeed, your Lord is the One who created them and created everything,
And He is All-Knowing of them and their affairs.
“We have given thee seven of the oft-repeated (verses) and the great Qur'an.” (15:87)
And We have given you seven of the oft-repeated verses,
Where some verses reinforce others,
And some follow others with sections separating them.
It is permissible that it was called "oft-repeated" (mathani),
Because the stories and reports were repeated in it time after time.
So We have given you seven verses from the Qur'an,
And other than that from the rest of the Qur'an.
Do not extend your eyes toward that by which We have given enjoyment to categories of them,
And do not grieve over them, and lower your wing to the believers.
Do not wish, O Muhammad, for what We have made of the adornment of this world,
As an enjoyment for the wealthy among your people.
“They alone ask leave of thee who believe not in Allah and the Last Day, and whose hearts feel doubt, so in their doubt they waver.” (9:45)
And do not grieve over what they have been given to enjoy, for it was hastened for them,
For you have in the Hereafter that which is better than it.
And soften your side for those who believe in you, follow you, and follow your words,
And do not be harsh toward them.
“And say: Lo! I, even I, am a plain warner,” (15:89)
“Such as We send down for those who make division,” (15:90)
Those who have made the Qur'an into parts.
And say, O Muhammad, to the polytheists,
"Indeed, I am the warner,
Who has made clear his warning to you of the affliction and punishment
That may descend upon you from Allah,
Because of your persistence in your error,
Like that which Allah, the Exalted, sent down of affliction and punishment
Upon those who divided the Book of Allah,
By denying some of it and believing in some of it."
And it is possible that those meant by the "dividers"
Are the people of the two Books,
The Torah and the Gospel,
Because they divided the Book of Allah;
The Jews affirmed some of the Torah and denied some of it,
And they denied the Gospel and the Criterion (the Qur'an).
And the Christians affirmed some of the Gospel,
And denied some of it and the Criterion.
And it is possible that those meant by that are the polytheists of Quraysh,
Because they divided the Qur'an;
They called some of it poetry, some of it sorcery,
And some of it legends of the ancients.
Those who divided the Qur'an and made it into parts.
And their "biting" (mockery) of it
Was their casting of falsehood upon the Qur'an,
And their saying that it is poetry and magic,
And what is similar to that.
So by your Lord, We will surely question them all,
About what they used to do.
“So proclaim that which thou art commanded, and withdraw from the idolaters.” (15:94)
So by your Lord, O Muhammad, We will surely question those who made the Qur'an into parts,
About what they used to do in the world regarding what We commanded them,
And regarding what We sent you with to them.
So proceed and proclaim the Qur'an and convey it to them,
And refrain from warring against the polytheists and fighting them.
Indeed, We have sufficed you against the mockers.
“Who set some other god along with Allah. But they will come to know.” (15:96)
They will soon know.
Indeed, We have sufficed you against the mockers, O Muhammad,
Those who mock you and ridicule you,
Those who associate a partner with Allah in His worship.
They will soon know what they will encounter of the punishment of Allah
When they return to Him on the Day of Resurrection,
And what will befall them of affliction.
“Well know We that thy bosom is oppressed by what they say,” (15:97)
So exalt with the praise of your Lord and be among those who prostrate.
And worship your Lord until the certainty comes to you.
And We know, O Muhammad,
That your chest is constricted by what these polytheists say,
Of their denying you and mocking you,
And that this distresses you.
So seek refuge, regarding what befalls you of matters you dislike from them,
In gratitude to Allah, praising Him, and prayer;
Allah will suffice you against what concerns you of that.
And worship your Lord until death comes to you,
Which you are certain of.
A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.