أَهُمْ خَيْرٌ أَمْ قَوْمُ تُبَّعٍ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ أَهْلَكْنَـٰهُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ مُجْرِمِينَ 37
Translations
Are they better or the people of Tubbaʿ and those before them? We destroyed them, [for] indeed, they were criminals.
Transliteration
Ahum khayrun am qawmu Tubba' walladhina min qablihim ahlaknāhum innahum kānū mujrimīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah poses a rhetorical question to the Quraysh, challenging them by comparing themselves unfavorably to the people of Tubba' (a legendary Arabian king) and those before them, all of whom were destroyed due to their criminal rejection of truth. The ayah emphasizes that despite possessing knowledge and resources, those who reject Allah's signs meet inevitable destruction, serving as a warning to the contemporary disbelievers. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note this as a powerful rhetorical device (istifhām) meant to humble the arrogant and remind them that no people, however mighty or numerous, are exempt from divine punishment when they persist in transgression.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Ad-Dukhan, a Meccan surah that recounts the stories of past nations destroyed for their disbelief. The broader context addresses the arrogance of the Quraysh who rejected the Quran despite its clarity, and Allah reminds them through historical examples that their rejection will not protect them from the fate of previous civilizations.
Related Hadiths
While no specific hadith directly references this ayah, related themes appear in hadiths about the destruction of past nations. For example, in Sahih Bukhari, the Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned the lessons from destroyed civilizations as warnings to his own people.
Themes
Key Lesson
No nation, regardless of its power, wealth, or numbers, is protected from Allah's punishment when they persist in denying the truth and committing crimes against it. This ayah teaches believers to reflect on history's lessons and not fall into the same trap of arrogance that destroyed previous civilizations.