قُلْ أَرَءَيْتَكُمْ إِنْ أَتَىٰكُمْ عَذَابُ ٱللَّهِ بَغْتَةً أَوْ جَهْرَةً هَلْ يُهْلَكُ إِلَّا ٱلْقَوْمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ 47
Translations
Say, "Have you considered: if the punishment of Allāh should come to you unexpectedly or manifestly, will any be destroyed but the wrongdoing people?"
Transliteration
Qul ara'aytakum in atakum 'adhab-ul-lahi baghtatan aw jahrah hal yuhlak illa al-qawm az-zalimun
Tafsir (Explanation)
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is commanded to ask the disbelievers: whether Allah's punishment comes upon them suddenly or openly, is anyone destroyed except the wrongdoing people? This ayah emphasizes that divine punishment is a consequence of injustice and wrongdoing, not arbitrary destruction. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir interpret this as a rhetorical challenge to make clear that Allah's justice ensures punishment only befalls those who commit transgression and reject the truth.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan period of Surah Al-An'am, which was revealed to address the polytheists of Mecca who rejected the message of monotheism. The context addresses their denial of the accountability and Day of Judgment, reminding them that Allah's punishment is just and targeted toward those who wrong themselves through disbelief and disobedience.
Related Hadiths
The concept relates to the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet said, 'Everyone will taste death, and only on the Day of Judgment will you receive your full recompense.' Additionally, Surah Al-Anfal 8:25 is thematically related: 'And fear fitnah which does not strike those who have wronged among you exclusively.'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that suffering and calamity are not random but are divine consequences linked to human actions and moral choices—a reminder for believers to guard against injustice and wrongdoing while providing comfort that Allah's justice is perfect and merciful toward those who submit to Him.
Related Ayahs
وَلِكُلٍّ دَرَجَـٰتٌ مِّمَّا عَمِلُوا۟ ۚ وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ
And for all are degrees [i.e., positions resulting] from what they have done. And your Lord is not unaware of what they do.
لَّا يُسْمِنُ وَلَا يُغْنِى مِن جُوعٍ
Which neither nourishes nor avails against hunger.
فَكُلًّا أَخَذْنَا بِذَنۢبِهِۦ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِ حَاصِبًا وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ أَخَذَتْهُ ٱلصَّيْحَةُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ خَسَفْنَا بِهِ ٱلْأَرْضَ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ أَغْرَقْنَا ۚ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
So each We seized for his sin; and among them were those upon whom We sent a storm of stones, and among them were those who were seized by the blast [from the sky], and among them were those whom We caused the earth to swallow, and among them were those whom We drowned. And Allāh would not have wronged them, but it was they who were wronging themselves.
هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّآ أَن تَأْتِيَهُمُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ أَوْ يَأْتِىَ أَمْرُ رَبِّكَ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ فَعَلَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ وَمَا ظَلَمَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
Do they [i.e., the disbelievers] await except that the angels should come to them or there comes the command of your Lord? Thus did those do before them. And Allāh wronged them not, but they had been wronging themselves.