وَكَمْ قَصَمْنَا مِن قَرْيَةٍ كَانَتْ ظَالِمَةً وَأَنشَأْنَا بَعْدَهَا قَوْمًا ءَاخَرِينَ 11
Translations
And how many a city which was unjust have We shattered and produced after it another people.
Transliteration
Wa-kam qasamna min qaryatin kanat dhalimatan wa-ansha'na ba'daha qawman akharin
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah emphasizes Allah's divine justice by stating that He destroyed many unjust cities and replaced them with other peoples. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain this as evidence of Allah's power and His intolerance of persistent wrongdoing—the destruction of tyrannical communities serves as a historical warning to subsequent generations. The verse demonstrates that oppression and injustice inevitably lead to destruction, while obedience and righteousness ensure survival and prosperity.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Anbiya, which reviews the stories of various prophets and their nations. The broader context emphasizes the recurring pattern throughout history: prophets warned their peoples, the wrongdoers rejected the message, and Allah destroyed the transgressors while preserving the believers. This particular verse encapsulates the cyclical nature of divine punishment for those who persist in injustice.
Related Hadiths
The destruction of nations is referenced in multiple contexts. A thematically related hadith from Sahih Muslim states that the Prophet (peace be upon him) warned against oppression, saying 'Beware of the supplication of the oppressed, for there is no barrier between it and Allah.' This relates to the inevitability of divine justice shown in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that oppression and injustice, no matter how powerful their perpetrators may seem, ultimately lead to destruction by Allah's decree—a timeless reminder for believers to uphold justice in their own lives and societies. It instills hope that tyranny is never eternal and encourages patience in the face of wrongdoing, knowing that accountability is inevitable.
Related Ayahs
ثُمَّ دَمَّرْنَا ٱلْـَٔاخَرِينَ
Then We destroyed the others.
لَّا تَدْعُوا۟ ٱلْيَوْمَ ثُبُورًا وَٰحِدًا وَٱدْعُوا۟ ثُبُورًا كَثِيرًا
[They will be told], "Do not cry this Day for one destruction but cry for much destruction."
لِلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَجَابُوا۟ لِرَبِّهِمُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا۟ لَهُۥ لَوْ أَنَّ لَهُم مَّا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا وَمِثْلَهُۥ مَعَهُۥ لَٱفْتَدَوْا۟ بِهِۦٓ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ سُوٓءُ ٱلْحِسَابِ وَمَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمِهَادُ
For those who have responded to their Lord is the best [reward], but those who did not respond to Him - if they had all that is in the earth entirely and the like of it with it, they would [attempt to] ransom themselves thereby. Those will have the worst account, and their refuge is Hell, and wretched is the resting place.
قَالَ فَٱذْهَبْ فَإِنَّ لَكَ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ أَن تَقُولَ لَا مِسَاسَ ۖ وَإِنَّ لَكَ مَوْعِدًا لَّن تُخْلَفَهُۥ ۖ وَٱنظُرْ إِلَىٰٓ إِلَـٰهِكَ ٱلَّذِى ظَلْتَ عَلَيْهِ عَاكِفًا ۖ لَّنُحَرِّقَنَّهُۥ ثُمَّ لَنَنسِفَنَّهُۥ فِى ٱلْيَمِّ نَسْفًا
[Moses] said, "Then go. And indeed, it is [decreed] for you in [this] life to say, 'No contact.' And indeed, you have an appointment [in the Hereafter] you will not fail to keep. And look at your 'god' to which you remained devoted. We will surely burn it and blow it [i.e., its ashes] into the sea with a blast.