فَهَلْ تَرَىٰ لَهُم مِّنۢ بَاقِيَةٍ 8
Translations
Then do you see of them any remains?
Transliteration
Fahal tara lahum min baqiyah
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah asks rhetorically whether the Prophet (peace be upon him) can see any remnant or survivor left of the people of 'Ad after Allah's devastating punishment. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this is a powerful rhetorical question emphasizing the complete annihilation and obliteration of the disbelieving nation, leaving no trace of their existence. The word 'baqiyah' (remnant/survivor) underscores that not a single person or vestige remained, illustrating the absolute nature of Allah's punishment upon those who reject His signs.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Haqqah's narrative recounting the destruction of 'Ad, one of the pre-Islamic Arab nations that rejected Prophet Hud. The surah, revealed in Mecca, uses these historical examples to warn the Quraysh about the certainty of the Day of Judgment and the consequences of rejecting Allah's messengers. The context emphasizes Allah's pattern of complete destruction for those who persist in denying the truth.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly references this specific ayah, the theme of 'Ad's destruction is confirmed in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim where the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned the destruction of ancient nations as signs of the Day of Judgment. Related is the hadith in Sunan Ibn Majah about the Prophet's warning regarding the fate of those who deny Allah's signs.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that those who reject Allah's signs and His messengers face inevitable and complete destruction, serving as a timeless warning against arrogance and disbelief. It reinforces that Allah's promises of punishment are absolute and certain, encouraging believers to reflect on the seriousness of rejecting divine guidance.
Related Ayahs
وَكَذَّبَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَمَا بَلَغُوا۟ مِعْشَارَ مَآ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمْ فَكَذَّبُوا۟ رُسُلِى ۖ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ نَكِيرِ
And those before them denied, and they [i.e., the people of Makkah] have not attained a tenth of what We had given them. But they [i.e., the former peoples] denied My messengers, so how [terrible] was My reproach.
كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ وَٱلْأَحْزَابُ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ ۖ وَهَمَّتْ كُلُّ أُمَّةٍۭ بِرَسُولِهِمْ لِيَأْخُذُوهُ ۖ وَجَـٰدَلُوا۟ بِٱلْبَـٰطِلِ لِيُدْحِضُوا۟ بِهِ ٱلْحَقَّ فَأَخَذْتُهُمْ ۖ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عِقَابِ
The people of Noah denied before them and the [disbelieving] factions after them, and every nation intended [a plot] for their messenger to seize him, and they disputed by [using] falsehood to [attempt to] invalidate thereby the truth. So I seized them, and how [terrible] was My penalty.
وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ ءَاتَيْتَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَأَهُۥ زِينَةً وَأَمْوَٰلًا فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا رَبَّنَا لِيُضِلُّوا۟ عَن سَبِيلِكَ ۖ رَبَّنَا ٱطْمِسْ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ وَٱشْدُدْ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَلَا يُؤْمِنُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَرَوُا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ ٱلْأَلِيمَ
And Moses said, "Our Lord, indeed You have given Pharaoh and his establishment splendor and wealth in the worldly life, our Lord, that they may lead [men] astray from Your way. Our Lord, obliterate their wealth and harden their hearts so that they will not believe until they see the painful punishment."
وَٱتَّبِعُوٓا۟ أَحْسَنَ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَكُمُ ٱلْعَذَابُ بَغْتَةً وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَشْعُرُونَ
And follow the best of what was revealed to you from your Lord [i.e., the Qur’ān] before the punishment comes upon you suddenly while you do not perceive,