فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهَا قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ 26
Translations
But when they saw it, they said, "Indeed, we are lost;
Transliteration
Falammā raʾaw-hā qālū ʾinnā la-dāllūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the people of the garden who, upon seeing their destroyed crops, exclaimed 'Indeed, we are lost!' expressing their shock and despair at the sudden devastation. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, their statement reflects their immediate realization that they have been punished for breaking their oath to give charity to the poor, as established in the preceding verses of this passage.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative (verses 17-33) of Surah Al-Qalam concerning the people of the garden who made a covenant to harvest their fruits and distribute to the poor, but conspired to break their promise. The passage illustrates the consequences of greed and the violation of righteous oaths, reinforcing themes central to the Meccan period's emphasis on moral accountability.
Related Hadiths
The theme of keeping covenants is emphasized in the hadith: 'The sign of a hypocrite is three: when he speaks, he lies; when he promises, he breaks his promise; and when he is trusted, he betrays.' (Sahih Bukhari 33). Additionally, Surah Al-Qalam itself emphasizes the importance of trustworthiness, as the surah opens with 'Nun. By the pen and what they write' (68:1), highlighting the moral weight of one's words and commitments.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that material wealth is a temporary blessing from Allah that can be lost in an instant, and that breaking covenants—especially those related to helping others—invites divine punishment; true security lies in fulfilling our promises and maintaining sincere intention in our obligations to both Allah and humanity.