وَمَآ أَهْلَكْنَا مِن قَرْيَةٍ إِلَّا لَهَا مُنذِرُونَ 208
Translations
And We did not destroy any city except that it had warners
Transliteration
Wa mā ahlaknaā min qaryatin illā lahā mundhirūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that Allah does not destroy any community except after sending them warners and messengers to convey His message. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this establishes a divine principle of justice—that destruction only comes after clear guidance has been provided and rejected. The ayah emphasizes Allah's mercy and fairness in giving people opportunity to repent before punishment.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Ash-Shu'ara, a Meccan chapter that extensively discusses the stories of prophets and their peoples. It falls within a broader discussion (verses 190-227) about the signs of Allah's creation and the fate of those who reject divine messengers. The context emphasizes that the Quraysh of Mecca should heed the warning, as past nations were also given similar opportunities.
Related Hadiths
The principle is supported by the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'By the One in Whose hand is my soul, there is no one from this ummah, Jew or Christian, who hears of me and dies without believing in what I was sent with, except that he will be one of the inhabitants of the Fire.' This shows the universality of receiving the message before accountability. Also relevant is the hadith in Sunan Ibn Majah regarding the sending of messengers as a mercy before punishment.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that Allah's justice is perfect—He never punishes without first sending clear guidance through His messengers. For contemporary believers, it underscores our responsibility to convey the message of Islam with wisdom and compassion, knowing that people will be judged based on the guidance they receive.