ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ أَنۢبَآءِ ٱلْقُرَىٰ نَقُصُّهُۥ عَلَيْكَ ۖ مِنْهَا قَآئِمٌ وَحَصِيدٌ 100
Translations
That is from the news of the cities, which We relate to you; of them, some are [still] standing and some are [as] a harvest [mowed down].
Transliteration
Dhālika min anbāʾi al-qurā naqussuhu ʿalayka minhā qāʾimun wa ḥaṣīd
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah concludes the narratives of the destroyed and punished cities, with Allah informing the Prophet (ﷺ) that He is relating to him the stories of these towns, some of which still stand (with their ruins visible) while others have been completely obliterated. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, 'qāʾimun' (standing) refers to the ruins and remains of these cities that still exist as signs, while 'ḥaṣīd' (reaped/destroyed) refers to those completely annihilated and forgotten. This serves as a powerful reminder of divine punishment and the fate of those who rejected the messengers.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears near the end of Surah Hud, which extensively details the stories of various prophets and their peoples (Nuh, Hud, Salih, Lut, Shuʿayb, and others). It contextualizes all these narratives as historical evidence of Allah's justice and power, reminding the Meccan disbelievers of the consequences of rejecting divine guidance.
Related Hadiths
The general theme relates to Surah Al-Fil (105) and various hadiths about the destruction of nations, such as the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet (ﷺ) warned the Quraysh about the fate of previous nations who rejected their messengers. Additionally, hadiths about traveling and observing the ruins of ancient civilizations (as mentioned in various collections) reinforce this theme of observable historical signs.
Themes
Key Lesson
The ayah teaches us to reflect upon the observable signs of Allah's justice in history—both the standing ruins and the completely destroyed nations—as reminders that rejection of divine truth carries inevitable consequences. This encourages believers to heed warnings and learn from past peoples, recognizing that Allah's pattern with the disbelievers is constant throughout time.