أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ نَبَؤُا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَعَادٍ وَثَمُودَ ۛ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ ۛ لَا يَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ ۚ جَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ فَرَدُّوٓا۟ أَيْدِيَهُمْ فِىٓ أَفْوَٰهِهِمْ وَقَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا كَفَرْنَا بِمَآ أُرْسِلْتُم بِهِۦ وَإِنَّا لَفِى شَكٍّ مِّمَّا تَدْعُونَنَآ إِلَيْهِ مُرِيبٍ 9
Translations
Has there not reached you the news of those before you - the people of Noah and ʿAad and Thamūd and those after them? No one knows them [i.e., their number] but Allāh. Their messengers brought them clear proofs, but they returned their hands to their mouths and said, "Indeed, we disbelieve in that with which you have been sent, and indeed we are, about that to which you invite us, in disquieting doubt."
Transliteration
Alam ya'tikum naba'u alladhina min qablikus qawmi Noohin wa 'Aadin wa Thamuud wa alladhina min ba'dihim la ya'lamuhum illa Allah ja'athum rusuluhum bil-bayyinat faraddoo aydiyahum fee afwahihim wa qaloo inna kafarna bima ursiltum bihi wa inna lafee shakkin mimma tad'oonana ilayhi murib
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah recounts the fate of past nations—the people of Noah, 'Ad, and Thamud—who rejected their messengers despite receiving clear signs and proofs. When their prophets came with undeniable evidence, they responded with stubborn denial and doubt, even placing their hands over their mouths in defiance. The phrase 'putting their hands in their mouths' is interpreted by classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari as an expression of extreme rejection and scorn, either literally biting their fingers in anger or metaphorically suppressing the truth they heard.
Revelation Context
Surah Ibrahim is a Meccan chapter revealed during a period of intense Meccan opposition to Prophet Muhammad's message. This ayah is part of a broader warning to the Quraysh, using historical precedents to demonstrate that nations who reject divine guidance inevitably face destruction. The surah's context emphasizes that just as previous nations were warned by their messengers, so too were the Quraysh being warned through Muhammad.
Related Hadiths
Surah Ibrahim 14:9 connects thematically with Hadith Qudsi wherein Allah emphasizes the rejection of His messengers throughout history. Also relevant is the account in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim regarding the mockery and rejection faced by Prophet Noah, which mirrors the behavior described in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a timeless reminder that rejecting truth despite clear evidence leads to destruction, and that no community is guaranteed prosperity if it turns away from divine guidance. Modern readers should reflect on how easily humans can become blind to truth when pride and doubt take root in the heart, and recognize that accepting divine guidance with humility is the path to success in both worlds.