Allah mentions here the little faith of the people of the towns to whom He
sent Messengers. In another instance, Allah said,
[فَلَوْلاَ كَانَتْ
قَرْيَةٌ ءَامَنَتْ فَنَفَعَهَآ إِيمَانُهَا إِلاَّ قَوْمَ يُونُسَ لَمَّآ
ءَامَنُواْ كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمْ عَذَابَ الخِزْىِ فِى الْحَيَوةَ الدُّنْيَا
وَمَتَّعْنَاهُمْ إِلَى حِينٍ ]
(Was there any town (community) that believed (after seeing the punishment),
and its faith (at that moment) saved it (from the punishment) -- Except the
people of Yunus; when they believed, We removed from them the torment of
disgrace in the life of the (present) world, and permitted them to enjoy for a
while.) [10:98] This Ayah indicates that no city believed in its entirety,
except the city of Prophet Yunus, for they all believed after they were stricken
by punishment. Allah said (about Prophet Yunus),
[وَأَرْسَلْنَـهُ
إِلَى مِاْئَةِ أَلْفٍ أَوْ يَزِيدُونَ - فَـَامَنُواْ فَمَتَّعْنَـهُمْ إِلَى
حِينٍ ]
(And We sent him to a hundred thousand (people) or even more. And they
believed; so We gave them enjoyment for a while.) [37:147-148] Allah said in
another Ayah,
[وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا
فِى قَرْيَةٍ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ]
(And We did not send a warner to a township....) [34:34] Allah said here,
[وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ
الْقُرَى ءَامَنُواْ وَاتَّقَوْاْ]
(And if the people of the towns had believed and had Taqwa. ..) meaning their
hearts had faith in what the Messenger brought them, believed and obeyed him,
and had Taqwa by performing the acts of obedience and abstaining from the
prohibitions,
[لَفَتَحْنَا
عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَـتٍ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ وَالاٌّرْضِ]
(We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth,) in
reference to the rain that falls from the sky and the vegetation of the earth.
Allah said,
[وَلَـكِن كَذَّبُواْ
فَأَخَذْنَـهُمْ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكْسِبُونَ]
(but they belied (the Messengers). So We took them (with punishment) for what
they used to earn.) They denied their Messengers, so that We punished them and
sent destruction on them as a result of the sins and wickedness that they
earned. Allah then said, while warning and threatening against defying His
orders and daring to commit His prohibitions,
[أَفَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ
الْقُرَى]
(Did the people of the towns then feel secure),meaning the disbelievers among
them,
[أَن يَأْتِيَهُم
بَأْسُنَا]
(that should come to them our punishment), Our torment and punishing example,
[بَيَـتًا]
(Bayatan) during the night,
[أَفَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ
الْقُرَى أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا بَيَـتاً وَهُمْ نَآئِمُونَ - أَوَ أَمِنَ
أَهْلُ الْقُرَى أَن يَأْتِيَهُمْ بَأْسُنَا ضُحًى وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ ]
(while they were asleep Or, did the people of the towns then feel secure
against the coming of Our punishment in the forenoon while they were playing)
while they are busy in their affairs and unaware.
[أَفَأَمِنُواْ
مَكْرَ اللَّهِ]
(Did they then feel secure against Allah's plan) His torment, vengeance, and
His power to destroy them while they are inattentive and heedless,
[فَلاَ يَأْمَنُ
مَكْرَ اللَّهِ إِلاَّ الْقَوْمُ الْخَـسِرُونَ]
(None feels secure from Allah's plan except the people who are the losers.)
Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "The believer performs the acts of worship, all the
while feeling fear, in fright and anxiety. The Fajir (wicked sinner, or
disbeliever) commits the acts of disobedience while feeling safe (from Allah's
torment)!''
[أَوَلَمْ يَهْدِ
لِلَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ الأَرْضَ مِن بَعْدِ أَهْلِهَآ أَن لَّوْ نَشَآءُ
أَصَبْنَـهُمْ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَنَطْبَعُ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لاَ يَسْمَعُونَ
]
(100. Is it not a guidance for those who inherit the earth from its previons
inhabitants that had We willed, We would have punished them for their sins. And
We seal up their hearts so that they hear not)
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