The commentators differed over the meaning of this word. It was said that the
phrase translated here as "Amarna those who live luxuriously. Then, they
transgress therein'' means, "We send Our decree upon them'' as Allah says
elsewhere:
[أَتَاهَآ أَمْرُنَا
لَيْلاً أَوْ نَهَارًا]
(Our decree reaches it by night or by day) For [Amarna cannot mean "Our
command''] because Allah does not command or enjoin immorality. Or, they said it
means that Allah subjugated them to commit immoral deeds, so they deserved the
punishment. Or it was said that it means: "We commanded them to obey Us, but
they committed immoral sins, so they deserved punishment.'' This was reported
from Ibn Jurayj from Ibn `Abbas, and it is also the view of Sa`id bin Jubayr.
[أَمَرْنَا
مُتْرَفِيهَا فَفَسَقُواْ فِيهَا]
(Amarna those who live luxuriously. Then, they transgress therein,) `Ali bin
Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said: [this means] "We gave power to the
evil people, so they committed sin therein (in the town), and because they did
that, Allah destroyed them with the punishment.'' This is similar to the Ayah:
[وَكَذلِكَ جَعَلْنَا
فِي كُلِّ قَرْيَةٍ أَكَـبِرَ مُجْرِمِيهَا]
(And thus We have set up in every town great ones of its wicked people)
[6:133] This was also the view of Abu Al-`Aliyah, Mujahid and Ar-Rabi' bin Anas.
[وَإِذَآ أَرَدْنَآ
أَن نُّهْلِكَ قَرْيَةً أَمَرْنَا مُتْرَفِيهَا فَفَسَقُواْ فِيهَا]
(And when We decide to distroy a town (populaton), Amarna those who live
luxuriously. Then, they transgress therein,) Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas
said, (it means) "We increase their numbers. This was also the view of `Ikrimah,
Al-Hasan, Ad-Dahhak and Qatadah, and it was reported from Malik and Az-Zuhri.
[وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا
مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مِن بَعْدِ نُوحٍ وَكَفَى بِرَبِّكَ بِذُنُوبِ عِبَادِهِ خَبِيرَا
بَصِيرًا ]
(17. And how many generations have We destroyed after Nuh! And sufficient is
your Lord as All-Knower and Seer of the sins of His servants.)
ICTruth.info