Surah 51. Az-Zariyat

'Later,' Abraham asked, 'What is your mission, O messengers?'

  - Mustafa Khattab

(Abraham) said: "And what O ye Messengers is your errand (now)?"

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

They replied, 'We have actually been sent to a wicked people,

  - Mustafa Khattab

They said "We have been sent to a people (deep) in sin

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

to send upon them stones of 'baked' clay,

  - Mustafa Khattab

"To bring on on them (a shower of) stones of clay (brimstone) ⁵⁰¹¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xi. 82, and n. 1052 to vii. 84. The angels' errand of mercy to Abraham (to announce the succession of godly men in his line) was coupled with their errand of justice and punishment to the people of Lut, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, who were deep in the most abominable and unnatural sins. So Allah's Mercy and Justice go hand in hand in all human affairs. Faith has nothing to fear, and wickedness has only to turn and repent, to obtain Allah's Mercy.

marked by your Lord for the transgressors.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

"Marked as from thy Lord for those who trespass beyond bounds." ⁵⁰¹²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xi. 83, and n. 1580. Every crime has its due punishment as marked out in the decrees of Allah.

Then 'before the torment' We evacuated the believers from the city.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Then We evacuated those of the Believers who were there. ⁵⁰¹³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The only just or righteous persons found in Sodom and Gomorrah (Cities of the Plain by the Dead Sea) were in the house of Lut, who was the Prophet sent to call them to repentance. He and his believing family and adherents were told to leave in due time, and the wicked were destroyed in a shower of brimstone.

But We only found one family that had submitted 'to Allah'.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Lot (ﷺ) and his two daughters.

But We found not there any just (Muslim) persons except in one house: ⁵⁰¹⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

That was the house of Lut; and even there, his wife had no faith: she disobeyed the Command and perished: xi. 81, n. 1577.

And We have left a sign there¹ 'as a lesson' for those who fear the painful punishment.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 The ruins of Sodom.

And We left there a Signs for such as fear the Grievous Penalty. ⁵⁰¹⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The Grievous Chastisement: that is, the Final Judgment. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in this life is taken as the type of the Final Judgment. The vestiges can be seen-as a Sign and a Warning-in the sulphury plain round the Dead Sea: Cf. xv. 79.

And in 'the story of' Moses 'was another lesson,' when We sent him to Pharaoh with compelling proof,

  - Mustafa Khattab

And in Moses (was another Sign): Behold We sent him to Pharaoh with authority manifest. ⁵⁰¹⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xliv. 17-31. The story of Moses and Pharaoh is here just referred to. The points emphasized here are: (1) that Moses had manifest authority, yet Pharaoh doubted; (2) that Pharaoh's reliance was on his Chiefs and his forces, but they could not help when his doom came; and (3) that in the most extraordinary and incredible ways (judged by ordinary human standards), his arrogance and his reliance on his Chiefs and forces was his undoing.

but Pharaoh was carried away by his power, saying 'of Moses', 'A magician or a madman!'

  - Mustafa Khattab

But (Pharaoh) turned back with his Chiefs and said "A sorcerer or one possessed!"

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

So We seized him and his soldiers, casting them into the sea while he was blameworthy.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Because of his arrogance and disbelief.

So We took him and his forces and threw them into the sea: and his was the blame. ⁵⁰¹⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The ungodly Egyptians were all destroyed, but the chief blame lay on Pharaoh for misleading them. Pharaoh's punishment was just. He could not blame any one else. And certainly no one can blame the course of Allah's Justice, for Allah was patient, and gave him many chances to repent.

And in 'the story of' 'Âd 'was another lesson,' when We sent against them the devastating wind.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 lit., ‘a barren wind,’ since the wind was not productive—it did not carry rain or fertilize trees.

And in the `Ad (people) (was another Sign): Behold We sent against them the devastating Wind: ⁵⁰¹⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xlvi. 21-26. The point here is that the 'Ad were a gifted people: Allah had given them talents and material wealth: but when they defied Allah, they and all their belongings were destroyed in a night, by a hurricane which they thought was bringing them the rain to which they were looking forward. How marvellously Allah's Providence works, to help the good and destroy the wicked!

There was nothing it came upon that it did not reduce to ashes.

  - Mustafa Khattab

It left nothing whatever that it came up against but reduced it to ruin and rottenness.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And in 'the story of' Thamûd 'was another lesson,' when they were told, 'Enjoy yourselves 'only' for a 'short' while.'¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Meaning, you have only three days to live. See 11:65.

And in the Thamud (was another Sign): Behold they were told "Enjoy (your brief day) for a little while!" ^{5019 5020}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

See the story of the Thamud and their prophet Salih in vii. 73-79. Here the point is the suddenness of their punishment and its unexpected nature.

Salih their prophet gave them three days' clear warning for repentance (xi. 65). But they heeded him not. On the contrary they flouted him and continued in their evil courses.

Still they persisted in defying the commands of their Lord, so they were overtaken by a 'mighty' blast while they were looking on.

  - Mustafa Khattab

But they insolently defied the command of their Lord: so the stunning noise (of an earthquake) seized them even while they were looking on. ^{5021 5022}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

They had already defied the order to preserve the She-camel, which was a sign from Allah. See xi. 64-65 and n. 1560. They continued to flout the warnings of the prophet until the earthquake came on them with a stunning noise and buried them where they were: vii. 78; and xi. 67.

Sa'iqat: a stunning sound like that of thunder and lightning (ii. 55); such a sound often accompanies an earthquake (see xli. 17, n. 4485, and vii. 78 and n. 1047).

Then they were not able to rise up, nor were they helped.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Then they could not even stand (on their feet) nor could they help themselves. ⁵⁰²³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

They were swept off in the earthquake.