Tafsir Surat al Fajr- based on a lecture by Br. Nouman Ali Khan Part4

Assalamualaykum folks! I'm back after a long break, couldn't post earlier for some unavoidable reasons. Now insh A Allaah I'd try to speed up a bit and finish it off really quickly. So without further ado let us start with our next ayah which is-



Alam Tara Kaifafa ala Rabukka bi ad



Did you (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him)) not see (thought) how your Lord dealt with 'Ad (people)? [ ayah-9]



Here, Allaah azza wajjal basically brings the point home by saying if you dont believe in the unseen then at least believe in what you can see. Now we have to understand the fact that whenever Allaah addresses Rasulullaah(s.a.w) in regards to reminders it also in a way addresses us. So believing in the unseen Aoudhubillaah is not an issue for the prophet (as) but it is an issue for us sometimes. Hence we can say it's a reminder to Rasulullaah (s.a.w) and a food for thought and a reminder for the ummaah at large.



The word Tara means understanding, the ayah is questioning the understanding of the people. And if we stick to the literal translation it would say ' did you not see'. Here 'see' doesn't refer to a visual experience but rather it refers to the thought process or understanding.



Now what understanding is Allaah talking about? Why did He bring forth this example in the first place?



well, He wants us to appreciate that these people (Ad) were very strong people. And Allaah especially brings forth their example because Arabs were a strong nation themselves and Allaah says these people were even more stronger than you and we have destroyed them like a fly! And you would get it straight if you have any understanding.



And subhan Allaah Allaah has preserved their ruins as to make us understand what He does to the disobedient and the arrogant ones. When the Arab would pass by Ad and Thamud they will see the ruins and get terrified.



Allaah goes on narrating their legacy...



Irama thatil ImAdi



Who were very tall like lofty pillars [Ayah 10]



Iram is considered by some the earlier generation of Ad. Others say Iram was a man or an ancestor of Ad.



Now Iram means to make a sign with pillars. Another explanation of this is that the nation of Iram possessed a body strength like that of pillars.



Ash Shawkani Rahimahullaah says- The affair of ad and thamud is very well known to the Arabs, because their town was very close to the Arabs.





To be continued.........