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ʾa-lam yaʾtikum nabaʾu lladhīna min qablikum qawmi nūḥin wa-ʿādin wa-thamūda wa-lladhīna min baʿdihim lā yaʿlamuhum ʾillā llāhu jāʾathum rusuluhum bi-l-bayyināti fa-raddū ʾaydiyahum fī ʾafwāhihim wa-qālū ʾinnā kafarnā bi-mā ʾursiltum bihī wa-ʾinnā la-fī shakkin mimmā tadʿūnanā ʾilayhi murībin
Has there not come to you the account of those who were before you—the people of Noah, ‘Ad and Thamud, and those who were after them, whom no one knows [well] except Allah? Their apostles brought them manifest proofs, but they did not respond to them, and said, ‘We disbelieve in what you have been sent with. Indeed we have grave doubts concerning that to which you invite us.’
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah ‘Ibrahim – Verse 9
9. “Has not the account of those before you reach you of the people of Noah, and ‘ Ad, and Thamūd and those who (came) after them? None knows them but Allah. Their messengers came to them with clear signs (miracles) while they thrust their hands into their mouths, and they said: ‘Verily we disbelieve in (that) which you have been sent with, and verily we are in doubt about that unto which you invite us’.”
This verse is one of the examples of reminding and calling attention to the Divine days which was dealt with in the fifth verse of the current Surah, where it says:
“…and remind them of the days of Allah…”
According to Shaykh-i-Tūsi, (May his soul be sanctified) cited in Tafsir-i-Tibyan, there are differences between the Arabic words /šakk/ and /rayb/. The former means natural skepticism while the latter signifies that kind of skepticism which is mixed with suspicion and accusations. A doubt, which may pave the ground for research and acceptance of the truth, is a constructive type and useful type of criticism; while that kind of skepticism which is expressed with regard to the Clear Evidences’, or with regard to miracles is only of the obstinate and destructive kind of doubt which stands in the way of man for accepting the truth.
Incidentally, one can translate the Qur’anic holy sentence /faraddū ’aydiyahum fi afw ahihim/ in several ways: A- The dissidents shut the mouth of those who were uttering the truth by putting their hands on their mouth. B- The miracles and the reasons of the prophets were so strong as if they had taken people’s hands and put them on their mouth; alluding metaphorically to the fact that the language of the people was obstructed because of the truth and they had no words to say.
C- The opponents of the prophets were so angry that they bit their fingers. D- The opponents of the prophets, at the presence of their prophet, would put their hands on their mouth, metaphorically alluding to the fact that they silence themselves and stop preaching. Anyway, here the Qur’an refers to the fate of some groups of previous nations in several verses. Those nations who took to the road of ingratitude as against Allah’s blessings and went on opposing and disbelieving in face of the call of the Divine leaders and their logic. Eventually, the Qur’an explains their acts to be an emphasis on what was said in the former verse.
It says:
“Has not the account of those before you reach you of the people of Noah, and ‘ Ad, and Thamūd and those who (came) after them?…”
Then, it adds:
“…None knows them but Allah…”
This means that no one is aware of the news of them, except Him. Then, as a further explanation about their biographies, it implies that their prophets called on them with clear evidences though they put their hands on their mouths because of their amazement and denial, saying: We are ungrateful for whatever you are sent for, for we are skeptic as to what you call us for, and how would it be possible for us to accept your call despite such a doubt and skepticism?
The verse says:
“…Their messengers came to them with clear signs (miracles) while they thrust their hands into their mouths, and they said: ‘Verily we disbelieve in (that) which you have been sent with, and verily we are in doubt about that unto which you invite us’.”