Page 400
fa-kadhdhabūhu fa-ʾakhadhathumu r-rajfatu fa-ʾaṣbaḥū fī dārihim jāthimīna
But they impugned him, whereupon the earthquake seized them, and they lay lifeless prostrate in their homes.
— Ali Quli Qarai
29Al-ʿAnkabūtالعنكبوتVerse 37 of 69
The Spider29. Al-ʿAnkabūtالعنكبوت
Al Ankabūt
The Spider
MeccanVerse 37 of 69
Surah Al-‘Ankabut - Verse 37
37. “But they belied him, so the earth quake seized them, and they lay (deed) in their abodes motionless by the morning.”
The Arabic word /rajfah/ means the shake of the earth. The word /’arajif/ is used for the news ad words which cause instability in the faith and spirit of people, and the word /marjuf/ is used for those who say or write such matters. This verse implies that the people of Shu‘ayb, instead of hearkening to the advices of this great reformer, tried to reject him.
This act of theirs caused that a severe earthquake seized them. The verse continues saying:
The Arabic term /jaim/ is derived from /jam/ in the sense of ‘sitting on the knee’ and ‘staying in one place’. It is not improbable that this meaning refers to the fact that at the time of this severe earthquake they were asleep and suddenly they got up. As soon as they sat on their knees, the event did not give them respite, and by falling down the walls, which was accompanied with that fatal earthquake, they lost their own lives.