Fuṣṣilat

Explained in detail

MeccanVerse 16 of 54

Page 478

41:16

fa-ʾarsalnā ʿalayhim rīḥan ṣarṣaran fī ʾayyāmin naḥisātin li-nudhīqahum ʿadhāba l-khizyi fī l-ḥayāti d-dunyā wa-la-ʿadhābu l-ʾākhirati ʾakhzā wa-hum lā yunṣarūna

so We unleashed upon them an icy gale during ill-fated days, in order that We might make them taste a humiliating punishment in the life of the world. Yet the punishment of the Hereafter will be surely more disgraceful, and they will not be helped.

— Ali Quli Qarai

Surah Fussilat - Verse 16

فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ رِيحاً صَرْصَراً فِي أَيَّامٍ نَحِسَاتٍ لِنُذِيقَهُمْ عَذَابَ الْخِزْيِ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَلَعَذَابُ الْآخِرَةِ أَخْزَی وَهُمْ لا يُنْصَرُونَ

16. So We sent upon them a furious and poisonous gale in days of evil omen that We might give them a taste of disgracing torment in this present worldly life. But surely the torment of the Hereafter will be more disgracing and they will never be helped.

Another reference is made to the people of ‘Ad elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an¹⁴:

“And as for ‘Ad, they were destroyed by a furious violent gale! Which Allah inflicted upon them for seven nights and eight days successively, so that you could see men lying overthrown as if they were hollow trunks of date-palms!”

Divine Wrath may destroy some people in an instant, though their perdition may take a number of days and nights. It is worthy of note that the blessed Verse in question is saying that incompetent people with small capacities take pride in their limited power and rise in rebellion. They may even rise against Divine Omnipotence out of ignorance. God Almighty may easily turn their opportunities into means of their perdition, as it is reflected in the story of the people of ‘Ad in the blessed Verse in question:

“So We sent upon them a furious and poisonous gale in days of evil omen that We might give them a taste of disgracing torment in this present worldly life.”

The strange gale levitated them from the ground and knocked them down as it is attested elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an:

“Indeed, We sent against them a furious gale of harsh noise on a day of evil omen and continuous calamity. Plucking out men as if they were uprooted stems of date-palms” ¹⁵ ;

“And as for ‘Ad, they were destroyed by a furious violent gale! Which Allah inflicted upon them for seven nights and eight days successively, so that you could not see men lying overthrown, as if they were hollow trunks of date-palms! Do you see any remnants of them?” ¹⁶ .

This violent gale blew for seven nights and eight days and all the possessions of the wrong doing and arrogant people were being knocked and there remained solely ruins of their glorious palaces, abundant possessions, and luxurious life. The blessed Verse in question closes by saying that:

“disgracing torment in this present worldly life. But surely the torment of the Hereafter will be more disgracing.”

All these excruciating torments in this worldly life resemble a spark against a sea of fire! What is worse than that is that:

“they will never be helped.”

Such wrong doing and arrogant people tried for a life time to show their glory, but at the time of torment, God Almighty inflicted a disgracing chastisement upon them in this world and another humiliating punishment will be in store for them in the Hereafter such that such vain arrogant people comprehend their humility.

Footnotes

14. 69:6-7
15. 54:19-20
16. 69:6-8

Fuṣṣilat · Verse 16

Tafsir Nur al-Qur'anVerse 16

Surah Fussilat - Verse 16

Footnotes