وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ ٱلْقُرَىٰٓ
ءَامَنُوا۟ وَٱتَّقَوْا۟ لَفَتَحْنَا
عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَـٰتٍ مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ
وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَـٰكِن كَذَّبُوا۟
فَأَخَذْنَـٰهُم بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ
أَفَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ ٱلْقُرَىٰٓ
أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا
بَيَـٰتًا وَهُمْ نَآئِمُونَ
أَوَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ ٱلْقُرَىٰٓ
أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا
ضُحًى وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ
أَفَأَمِنُوا۟ مَكْرَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَلَا
يَأْمَنُ مَكْرَ ٱللَّهِ
إِلَّا ٱلْقَوْمُ ٱلْخَـٰسِرُونَ
And if the people of
the towns had believed
and had Taqwa,
certainly, We should
have opened for them
blessings from the
heaven and the earth,
but they belied
(the Messengers).
So We took them
(with punishment) for
what they used to earn.
Did the people of the
towns then feel secure
against the coming of
Our punishment by
night while they were
asleep Or, did the
people of the towns
then feel secure against
the coming of Our
punishment in the
forenoon while they
were playing
Did they then feel secure
against Allah’s plan
None feels secure
from Allah’s plan
except the people
who are the losers.
Blessings come with Faith, while Kufr brings Torment
Allah mentions here the little faith of the people of the towns to whom He sent Messengers. In another instance, Allah said,
فَلَوْلاَ كَانَتْ قَرْيَةٌ
ءَامَنَتْ فَنَفَعَهَآ إِيمَانُهَا
إِلاَّ قَوْمَ يُونُسَ لَمَّآ
ءَامَنُواْ كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمْ
عَذَابَ الخِزْىِ فِى الْحَيَوةَ
الدُّنْيَا وَمَتَّعْنَاهُمْ إِلَى حِينٍ
Was there any town (community) that believed (after seeing the punishment), and its faith (at that moment) saved it (from the punishment) — Except the people of Yunus; when they believed, We removed from them the torment of disgrace in the life of the (present) world, and permitted them to enjoy for a while. (Yunus 98)
This Ayat indicates that no city believed in its entirety, except the city of Prophet Yunus, for they all believed after they were stricken by punishment. Allah said (about Prophet Yunus),
وَأَرْسَلْنَـهُ إِلَى مِاْئَةِ
أَلْفٍ أَوْ يَزِيدُونَ
فَـَامَنُواْ فَمَتَّعْنَـهُمْ
إِلَى حِينٍ
And We sent him to a hundred thousand (people) or even more. And they believed; so We gave them enjoyment for a while (As-Saffat 147-148)
Allah said in another Ayat,
وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا فِى قَرْيَةٍ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ
And We did not send a warner to a township….(Saba 34)
Allah said here,
وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَى
ءَامَنُواْ وَاتَّقَوْاْ
And if the people of the towns had believed and had Taqwa. ..
meaning their hearts had faith in what the Messenger brought them, believed and obeyed him, and had Taqwa by performing the acts of obedience and abstaining from the prohibitions,
لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَـتٍ
مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ وَالاٌّرْضِ
We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth
in reference to the rain that falls from the sky and the vegetation of the earth. Allah said,
وَلَـكِن كَذَّبُواْ فَأَخَذْنَـهُمْ
بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكْسِبُونَ
but they belied (the Messengers). So We took them (with punishment) for what they used to earn.
They denied their Messengers, so that We punished them and sent destruction on them as a result of the sins and wickedness that they earned. Allah then said, while warning and threatening against defying His orders and daring to commit His prohibitions,
أَفَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ الْقُرَى
Did the people of the towns then feel secure
meaning the disbelievers among them,
أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا
that should come to them our punishment
Our torment and punishing example,
بَيَـتًا
Bayatan
during the night,
أَفَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ الْقُرَى
أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا بَيَـتاً
وَهُمْ نَآئِمُونَ – أَوَ أَمِنَ
أَهْلُ الْقُرَى أَن يَأْتِيَهُمْ
بَأْسُنَا ضُحًى وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ
while they were asleep Or, did the people of the towns then feel secure against the coming of Our punishment in the forenoon while they were playing
while they are busy in their affairs and unaware.
أَفَأَمِنُواْ مَكْرَ اللَّهِ
Did they then feel secure against Allah’s plan
His torment, vengeance, and His power to destroy them while they are inattentive and heedless,
فَلاَ يَأْمَنُ مَكْرَ اللَّهِ
إِلاَّ الْقَوْمُ الْخَـسِرُونَ
None feels secure from Allah’s plan except the people who are the losers.
Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, “The believer performs the acts of worship, all the while feeling fear, in fright and anxiety. The Fajir (wicked sinner, or disbeliever) commits the acts of disobedience while feeling safe (from Allah’s torment)!”