Juz 9: Al-Aʿrāf 88 to Al-Anfāl 40
Section 3 of 16 · Tafsir of the Qur’an · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
3. Divine Punishment of Previous Nations
Allah's method of calling people to guidance follows a consistent pattern throughout history. When nations persistently reject His message, He employs a graduated approach to prompt their return. First, He sends clear explanations and persuasive arguments through His prophets. If people still refuse to heed the call, Allah then subjects them to periods of constraint, difficulty, and vulnerability.
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِي قَرْيَةٍ مِّن نَّبِيٍّ إِلَّا أَخَذْنَا أَهْلَهَا بِالْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَضَّرَّعُونَ
“We did not send any prophet to a township, but We seized its people with hardship and suffering, so that they may turn humble." (Al-A'raf 7:94)”
This divine wisdom recognizes a fundamental aspect of human nature. When people experience comfort, health, and prosperity, they often develop a sense of self-sufficiency that blinds them to their need for Allah. However, when afflicted with hardship, sickness, or fear, this same person begins to search for comfort and support beyond himself. This vulnerability often becomes the doorway through which faith enters the heart.
وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَىٰ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَاتٍ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَٰكِن كَذَّبُوا فَأَخَذْنَاهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ
“If the people of the towns had believed and feared Allah, We would have opened for them blessings from the sky and the earth, but they disbelieved. So, We seized them because of what they used to earn for themselves." (Al-A'raf 7:96)”
Allah reminds us that had these nations simply believed and cultivated taqwa (God-consciousness), He would have showered them with blessings from above and below. Instead, they chose rejection and denial, bringing punishment upon themselves through their own actions.
The Qur'an then poses powerful rhetorical questions designed to shatter people's false sense of security:
أَفَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ الْقُرَىٰ أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا بَيَاتًا وَهُمْ نَائِمُونَ
“So, do the people of the towns feel secure from Our punishment coming upon them at night when they are asleep?" (Al-A'raf 7:97)”
أَوَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ الْقُرَىٰ أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا ضُحًى وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ
“Or, do the people of the towns feel secure from Our punishment coming upon them in broad daylight when they are playing?" (Al-A'raf 7:98)”
These verses challenge those who feel invulnerable to divine punishment, whether they sleep at night or enjoy their diversions by day. Many societies today maintain this same false sense of security, believing their technological advancements or military capacities can shield them from divine intervention. Modern examples like sophisticated missile defense systems represent contemporary manifestations of this same delusion.
أَفَأَمِنُوا مَكْرَ اللَّهِ ۚ فَلَا يَأْمَنُ مَكْرَ اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْقَوْمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ
“Do they feel secure from Allah's plan? None feels secure from Allah's plan except the people who are losers." (Al-A'raf 7:99)”
Allah concludes this passage with a powerful summary statement, affirming that true security can never be achieved through human means alone, but only through faith and submission to the Divine Will.
In the culminating verses of this section, Allah reminds us of the historical continuity of this pattern:
تِلْكَ الْقُرَىٰ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَنبَائِهَا ۚ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَمَا كَانُوا لِيُؤْمِنُوا بِمَا كَذَّبُوا مِن قَبْلُ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِ الْكَافِرِينَ
“These are the towns whose news We are relating to you. Indeed, their messengers came to them with clear signs, but they were not to believe in what they had rejected earlier. This is how Allah seals the hearts of the disbelievers." (Al-A'raf 7:101)”
A profound spiritual lesson emerges here: persistent rejection of truth eventually hardens the heart to the point where accepting guidance becomes nearly impossible. The phrase "sealing of hearts" refers to this spiritual condition where repeated denial creates an impenetrable barrier against faith. This is not to suggest that disbelievers can never attain belief, but rather highlights how certain actions—particularly mockery and persistent rejection—can severely damage one's spiritual receptivity.