Tafseer of Jonas · Yunus · 10:13
And We had already destroyed generations before you when they wronged, and their messengers had come to them with clear proofs, but they were not to believe. Thus do We recompense the criminal people
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the word of Allah the Exalted: وَلَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَا الْقُرُونَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَمَّا ظَلَمُوا وَجَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَمَا كَانُوا لِيُؤْمِنُوا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْقَوْمَ الْمُجْرِمِينَ (Yūnus 10:13)
(And We have indeed destroyed the generations before you when they did wrong, and their messengers came to them with the clear proofs, and they were not such as to believe. Thus do We requite the criminal people.)
Abū Jaʿfar says: Allah the Exalted says: And We destroyed the communities that gave the lie to the messengers of Allah before you — O polytheists (mushrikīn) who ascribe partners to your Lord (34) — "when they did wrong," that is to say: when they committed the ascribing of partners to Allah (shirk) and transgressed the command of Allah and His prohibition (35) — "and their messengers came to them" from Allah, "with the clear proofs" — these are the signs and the proofs that demonstrate the truthfulness of the one who came with them (36).
The meaning of the statement is: their messengers came to them with the manifest signs that demonstrated that they were the truth. "And they were not such as to believe" — that is to say: these communities that We destroyed were not such as to believe their messengers and to give them credence regarding that to which they called them, namely the oneness of Allah (tawḥīd) and the purification of worship for Him alone.
"And thus do We requite the criminal people" — Allah the Exalted says: Just as We destroyed these generations before you — O polytheists (mushrikīn) — on account of the wrong that they did to themselves, their denial of their messengers, and their rejection of their good counsel, so shall I deal with you and destroy you as I destroyed them: on account of your denial of your messenger Muḥammad ﷺ and the wrong you do to yourselves by ascribing partners to your Lord — if you do not return to Allah and repent of your shirk. For among the requital of the unbeliever with me for his unbelief is: that I destroy him through My wrath in the worldly life, and make him enter the Fire in the hereafter.
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Footnotes:
(34) See the explanation of "the generations" (al-qurūn) in what preceded, volume 11, p. 263.
(35) See the explanation of "wrong" (al-ẓulm) in the preceding linguistic registers (ẓ-l-m).
(36) See the explanation of "the clear proofs" (al-bayyināt) in the preceding linguistic registers (b-y-n).
