Tafseer of The Prophets · Al-Anbiyaa · 21:6
Not a [single] city which We destroyed believed before them, so will they believe?
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.
Allah, exalted is His praise, says: No people of any town that We destroyed with annihilation in this world believed before these people who denied Muḥammad among the polytheists (mushrikīn) of his people — those who said: Let Muḥammad bring us a sign just as the former messengers brought signs — when Our messenger came to them with a miraculous sign. أَفَهُمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ — He says: Will then these people who deny Muḥammad and ask him for a sign believe when a sign comes to them, while the predecessors among the bygone peoples whom We destroyed did not believe, despite the signs coming to them?
And in the same manner as we have explained this, the people of interpretation spoke.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning أَهْلَكْنَاهَا أَفَهُمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ : they believe in it.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid: the same.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word مَا آمَنَتْ قَبْلَهُم مِّن قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَاهَا أَفَهُمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ : that is to say: the messengers, when they came to their people with the clear proofs but they did not believe, were no longer able to grant them any further respite.
