Tafseer of The Stories · Al-Qasas · 28:59
And never would your Lord have destroyed the cities until He had sent to their mother a messenger reciting to them Our verses. And We would not destroy the cities except while their people were wrongdoers.
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 saying of the Exalted: وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ مُهْلِكَ الْقُرَى حَتَّى يَبْعَثَ فِي أُمِّهَا رَسُولا يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِنَا وَمَا كُنَّا مُهْلِكِي الْقُرَى إِلا وَأَهْلُهَا ظَالِمُونَ (28:59) (And your Lord was not such as to destroy the towns until He sent in their mother-town a messenger who would recite to them Our signs; and We were not such as to destroy the towns, except when their inhabitants were wrongdoers.)
The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ (And your Lord was not such), O Muḥammad, مُهْلِكَ الْقُرَى (as to destroy the towns) that are situated around Mecca in your time and your era, حَتَّى يَبْعَثَ فِي أُمِّهَا رَسُولا (until He sent in their mother-town a messenger). He says: until He sent in Mecca a messenger — and it is the mother of the towns (Umm al-Qurā) — who recites to them the signs of Our Book; and the messenger is Muḥammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
And in accordance with what we have said concerning this, the people of interpretation have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: حَتَّى يَبْعَثَ فِي أُمِّهَا رَسُولا (until He sent in their mother-town a messenger). The mother of the towns is Mecca, and Allah sent to them a messenger, Muḥammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
His saying: وَمَا كُنَّا مُهْلِكِي الْقُرَى إِلا وَأَهْلُهَا ظَالِمُونَ (and We were not such as to destroy the towns, except when their inhabitants were wrongdoers). He says: We would not destroy a town while it is believing in Allah; rather, We destroy it on account of its wrongdoing against itself through its disbelief in Allah. And We destroyed the inhabitants of Mecca only on account of their disbelief in their Lord and their wrongdoing against themselves.
And in accordance with what we have said concerning this, the people of interpretation have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His saying: وَمَا كُنَّا مُهْلِكِي الْقُرَى إِلا وَأَهْلُهَا ظَالِمُونَ (and We were not such as to destroy the towns, except when their inhabitants were wrongdoers), he said: Allah has never destroyed a town on account of belief, but He destroys the towns on account of wrongdoing when their inhabitants commit wrong. And if a town had been believing, they would not have been destroyed along with those who were destroyed; but they denied and committed wrong, and therefore they were destroyed.
