Tafseer of The Romans · Ar-Room · 30:49
Although they were, before it was sent down upon them - before that, in despair.
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 words of the Exalted: وَإِنْ كَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ لَمُبْلِسِينَ (49) ("Although they, before it was sent down upon them — before that — were in despair") (30:49).
The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: and these, whom Allah favored with this rain among His servants, were — before this rain was sent down upon them, before this rain — ( لَمُبْلِسِينَ ) ("truly in despair"). He says: grieved and sorrowful because of its withholding from them.
As Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: ( وَإِنْ كَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يُنـزلَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ لَمُبْلِسِينَ ): that is to say: despairing (qāniṭīn).
The scholars of the Arabic language (ahl al-ʿarabiyya) differed concerning the reason for the repetition of "min qablihi" ("before that"), seeing that preceding it there already stood His word: ( مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يُنـزلَ عَلَيْهِم ) ("before it was sent down upon them"). Some of the grammarians of Basra said: "min qablihi" is brought back for emphasis (confirmation), like His word: فَسَجَدَ الْمَلائِكَةُ كُلُّهُمْ أَجْمَعُونَ ("so the angels prostrated themselves, all of them together"). Another said: that is not so; for with ( مِنْ قَبْلِ أنْ يُنـزلَ عَلَيْهم ) there belongs a particle (word-part) that does not belong to the second. He said: it is as though He said: before the sending down, before the rain — so the two differ. As for كُلُّهُمْ أَجْمَعُونَ — that He emphasized with "ajmaʿīn," because "kull" can be both a noun and an emphasis, and that is His word "ajmaʿūn." And the correct view, in my opinion, is that His word ( مِنْ قَبْلِهِ ) ("before that") is for emphasis.
