Tafseer of Those drawn up in Ranks · As-Saaffaat · 37:138
And at night. Then will you not use reason?
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.
And His statement: أَفَلا تَعْقِلُونَ ("Do you then not understand?"). He says: Have you then no intellect with which you reflect and ponder, so that you would know that any of the servants of Allah who treads the path of disbelief (kufr) in Him and the denial of His messengers — the path of those whose characteristics He has described, namely the people of Lūṭ — upon him descends the chastisement of Allah, just as that which descended upon them because of their disbelief in Allah and their denial of His messenger, so that this might restrain you from that in which you persist of ascribing partners to Allah (shirk) and of the denial of Muḥammad, peace and blessings be upon him.
As Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said concerning His statement: أَفَلا تَعْقِلُونَ ("Do you then not understand?"), he said: Do you then not reflect that what struck them because of the acts of disobedience against Allah could also strike you just as it struck them? He said: And this passing by means that they pass alongside them.
