Tafseer of The letter Saad · Saad · 38:14
Each of them denied the messengers, so My penalty was justified.
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.
إِنْ كُلٌّ إِلا كَذَّبَ الرُّسُلَ ("There was not one of them but he denied the messengers") — He says: there was not one of all these communities but they denied the messengers of Allah. In the reading of ʿAbdullāh it runs, as has been mentioned to me: "There was not one of them but he denied the messengers, so that My punishment became due" (إنْ كُلٌّ لَمَّا كَذَّبَ الرُّسُل فَحَقَّ عِقَابِ) — He says: so that the punishment of Allah upon them became owed.
As Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: إِنْ كُلٌّ إِلا كَذَّبَ الرُّسُلَ فَحَقَّ عِقَابِ ("There was not one of them but he denied the messengers, so that My punishment became due"), he said: all of these had denied the messengers, so that the punishment (ʿadhāb) upon them became due.
