Tafseer of The letter Qaaf · Qaaf · 50:36
And how many a generation before them did We destroy who were greater than them in [striking] power and had explored throughout the lands. Is there any place of escape?
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: وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا قَبْلَهُمْ مِنْ قَرْنٍ هُمْ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ بَطْشًا فَنَقَّبُوا فِي الْبِلادِ هَلْ مِنْ مَحِيصٍ (And how many a generation We destroyed before them, who were mightier than they in power; and they roamed through the lands — was there any escape?) (36).
His saying ( وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا قَبْلَهُمْ مِنْ قَرْنٍ ) (And how many a generation We destroyed before them): the Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: and many are the generations whom We destroyed before these polytheists (mushrikīn) of Quraysh, ( هُمْ أَشَدَّ ) (who were mightier) than the Qurayshites who denied Muḥammad, ( بَطْشًا فَنَقَّبُوا فِي الْبِلادِ ) (in power; and they roamed through the lands). He says: they cleaved through the lands and traveled around in them, and traversed them, and penetrated to their farthest reaches. Imruʾ al-Qays said:
"Indeed, I have traversed the horizons, until I contented myself, from the spoils, with the return."
In accordance with what we have said about this, the exegetes have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
ʿAlī related to me, saying: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās ( فَنَقَّبُوا فِي الْبِلادِ ) (and they roamed through the lands), he said: they left traces therein.
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 of them — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His saying ( فَنَقَّبُوا فِي الْبِلادِ ) (and they roamed through the lands), he said: this means: they brought about that traversing in the lands.
* Mention of who said that:
His saying ( هَلْ مِنْ مَحِيصٍ ) (was there any escape?): the Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: was there for them, despite their traversing of the lands, any place to turn aside from death, or any deliverance from destruction when Our command came upon them?
The verb "kāna" (was) has been omitted in this place, just as it is omitted in His saying وَكَأَيِّنْ مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ هِيَ أَشَدُّ قُوَّةً مِنْ قَرْيَتِكَ الَّتِي أَخْرَجَتْكَ أَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ فَلا نَاصِرَ لَهُمْ (And how many a town, mightier in strength than your town which has driven you out, have We destroyed, so there was no helper for them) — with the meaning: and there was no helper for them at their destruction. The reciters (qurrāʾ) read His saying ( فَنَقَّبُوا ) with doubling (tashdīd) and a fatḥa on the qāf, in the form of a report about them. From Yaḥyā ibn Yaʿmar it is related that he read it as ( فَنَقِبُوا ) with a kasra on the qāf, in the form of a threat and warning: that is to say: traverse the lands and roam about in them, for you will not be able to escape Us by yourselves.
In accordance with what we have said in the explanation of His saying ( مِنْ مَحِيصٍ ) (any escape), the exegetes 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 ( وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا قَبْلَهُمْ مِنْ قَرْنٍ ) (And how many a generation We destroyed before them)... until he reached ( هَلْ مِنْ مَحِيصٍ ) (was there any escape?): the sinners sought to evade, but they found the command of Allah as something pursuing them.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying ( فَنَقَّبُوا فِي الْبِلادِ هَلْ مِنْ مَحِيصٍ ) (and they roamed through the lands — was there any escape?), he said: the enemies of Allah sought to evade, but they found the command of Allah as something overtaking them.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His saying ( هَلْ مِنْ مَحِيصٍ ) (was there any escape?), he said: was there any deliverance.
