Tafseer of The Moon · Al-Qamar · 54:36
And he had already warned them of Our assault, but they disputed the warning.
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 His word — exalted is His remembrance: وَلَقَدْ أَنْذَرَهُمْ بَطْشَتَنَا فَتَمَارَوْا بِالنُّذُرِ ("And he had indeed warned them of Our seizing, but they doubted the warnings") (54:36).
The Exalted — exalted is His remembrance — says: Lot had indeed warned his people of Our seizing, with which We had seized [others] before them. فَتَمَارَوْا بِالنُّذُرِ. He says: they denied his warning, that against which he warned them thereby, out of doubt which they had concerning it.
And His word فَتَمَارَوْا is a tafāʿala form derived from al-mirya (doubt).
And in accordance with what we have said concerning this, 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, concerning His word فَتَمَارَوْا بِالنُّذُرِ: they did not believe him. And His word وَلَقَدْ رَاوَدُوهُ عَنْ ضَيْفِهِ ("And they had indeed sought to take his guests from him"). He — exalted is His praise — says: and his people had indeed sought from Lot to take from him his guests, who had lodged with him when Allah willed their destruction. فَطَمَسْنَا أَعْيُنَهُمْ ("then We blotted out their eyes"). He says: then We blotted out their eyes, until We made them like the rest of the face, upon which no slit could any longer be seen, so that they could no longer see his guests. And the Arabs say: the wind has blotted out (ṭamasat) the road-markers, when it has buried them under the dust which it blows over them, as Kaʿb ibn Zuhayr said:
From every she-camel of sharp scent at the root of the ear, when her flank sweats — a desert with blotted-out markers, unknown.
He means by his word ṭāmisu al-aʿlām ("blotted out of markers"): one whose markers are buried.
And in accordance with what we have said concerning this, the exegetes have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
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The footnotes:
The verse is by Kaʿb ibn Zuhayr, from his famous lāmiyya "Bānat Suʿād," with which he praised the Messenger of Allah, the Prophet ﷺ. We have explained it three times in (2:402, 5:123, 9:157) of this edition; so consult it in one of these places, or in all of them, for additional benefit.
