Quran Universe
14:9

أَلَمۡ يَأۡتِكُمۡ نَبَؤُاْ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ قَوۡمِ نُوحٖ وَعَادٖ وَثَمُودَ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُهُمۡ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُۚ جَآءَتۡهُمۡ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِ فَرَدُّوٓاْ أَيۡدِيَهُمۡ فِيٓ أَفۡوَٰهِهِمۡ وَقَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا كَفَرۡنَا بِمَآ أُرۡسِلۡتُم بِهِۦ وَإِنَّا لَفِي شَكّٖ مِّمَّا تَدۡعُونَنَآ إِلَيۡهِ مُرِيبٖ

Alam yatikum nabao allatheena min qablikum qawmi noohin waAAadin wathamooda waallatheena min baAAdihim la yaAAlamuhum illa Allahu jaathum rusuluhum bialbayyinati faraddoo aydiyahum fee afwahihim waqaloo inna kafarna bima orsiltum bihi wainna lafee shakkin mimma tadAAoonana ilayhi mureebun

Has there not reached you the news of those before you - the people of Noah and 'Aad and Thamud and those after them? No one knows them but Allah. Their messengers brought them clear proofs, but they returned their hands to their mouths and said, "Indeed, we disbelieve in that with which you have been sent, and indeed we are, about that to which you invite us, in disquieting doubt."

Word by word
  1. أَلَمۡHas not
  2. يَأۡتِكُمۡcome to you
  3. نَبَؤُاْ(the) news
  4. ٱلَّذِينَ(of) those who
  5. مِن(were) before you
  6. قَبۡلِكُمۡ(were) before you
  7. قَوۡمِthe people
  8. نُوحٖof Nuh
  9. وَعَادٖand Aad
  10. وَثَمُودَand Thamud
  11. وَٱلَّذِينَand those who
  12. مِنۢ(were) after them
  13. بَعۡدِهِمۡ(were) after them
  14. لَاNone
  15. يَعۡلَمُهُمۡknows them
  16. إِلَّاexcept
  17. ٱللَّهُۚAllah
  18. جَآءَتۡهُمۡCame to them
  19. رُسُلُهُمtheir Messengers
  20. بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِwith clear proofs
  21. فَرَدُّوٓاْbut they returned
  22. أَيۡدِيَهُمۡtheir hands
  23. فِيٓin
  24. أَفۡوَٰهِهِمۡtheir mouths
  25. وَقَالُوٓاْand they said
  26. إِنَّاIndeed we
  27. كَفَرۡنَا[we] disbelieve
  28. بِمَآin what
  29. أُرۡسِلۡتُمyou have been sent
  30. بِهِۦwith [it]
  31. وَإِنَّاand indeed,we
  32. لَفِي(are) surely in
  33. شَكّٖdoubt
  34. مِّمَّاabout what
  35. تَدۡعُونَنَآyou invite us
  36. إِلَيۡهِto it
  37. مُرِيبٖsuspicious
Ibrahim · 14:9Makkah

Hands over their mouths: refusing to even listen.

Nations whose number only Allah knows

The nations
Nuh's people
'Ad and Thamud
those afterknown only to Allah
received
clear proofsfrom their messengers
Their response
hands to mouthswe deny it, we doubt it
clear proofsignored, not answered

Ibn Kathir says only Allah knows how many such nations there were. Their messengers came with clear proofs. They put their hands to their mouths: scholars said this means silencing the messengers, rejecting them, or biting their hands in anger. We are in deep doubt, they said.

Someone you trust gently points out a habit that is hurting you. Before they finish, you are already shaking your head. Refusing to hear is a choice, not a doubt.

I have doubts, so I do not have to listen.

Real doubt listens; covering my ears is just refusal.

Try this

Next time someone gives you advice today, let them finish before you answer.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Has not the news reached you, of those before you, the people of Nuh, 'Ad, and Thamud? And those after them? None knows them but Allah. To them came their Messengers with clear proofs, but they put their hands in their mouths and said: "Verily, we disbelieve in that with which you have been sent, and we are really in grave doubt as to that to which you invite us. (9)

Earlier Nations disbelieved in Their Prophets

Allah narrated to this Ummah (followers of Muhammad ﷺ) the stories of the people of Prophet Nuh, 'Ad and Thamud, and other ancient nations that belied their Messengers. Only Allah knows the count of these nations,

جَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ

(To them came their Messengers with clear proofs,) they brought them evidences and plain, tremendous proofs and signs. Ibn Ishaq reported that 'Amr bin Maymun said that 'Abdullah said about Allah's statement,

لَا يَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلَّا اللَّهُ

(None knows them but Allah.) "The genealogists utter lies." This is why 'Urwah bin Az-Zubayr said, "We did not find anyone who knows the forefathers of Ma'dd bin 'Adnan."

Meaning of, "They put Their Hands in Their Mouths"

 Allah said next, 

فَرَدُّوا أَيْدِيَهُمْ فِي أَفْوَاهِهِمْ

(but they put their hands in their mouths) It is said that they pointed to the Messengers' mouths asking them to stop calling them to Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored. It is also said that it means, they placed their hands on their mouths in denial of the Messengers. It was also said that it means that they did not answer the call of the Messengers, or they were biting their hands in rage. Mujahid, Muhammad bin Ka'b and Qatadah said that they belied the Messengers and refuted their call with their mouths. I (Ibn Kathir) say that Mujahid's Tafsir is supported by the completion of the narrative,

وَقَالُوا إِنَّا كَفَرْنَا بِمَا أُرْسِلْتُم بِهِ وَإِنَّا لَفِي شَكٍّ مِّمَّا تَدْعُونَنَا إِلَيْهِ مُرِيبٍ

(and said: "Verily, we disbelieve in that with which you have been sent, and we are really in grave doubt as to that to which you invite us.") Al-'Awfi reported that Ibn 'Abbas said, "When they heard Allah's Word, they were amazed and placed their hands on their mouths,"

وَقَالُوا إِنَّا كَفَرْنَا بِمَا أُرْسِلْتُم بِهِ

(and said: "Verily, we disbelieve in that with which you have been sent.") They said, We do not believe what you brought us, and have strong doubt in its authenticity.'