And how many a generation We have destroyed before them who were stronger in power than they. And they went about the land! Could they find any place of refuge (36)Verily, therein is indeed a reminder for him who has a heart or gives ear while he is heedful (37)And indeed We created the heavens and the earth and all between them in six Days and nothing of fatigue touched Us (38)So bear with patience all that they say, and glorify the praises of your Lord, before the rising of the sun and before (its) setting (39)And during a part of the night (also) glorify His praises and (so likewise) after the prostrations (40)
Warning the Disbelievers of the imminent Torment; commanding the Prophet (ٰﷺ) to pray and have Patience
Allah the Exalted asks, 'how many We have destroyed before these denying disbelievers?'
مِنْ قَرْنٍ هُمْ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ بَطْشًا
(a generation who were stronger in power than they.) they were more numerous, mightier than they and who constructed on the earth and built on it more than they. The statement of Allah the Exalted,
فَنَقَّبُوا فِي الْبِلَادِ هَلْ مِنْ مَحِيصٍ
(And they went about the land! Could they find any place of refuge?) Ibn 'Abbas commented, "They left the traces throughout the land," Qatadah said, "They traveled throughout the land seeking provisions through trade and business, more than you have." Allah's statement,
هَلْ مِنْ مَحِيصٍ
(Could they find any place of refuge?) means, 'could they find a shelter from Allah's decision and appointed destiny? Have what they collected benefited them or averted Allah's torment when it came to them on account of their denial of the Messengers? Likewise, you will never be able to avert, avoid, or find refuge or shelter (from His torment).' Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said,
إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَذِكْرَىٰ
(Verily, therein is indeed a reminder) and a lesson,
لِمَنْ كَانَ لَهُ قَلْبٌ
(for him who has a heart) meaning, a sound understanding with which he comprehends, or, a good mind, according to Mujahid,
أَوْ أَلْقَى السَّمْعَ وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ
(or gives ear while he is heedful.) meaning, he hears the speech, comprehends and understands it in his mind and grasps its indications with his intellect. Mujahid said that,
أَوْ أَلْقَى السَّمْعَ
(or gives ear), means, he does not talk to himself but listens with an attentive heart. Ad-Dahhak commented, "The Arabs would say that someone has given ear when he hears with his ears, while his heart is present and not absent." Ath-Thawri and several others said similarly. The statement of Allah the Exalted and Most Honored;
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِنْ لُغُوبٍ
(And indeed We created the heavens and the earth and all that between them in six Days and nothing of fatigue touched Us.) is emphasis on the Resurrection because He Who is able to create the heavens and earth without fatigue, then surely He is able to resurrect the dead. Qatadah said, "The Jews, may Allah's curses descend on them, said that Allah created the heavens and earth in six days and then rested on the seventh day, which was the Sabbath. This is why they call it a holiday. Allah the Exalted then sent down denial of their statement and false opinion." Allah said,
وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِنْ لُغُوبٍ
(and nothing of fatigue touched Us.) indicating that no sleep, exhaustion or weariness affects Him. Allah the Exalted the Blessed said in other Ayat,
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَلَمْ يَعْيَ بِخَلْقِهِنَّ بِقَادِرٍ عَلَىٰ أَنْ يُحْيِيَ الْمَوْتَىٰ ۚ بَلَىٰ إِنَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
(Do they not see that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, and was not wearied by their creation, is able to give life to the dead? Yes, He surely is Able to do all things.)(46:33),
لَخَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ خَلْقِ النَّاسِ
(The creation of the heavens and the earth is indeed greater than the creation of mankind.)(40:57) and,
أَأَنْتُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقًا أَمِ السَّمَاءُ ۚ بَنَاهَا
(Are you more difficult to create or is the heaven that He constructed?)(79:27) Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said,
فَاصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ
(So bear with patience all that they say,) in reference to those who deny the Prophet ﷺ, ordering him to be patient with them and turn away from them in a good way,
وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ الْغُرُوبِ
(and glorify the praises of your Lord, before the rising of the sun and before (its) setting.) There were two ordained prayers prior to the Isra' journey. One before the rising of the sun at dawn and the other before sunset in the evening. Qiyam Al-Layl, prayer at night, was a command for the Prophet ﷺ and his followers for sometime but it was later abrogated for the Ummah. Later, during the Isra' journey, Allah abrogated all of the previous orders for prayer by ordaining five daily prayers, including the prayers of Fajr before sunrise, and 'Asr in the late afternoon. Imam Ahmad recorded that Jarir bin 'Abdullah said, "When we were sitting with the Prophet ﷺ, he looked at the full moon and said,
أَمَا إِنَّكُمْ سَتُعْرَضُونَ عَلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ فَتَرَوْنَهُ كَمَا تَرَوْنَ هٰذَا الْقَمَرَ لَا تُضَامُّونَ فِيهِ، فَإِنِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ أَنْ لَا تُغْلَبُوا عَلَىٰ صَلَاةٍ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ غُرُوبِهَا فَافْعَلُوا
(Certainly you will be brought before your Lord and will see Him as you see this moon, and you will have no trouble in seeing Him. So, if you can avoid missing the prayer before the sunrise and the prayer before sunset, you must do so.) He then recited Allah's statement,
وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ الْغُرُوبِ
(and glorify the praises of your Lord, before the rising of the sun and before (its) setting.)" The Two Sahihs and the rest of the Group collected this Hadith through the chain of Isma'il. Allah the Exalted said,
وَمِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَسَبِّحْهُ
(And during a part of the night glorify His praises), meaning pray to Him. Allah said Ayah,
وَمِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نَافِلَةً لَكَ عَسَىٰ أَنْ يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَحْمُودًا
(And in some parts of the night offer the Salah with it, as an additional prayer for you. It may be that your Lord will raise you to Maqam Mahmud.)(17:79) Ibn Abi Najih reported that Mujahid said that Ibn 'Abbas said that,
وَأَدْبَارَ السُّجُودِ
(and after the prostrations.) refers to Tasbih, i.e. glorifying Allah's praises, after the prayers. There is a Hadith collected in the Two Sahihs that supports this meaning. Abu Hurayrah said, "Some poor migrants came and said, 'O Allah's Messenger! The wealthy people will get higher grades and will have permanent enjoyment. ' The Prophet ﷺ said,
وَمَا ذَاكَ؟
(Why is that?) They said, 'They pray as we do, fast as we do, yet they give charity, but we can not. They free slaves, but we can not.' The Prophet ﷺ said,
أَفَلَا أُعَلِّمُكُمْ شَيْئًا إِذَا فَعَلْتُمُوهُ سَبَقْتُمْ مَنْ بَعْدَكُمْ وَلَا يَكُونُ أَحَدٌ أَفْضَلَ مِنْكُمْ إِلَّا مَنْ فَعَلَ مِثْلَ مَا فَعَلْتُمْ؟ تُسَبِّحُونَ وَتَحْمَدُونَ وَتُكَبِّرُونَ دُبُرَ كُلِّ صَلَاةٍ ثَلَاثًا وَثَلَاثِينَ
(Shall I tell you about something that, if you did it, you would catch up with those who have surpassed you and nobody would be better than you except those who would do the same? Say, 'Subhan Allah, Alhamdulillah and Allahu Akbar,' thirty-three times each after every prayer.) Later, they came back and said, 'O Allah's Messenger! Our brethren, the wealthy Muslims, heard of what we did and they also did the same.' The Prophet ﷺ said,
ذٰلِكَ فَضْلُ اللهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ
(This is a favor and grace of Allah, and He grants it to whom He wills.)" There is another way of explaining the Ayah. It is that Allah's statement,
وَأَدْبَارَ السُّجُودِ
(and after the prostrations.) refers to the two Rak'ahs after the Maghrib prayer. This was reported from 'Umar bin Al-Khattab, 'Ali bin Abi Talib and his son Al-Hasan, 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas, Abu Hurayrah and Abu Umamah, may Allah be pleased with them. This is also the saying of Mujahid, 'Ikrimah, Ash-Sha'bi, An-Nakha'i, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Qatadah, and others.
