Transliteration:( Ahum khayrun am qawmu Tubba'inw wallazeena min qablihim; ahlaknaahum innahum kaanoo mujrimeen )
"Are they better or the people of Tubba [38] and those before them whom We destroyed? Indeed, they were culprits."
Tubba was the royal title for the kings of Yemen, and the one referred to here is Harith bin Hammal Humairi. He himself was a believer, but his people were arrogant disbelievers, and were destroyed due to their rebellion.
Tubba had also built Madina Munawwarah, and had written a letter in the name of the Holy Prophet ﷺ, instructing it be given to him when he arrives.
When the Prophet ﷺ arrived in Madina and stayed at the house of Hazrat Abu Ayyub Ansari, Hazrat Abu Ya’la presented him this historic letter, fulfilling Tubba’s vision.
The tafsir of Surah Ad-Dukhan verse 37 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Dukhan ayat 34 which provides the complete commentary from verse 34 through 37.
(44:37) Are these better or the people of Tubba[32] and those who went before them? We destroyed them for they were a criminal people.[33]
32. Tubba was the title of the kings of the Himyarites, like the titles of Khosroes, Caesar, Pharaoh etc. which have been associated with the kings of different countries. They were a branch of the Sabaeans, who attained domination over Saba in 115 B.C. and ruled it until 300 A.D. They have been a well known people of Arabia for centuries. For details, see (Surah Saba, ayat 21) note 37.
33. This is the first answer to the disbelievers’ objection; it means: Any individual group or nation which denies the Hereafter becomes criminal. Perversion of the morals is its inevitable result, and human history bears evidence that whichever nation adopted this view of life ultimately perished. As for the question: Are they better or the people of Tubba or the people before them? It means this: The disbelievers of Makkah have not been able to attain to the prosperity and splendor that became the lot of the people of Tubba and of the people of Saba and of the people of Pharaoh and others before them. But this material prosperity and worldly splendor could not save them from the consequences of their moral degeneration. How will then the chiefs of the Quraish be saved from destruction on the strength of their puny resources and wealth? For details, see (Surah Saba, ayat 15-21) note 25-36.
[1464]- The tribe of Saba’.
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