Transliteration:( Wa laqad makkannaahum feemaaa im makkannaakum feehi waj'alnaa lahum sam'anw wa absaaranw wa af'idatan famaaa aghnaa 'anhum sam'uhum wa laaa absaaruhum wa laaa af'idatuhum min shai'in iz kaanoo yajhadoona bi Aayaatil laahi wa haaqa bihim maa kaanoo bihee yastahzi'oon (section 3) )
And indeed, We had given them the control [73] that We did not give to you; and We bestowed upon them ears and eyes and hearts [74]. But neither their ears nor their eyes nor their hearts availed [75] them anything, as they denied the Verses of Allah. So, they were encircled (by the punishment) that they used to mock [76].
This verse addresses the people of Makkah, reminding them that the nation of Aad had been given far more power, wealth, and long life than them.
Despite this, they were destroyed for rejecting the Prophet. Hence, no amount of worldly strength can protect one from Divine punishment. The key to safety lies in humility and submission, not arrogance.
They were granted ears, eyes, and hearts—faculties that could lead to recognition of Allah and His Messenger. However, they misused these blessings, directing them towards opposition and disbelief instead of obedience and reflection.
These senses did not benefit them at the time of Divine punishment because they had never used them for seeking Divine knowledge or truth.
This teaches us that powers and faculties become valuable only when aligned with faith. For believers—especially the people of Madina—their limbs and faculties will become a source of Divine mercy.
This verse warns the disbelievers of Makkah not to mock Divine warnings, as the earlier nations did. They have been given a chance to reflect by witnessing the downfall of past nations.
They should fear becoming the next example for others to learn from, instead of learning from those who came before.
26. And indeed We had firmly established them with that wherewith We have not established you! We also gave them hearing, vision, and hearts. But their hearing, vision, and hearts availed them nothing since they used to deny the Ayat of Allah, and they were completely encircled by that which they used to ridicule! 27. And indeed We have destroyed towns round about you, and We have shown (them) the signs in various ways so that they might return. 28. As for those whom they had taken for gods besides Allah, as the means of approach to Him, why then did they not aid them Nay, but they vanished completely from them. And that was their falsehood, and what they were fabricating.) Allah says, `We have granted the earlier nations wealth and offspring in the worldly life. That which We granted them, we did not give you anything similar or close to it.’ Furthermore,
(We also gave them hearing, vision, and hearts. But their hearing, vision, and hearts availed them nothing when they used to deny Allah’s signs, and they were completely encircled by that which they used to ridicule!) meaning, they were encircled by the torment and exemplary punishment that they denied and whose occurrence they doubted. This means, you listeners must beware of being like them lest a punishment similar to theirs strikes you in this life and the Hereafter. Allah then says,
(And indeed We have destroyed towns round about you, ) This is addressed to the people of Makkah. Allah destroyed the nations who disbelieved in the Messengers who lived around Makkah, such as `Ad who were at Al-Ahqaf in Hadramawt near Yemen, Thamud whose dwellings were between Makkah and Ash-Sham (Greater Syria), Saba’ who were in Yemen, the people of Madyan who were on the route and passage to Ghazzah (Western Palestine), and the people of Lut who dwelt by the lake (the Dead Sea) which they used to pass by (on the way to Jordan) as well. Allah then says,
(and We have shown (them) the signs in various ways) meaning, `We explained and clarified them.’
(so that perhaps they might return. As for those whom they had taken for gods besides Allah, as the means of approach to Him, why then did they not aid them) meaning, did they help them when they were in the greatest need for them
(but they vanished completely from them.) Rather, they completely left them alone when they needed them the most.
(And that was their falsehood, ) meaning, their lie.
(and what they were fabricating.) which means that they fabricated lies by taking them as gods, and they lost and failed in their worship of them and their reliance upon them — and Allah knows best.
(46:26) We had established them firmly in a manner We have not established you.[30] We had given them ears and eyes and hearts. But nothing availed them � neither their ears, nor their eyes, nor their hearts, for they denied the Signs of Allah.[31] Then what they had mocked at encompassed them.
30. That is, you are no match for them as far as wealth, power, authority and other things are concerned: your sphere of authority is restricted to the bounds of the city of Makkah, but they had dominated a large part of the earth.
31. An important truth has been stated in this brief sentence. It is only the revelations of Allah which give the right knowledge and understanding of the truth and reality to man. If man has this understanding and knowledge he sees the right thing with his eyes, hears the right thing with his ears, thinks the right thing with his mind and intellect and takes the right decisions. But when he refuses to believe in the revelations of Allah, he fails to see the truth in spite of the eyes, becomes deaf to every word of admonition in spite of the ears, and misuses the blessings of the mind and intellect that God has granted him, and goes on drawing wrong conclusions one after the other, so much so that he starts using all his capabilities for his own destruction.
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