إِن نَّشَأْ نُنَزِّلْ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ ءَايَةً فَظَلَّتْ أَعْنَٰقُهُمْ لَهَا خَٰضِعِينَ
Important Words:
اعناق (necks) is the plural of عنق (‘unuqun) which is derived from عنق (‘aniqa) which means, his neck became tall. عنقmeans, neck, a portion of good; the upper portion of an elevated tract of land; the leaders or chiefs of a people, a company or a large company of men. They say جاء نی عنق من الناس i.e. a party of men came to me. The word also means, the first part of everything. They say مات فلان فی عنق الصیف i.e. such a one died in the beginning of summer. ھم عنق الیک means, they are inclined and listening to thee or expecting thee (Lane & Aqrab). اعناق therefore means, (a) different parties; (b) leaders; (c) those who are waiting for a sign to come.
Commentary:
The verse means to say that the Holy Prophet’s grief for his disbelieving people will not be in vain. If they do not cease opposing him, they will be visited with the sign of punishment which will humiliate and debase their leaders. That great sign was witnessed by the Quraish in the Battle of Badr when they suffered a most humiliating defeat at the hands of a small number of poor and ill-equipped Muslims and when almost all their great leaders were killed. Again they witnessed it in the Fall of Mecca when the cause of Islam triumphed fully and completely and the Quraish saw that they had to seek pardon from one whom they had hunted out of his native city and upon whose head they had placed a heavy price.
The Holy Prophet’s grief will not be in vain. If his people do not cease opposing him, they will be visited with the Sign of punishment which will humiliate and debase their leaders, A‘naq meaning leaders (Lane).