ROOT ص ي ح

7:79; 26:159; 54:32.

Important Words:

الصیحة (punishment) is derived from صاح which means, he called out or cried vehemently or he shouted with his utmost force or power. صاح علیه means, he rebuked him. صیح بھم means, they were frightened or terrified. صیح فیھم means, they perished. صاحت الشجرة means, the tree became tall. صیحة means, a loud cry; punishment, castigation or chastisement; a hostile or predatory incursion by which a tribe is surprised (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

Seven different words and expressions have been used in the Quran to describe the punishment which overtook the tribe of Thamud. In the verse under comment and in 54:32, the word used is صیحة (punishment); in 7:79, رجفة (an earthquake); in 26:159, عذاب (chastisement); in 27:52, دمرناھم (We utterly destroyed them); in 51:45, صاعقة (thunderbolt; any destructive punishment); in 69:6,طاغیة (an extraordinary punishment); and in 91:15, دمدم علیھم (their Lord destroyed them completely). Though the words and expressions employed to describe the visitation seem to be different in form, yet they possess no discrepancy in meaning. The only words which appear to be contradictory are Rajfah, Saihah, Sa‘iqah and Taghiyah. As, however, the last three also mean punishment, therefore if the tribe of Thamud were destroyed by means of an earthquake, all the above words may be rightly used to describe that catastrophe.

7:92; 26:190; 29:38.

Commentary:

Shu‘aib lived in a territory where earthquakes were frequent. So it is quite possible that, as the words apparently show, his people should have been visited with an earthquake: but the word صیحة (for which see v. 68 above) may also mean any other punishment and the words, they lay prostrate in their houses, may have been used in a figurative sense, meaning that their power was broken by some dreadful visitation and they met with disgrace and humiliation, as if thrown into the dust.

11:82.

Important Words:

الصیحة (the punishment) which is derived from صاح i.e. he cried aloud or shouted. صیحة means, a vehement crying; an evil or mischief that comes on one suddenly; punishment; a hostile incursion by which a tribe is surprised (Lane). See also 11:68.

Commentary:

In v. 67 the time for the punishment which was to overtake Lot’s people is indicated by the expression مصبحین (by the morning) but in the present verse it is expressed by مشرقین (at sunrise). This may appear to be a discrepancy in the words used by the Quran. But there is no real discrepancy, because the expression مصبحین (by the morning) signifies those entering on the period from dawn till sunrise, and مشرقینmeans, at sunrise. It is thus clear that there is no real conflict in the meanings of the two words. The calamity actually occurred at sunrise. This is supported by the Bible (Gen. 19:23, 24). For the nature of the calamity see the following verse.

7:79; 11:68.

Commentary:

It appears from 7:79 that the calamity referred to in this verse was an earthquake.

7:92; 11:68.

Important Words:

الصیحة (punishment) means, a loud cry; punishment, castigation, chastisement; a hostile or predatory incursion by which a tribe is surprised (Lane & Aqrab). See also 11:68.

غثاء (rubbish) is derived from غثاء (ghatha). They say غثا الوادی i.e. the valley has in it abundance of rubbish. غثت النفس i.e. the stomach heaved, or became agitated with a tendency to vomit. غثاء means, the rubbish or particles of things or refuse and scum and rotten leaves with the scum borne upon the surface of a torrent. The Arabs say ماله غثاء و عمله ھباء و سعیه خفاء i.e. his property is as rubbish borne by a torrent and his work is like motes that are seen in the rays of the sun and his labour is a thing that is unapparent. غثاء الناس means, the low and the vile and the refuse of mankind (Lane & Aqrab).

بعداً means, perdition or death; curse or malediction etc. The expression بعداله means, may he be cursed or may God alienate him from good (Lane & Aqrab). See also 11:45.

Commentary:

The verse points to a lesson to which history of religion generally and the Quran particularly draws attention, viz. that the opponents of God’s Prophets always meet with failure and destruction and believers whom they regard as the scum and dregs of humanity succeed in their mission and ultimately become the teachers and leaders of nations.

28:82.

16:34; 30:10.

Commentary:

Whereas separate mention has been made in the few preceding verses of the peoples of the five great Prophets of God (Hud, Salih, Lot, Shu‘aib and Moses), the manner in which they treated their Prophets and of the Divine punishment that overtook them on account of their wicked behaviour, the present verse deals collectively with the different forms of punishment. The Quran has used different words and expressions to describe the punishment which overtook the opponents of the various Prophets in their respective times. The punishment that came upon ‘Ad, is described as ریحا صرصراi.e. furious wind (41:17; 54:20 & 69:7) and الریح العقیم i.e. destructive wind (51:42); that which overtook Thamud, as رجفة i.e. earthquake (7:79), صیحة i.e. blast (11:68; 54:32), صاعقة i.e. thunderbolt (41:18) and طاغیة i.e. violent blast (69:5); that which destroyed the people of Lot as حجارة من سجیل i.e. stones of clay (11:83; 15:75), صیحة and حاصبا i.e. storm of stones (54:35); and that which overtook Midian, the people of Shu‘aib as رجفة i.e. earthquake (7:92; 29:38), صیحة i.e. blast (11:95), and عذاب یوم الظلة i.e. punishment of the day of overshadowing doom (26:190). Last of all the heavenly punishment which seized Pharaoh and his mighty hosts and his courtiers, Haman and Korah and destroyed them root and branch has been described by the expressions أغرقنا i.e. We drowned them (2:51; 7:137 & 17:104) and خسفنا به i.e. We made the earth swallow him up (28:82).

A careful study of these words shows that some of them, particularly حاصب ، صیحة ، صاعقة ، رجفة and طاغیة are interchangeable and possess almost analogous significance and meaning. See also 11:68.

21:40; 36:50; 67:28.

Important Words:

خامدون (extinct) is the plural of خامد which is active participle from خمد. They say خمدت النار i.e. the fire subsided, its embers remaining unextinguished. خمد المریض means, the sick man fainted or swooned or died. خمدت الحمی means, the vehemence of the fever became allayed (Lane). See also 21:16.

Commentary:

The verse seems to describe the form of heavenly punishment which will overtake wicked people in the time of the Promised Messiah. The description seems to apply to the falling of shells, incendiary and atomic bombs, which come down with a crashing sound. The fire caused by the bombs destroys everything on which they fall and reduces it to rubble, and all life for miles around becomes extinct. Elsewhere the Quran describes this punishment in the words "We shall make all that is thereon a barren soil" (18:9).

21:40; 36:30; 38:16.

Commentary:

The punishment mentioned here will be like a bolt from the blue. It will be so swift and sudden that, as mentioned in the next verse, the guilty people will not be able even to make a will. The reference may be to the swift bombing attacks from the air by which thousands die, as it were, in the twinkling of an eye.

Commentary:

The verse means to say that disbelievers will be seized with a swift and sudden punishment and will find themselves standing before God’s Judgement Seat, i.e. they will be brought face to face with the consequences of their evil deeds. The repeated mention of the word 'blast', within the space of a few verses signifies that the Surah speaks of a time when Divine punishment will take the form of a blast. The reference may be to the attack of atomic bombs which will destroy whole towns and cities within a few minutes.

36:50.

Important Words:

فواق (delaying) is derived from فاق. They say فاقت الناقة i.e. the she-camel had in her udder the milk that had collected between two milkings. فواق means, the time between two milkings; the time between two suckings; the returning of the milk into the udder of the she-camel after the milking; the time between the opening of one’s hand and the grasping with it the udder of the she-camel; or when the milker grasps the udder and then lets it go in milking. They say ما أقام عندہ الافواقاً i.e. he did not stay with him but as long as between two milkings of a she-camel i.e. for a very short time (Lane).

Commentary:

The verse means to say that the whole attitude of disbelievers shows that they will not accept the truth till Divine punishment overtakes them, but when it comes, it would be swift and sudden and they would be granted no respite or delay.