The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 521
PT. 8 AL-A'RĀF CH. 7 وَكَمْ مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْتُهَا فَجَاءَهَا بَأْسُنَا How many a town have We. 5 بَيَاتًا أَوْ هُمْ قَابِلُونَ destroyed! And Our punishment came upon it by night or while they slept at noon. 909 فَمَا كَانَ دَعْوبُهُمْ إِذْ جَاءَهُمْ بَأْسُنَا إِلَّا So when Our punishment. 6 came upon them, their cry was nothing but this that they said: b. We were wrongdoers! '910 7. And "We indeed أَنْ قَالُوا إِنَّا كُنَّا ظُلِمِينَ فَلَنَسْتَلَنَّ الَّذِينَ أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِمُ will certainly وَلَنَسْتَلَنَّ الْمُرْسَلِينَ question those to whom the Messengers were sent, and "We will certainly question the Messengers. 911 a7:98; 21:12; 28:59. 21:15. 28:66. 45:110. 909. Important Words: (by night) is the noun-infinitive from i. e. he passed the night. - 135 Ja means, he did such a thing by or at night; or he passed the night doing such a thing; or he entered upon اتاهم الامربيات. the night doing such a thing means, the thing or event happened to them at night, or in the latter part of the night (Aqrab). See also 4:82. (slept at noon) is derived from and not يقيل of which the aorist is) قال J) i. e. he slept or rested during mid- day; or he drank water, etc. at mid- day. So means, one sleeping or resting during mid-day. as means, the act of sleeping or resting during mid-day. (Aqrab). قائلة means, mid-day Commentary: The particle in here means "and". If, however, it be taken to mean "then" and the words that 961 follow be translated as "then Our punishment came upon them", then will have to be rendered as "We had the verb (have We destroyed) decreed to destroy". Two separate and distinct hours, viz. (1) the latter part of the night and (2) mid-day are here mentioned as the two times when divine visitations generally come upon men. These are the times when people are often in a state of sleep or negligence. 910. Commentary: The reason why even confirmed atheists have been found to cry to God for help when Divine punishment overtakes them, is that at such a dreadful time, man becomes not only conscious of his own utter helplessness but also of the might and power of a Higher Being. 911. Commentary: The verse embodies the important