The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 405
PT. 19 AL-FURQAN CH. 25 وَلَقَدْ أَتَوْا عَلَى الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِي أُمْطِرَتْ And these (Meccans must. 41 E have visited "the town whereon مَطَرَ السَّوْءِ اَفَلَمْ يَكُونُوا يَرَوْنَهَا was rained an evil rain. Have بَلْ كَانُوا لَا يَرْجُونَ نُشُورًا they not then seen it? Nay, they hope not to be raised after death. 2674 وَإِذَا رَاَوكَ إِنْ يَتَّخِذُونَكَ إِلَّا هُزُوًا And when they see thee. 42 اهَذَا الَّذِي بَعَثَ اللَّهُ رَسُولًا إِنْ كَادَ لَيُضِلُّنَا عَنْ الهَتِنَا لَوْلَا أَنْ صَبَرْنَا they only make a jest of thee: What, is this he whom Allah has sent as a Messenger?2675 43. 'He indeed had well-nigh led us astray from our gods, had Commentary: a7:85; 27:59. 21:37. The truth is writ large on the face of history that opposition to God's Prophets has invariably led to the destruction of those who oppose them. There had never lived Prophet who was not opposed and persecuted and opposition to whose a mission did not result in the ruin of his persecutors. Yet such is the tragedy of human affairs that opponents of the Prophets of God never benefit from the fate of their predecessors. In their own time every people to whom a Divine Messenger was sent traversed the same road which had led to ruin those who had opposed their Prophets before them. At first the people of the Holy Prophet also opposed and persecuted him and did not benefit from the example of the opponents of the former Prophets and consequently a part of them met the fate of their counterparts. 2319 2674. Commentary: The reference in the word "the town" may be to Sodom, the town of Lot, which was situated on the way from Arabia to Syria. (to be raised) may also signify the hour of the triumph of Islam. The Quraish did not have the remotest idea that the cause of the Holy Prophet would or could ever triumph. 2675. Commentary: In view of the extreme weakness and poverty of the Holy Prophet's circumstances, the Quraish would jeeringly say, "Could not Allah find a better man to whom to entrust His mission?" The same objection of the Holy Prophet's opponents has been mentioned elsewhere in the Quran in another form, viz. "why was not the Quran revealed to a man of some importance in the two towns?" (43:32).