Interpretation of the saying of Allah the Exalted: {And there is no town but We will destroy it...}
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Question:
The following message reached the program from Iraq, Nineveh, and its sender is a brother of ours from there, saying: (K. Y. A). Our brother has a set of questions. In his first question, he asks about the interpretation of the saying of the Truth, Blessed and Exalted is He—and I hope he has written the verse correctly: [Al-Isra: 58]. He asks about the interpretation of this verse, O Shaykh Abdul Aziz.
Answer:
It is to be taken at its apparent meaning: (Inna) means the negating particle, meaning: There is no town but We will destroy it before the Day of Resurrection, or We will punish it with a severe punishment. That is, there is no town but something will befall it, as He, Exalted and Majestic is He, said before the Day of Resurrection, or We will punish it with a severe punishment. This means that all these towns will go, all of them will end, and nothing will remain. For when the Resurrection occurs, everything will go. He, Exalted and Majestic is He, says:[Taha 20:105] So He will leave it a barren, level plain in which you will see no crookedness or depression [Ta-Ha: 105-107]. Even the mountains will go, even these great, towering mountains. So these towns will go, and nothing will remain on the earth at all when the Hour stands.
So, as for what is said about before the Day of Resurrection, it may go, with the help of Allah, when the Hour stands by its crushing and departure. Or it may go by an immediate punishment due to the sins, disbelief, and misguidance of its people, as happened to the people of Lut. Allah caused their cities to sink until they perished to the last of them. So the intended meaning is that He, Exalted and Majestic is He, says:[Al-Isra 17:58] meaning: There is no town [Al-Isra 17:58].
These towns and cities must go before the Day of Resurrection, either by an immediate punishment or by the coming of the Resurrection. When the Resurrection comes, everything will be crushed, and these great fortresses, great towns, and houses will all go, even the mountains will move. Yes. Allah is the One to be sought for help.
The following message reached the program from Iraq, Nineveh, and its sender is a brother of ours from there, saying: (K. Y. A). Our brother has a set of questions. In his first question, he asks about the interpretation of the saying of the Truth, Blessed and Exalted is He—and I hope he has written the verse correctly:
And there is no city but that We will destroy it before the Day of Resurrection or punish it with a severe punishment. That has ever been in the Register inscribed.
وَإِنْ مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ إِلَّا نَحْنُ مُهْلِكُوهَا قَبْلَ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُوهَا عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا كَانَ ذَلِكَ فِي الْكِتَابِ مَسْطُورًاAnswer:
It is to be taken at its apparent meaning: (Inna) means the negating particle, meaning: There is no town but We will destroy it before the Day of Resurrection, or We will punish it with a severe punishment. That is, there is no town but something will befall it, as He, Exalted and Majestic is He, said before the Day of Resurrection, or We will punish it with a severe punishment. This means that all these towns will go, all of them will end, and nothing will remain. For when the Resurrection occurs, everything will go. He, Exalted and Majestic is He, says:
And they ask you about the mountains, so say, "My Lord will blow them away with a blast.
وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْجِبَالِ فَقُلْ يَنسِفُهَا رَبِّي نَسْفًا So, as for what is said about before the Day of Resurrection, it may go, with the help of Allah, when the Hour stands by its crushing and departure. Or it may go by an immediate punishment due to the sins, disbelief, and misguidance of its people, as happened to the people of Lut. Allah caused their cities to sink until they perished to the last of them. So the intended meaning is that He, Exalted and Majestic is He, says:
And there is no city
وَإِنْ مِنْ قَرْيَةٍbut that We will destroy it before the Day of Resurrection or punish it with a severe punishment
إِلَّا نَحْنُ مُهْلِكُوهَا قَبْلَ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُوهَا عَذَابًا شَدِيدًاThese towns and cities must go before the Day of Resurrection, either by an immediate punishment or by the coming of the Resurrection. When the Resurrection comes, everything will be crushed, and these great fortresses, great towns, and houses will all go, even the mountains will move. Yes. Allah is the One to be sought for help.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.