Surah Al-Isra — Verse 59
The Night Journey · 17:59 · 59/111
وَمَا مَنَعَنَآ أَن نُّرْسِلَ بِٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ إِلَّآ أَن كَذَّبَ بِهَا ٱلْأَوَّلُونَ ۚ وَءَاتَيْنَا ثَمُودَ ٱلنَّاقَةَ مُبْصِرَةً فَظَلَمُوا۟ بِهَا ۚ وَمَا نُرْسِلُ بِٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ إِلَّا تَخْوِيفًا
Wama manaAAana an nursila bil-ayatiilla an kaththaba biha al-awwaloona waataynathamooda annaqata mubsiratan fathalamoobiha wama nursilu bil-ayatiilla takhweefa
Translations of this verse 7
Saheeh International
And nothing has prevented Us from sending signs [i.e., miracles] except that the former peoples denied them. And We gave Thamūd the she-camel as a visible sign, but they wronged her. And We send not the signs except as a warning.
M.A.S. Abdel Haleem
Nothing prevents Us from sending miraculous signs, except the fact that previous peoples denied them. We gave the people of Thamud the she-camel as a clear sign, yet they maltreated it. We send signs only to give warning.
Marmaduke Pickthall
Naught hindereth Us from sending portents save that the folk of old denied them. And We gave Thamud the she-camel - a clear portent save to warn.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
And We refrain from sending the signs, only because the men of former generations treated them as false: We sent the she-camel to the Thamud to open their eyes, but they treated her wrongfully: We only send the Signs by way of terror (and warning from evil).
Mufti Taqi Usmani
Nothing made us refrain from sending the signs (demanded by the pagans,) except that the earlier people had rejected them. (For example,) We gave Thamūd the she-camel, as an eye-opener, then they did wrong to her, and We do not send signs but as a warning.
Al-Hilali & Khan
And nothing stops Us from sending the Ayât (proofs, evidence, signs) but that the people of old denied them. And We sent the she-camel to Thamûd as a clear sign, but they did her wrong. And We sent not the signs except to warn, and to make them afraid (of destruction).
Abul A'la Maududi (Tafhim)
Nothing hindered Us from sending Our Signs except that the people of olden times rejected them as lies. We publicly sent the she-camel to the Thamud to open their eyes but they wronged her. We never send Our Signs except to cause people to fear.
Reason for Revelation Asbāb al-Nuzūl
Arabic source: al-Wāḥidī / al-Suyūṭī, via Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies (CC BY 4.0)
قال تعالى: {وَمَا مَنَعَنَا أَنْ نُرْسِلَ بِالْآيَاتِ إِلَّا أَنْ كَذَّبَ بِهَا الْأَوَّلُونَ وَآتَيْنَا ثَمُودَ النَّاقَةَ مُبْصِرَةً فَظَلَمُوا بِهَا وَمَا نُرْسِلُ بِالْآيَاتِ إِلَّا تَخْوِيفًا (59)} [الإسراء: 59].
223 - عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ -رضي الله عنهما- قَالَ: سَأَلَ أَهْلُ مَكَّةَ النَّبِيَّ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -، أَنْ يَجْعَلَ لَهُمْ الصَّفَا ذَهَباً، وَأَنْ يُنَحِّيَ الْجِبَالَ عَنْهُمْ فَيَزْدَرِعُوا، فَقِيلَ لَهُ: إِنْ شِئْتَ أَنْ تَسْتَأُنِيَ بِهِمْ، وَإِنْ شِئْتَ أَنْ تُؤْتِيَهُمْ الَّذِي سَأَلُوا، فَإِنْ كَفَرُوا أُهْلِكُوا كَمَا أَهْلَكْتُ مَنْ قَبْلَهُمْ، قَالَ: "لاَ بَلْ أَسْتَأْنِي بِهِمْ" فَأَنْزَلَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ {وَمَا مَنَعَنَا أَنْ نُرْسِلَ بِالْآيَاتِ إِلَّا أَنْ كَذَّبَ بِهَا الْأَوَّلُونَ وَآتَيْنَا ثَمُودَ النَّاقَةَ مُبْصِرَةً}. واللفظ لأحمد ¬أخرجه النَّسَائِيّ في التفسير برقم: 310، وأحمد: 1/ 258، وابن جرير: 15/ 108، والحاكم: 2/ 362، والبيهقي في الدلائل: 2/ 271 - 272، والبزار برقم: 2224،2225، 2226، وصححه الحاكم ووافقه الذهبي، وابن كثير في البداية والنهاية: 3/ 52 وقال: سنده جيد، وصححه الهيثمي في المجمع: 7/ 50، وأحمد شاكر في تعليقه على المسند برقم: 2333، وزاد عزوه في الدر: 4/ 190 لابن المنذر وابن مردويه والطبراني. قلت: والحديث صحيح كما قالوا.¥.