Surah Al-Mursalat, Ayah 17

The Call to contemplate the various Manifestations of Allah's Power

Allah says,

أَلَمْ نُهْلِكِ الاٌّوَّلِينَ

(Did We not destroy the ancients) meaning, those who rejected the Messengers and opposed what they came to them with.

ثُمَّ نُتْبِعُهُمُ الاٌّخِرِينَ

(So shall We make later generations to follow them.) meaning, from those who are similar to them. Thus, Allah says,

كَذَلِكَ نَفْعَلُ بِالْمُجْرِمِينَ وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ

(Thus do We deal with the criminals. Woe that Day to the deniers!) Ibn Jarir said this. Then Allah reminding His creatures of His favor, and using the beginning of creation to support the idea of repeating it, He says:

أَلَمْ نَخْلُقكُّم مِّن مَّآءٍ مَّهِينٍ

ثُمَّ نُتْبِعُهُمُ الْآخِرِ‌ينَ (Then We will cause the later ones to follow them....77:17) According to popular reading, Verse 17 purports to say that the present-day infidels, the people of Makkah, will receive punishment soon. They were punished and destroyed by Muslims in the Battle of Badr and so on. The difference between the punishment of former nations and the community of the Holy Prophet ﷺ is as follows: The former nations used to be destroyed by celestial punishment with all their habitations. The infidels in the community of the Holy Prophet ﷺ do not receive celestial punishment, because of the Holy Prophet's ﷺ special honour. They are punished by the weapons of Muslims. Furthermore, the destruction is not general. Only the obdurate criminal leaders are destroyed.

Vapour rises from the surface of the sea. This rises in the atmosphere and forms clouds. The winds take these clouds from one place to another. Leaving some places dry, they shower rain at other places, causing freshness and the growth of greenery. This shows that the system of this world is based on the principle of differentiating between one thing or person. The manifestation of this principle is only partially evident in the present world, but in the Hereafter it will take a perfect shape. This nature of the winds is a sort of reminder for man. Their being a mercy to some and bringing harm to others is to remind us of the fact that, as there are these two different types of persons in the present world, God’s verdict in respect of these two types of persons will also appear in two different shapes in the next world.