Has there not reached you the news of those before you - the people of Noah and ʿAad and Thamūd and those after them? No one knows them [i.e., their number] but Allāh. Their messengers brought them clear proofs, but they returned their hands to their mouths651 and said, "Indeed, we disbelieve in that with which you have been sent, and indeed we are, about that to which you invite us, in disquieting doubt."
Notes
[651] Several explanations have been given as to the meaning. Based upon the conclusion of the verse, Ibn Katheer preferred that this was a gesture of denial and rejection.
Verse 9 of Surah Ibrahim (14:9), a Meccan surah, is in juz 13, on page 256 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 74 reciters.
Listen to verse 9 of Surah Ibrahim
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Tafsir of verse 9
Al-Mukhtasar
Has not the news of the destruction of the communities who disbelieved before you reached you, O disbelievers? The people of Noah, the Ad, the people of Hud, Thamud - the people of Salih - and the communities that came after them, which are so numerous that their full number is known only to Allah? Their messengers came to them with clear signs as well as miracles. But they did not respond to their messengers and did not believe them. They did not utter anything that indicated their faith. Instead they said to their messengers: We reject what you have been sent with. We have disturbing doubts about what you are calling us to.
Have there not come to you the stories of those who came before you – the people of Noah, ‘Ād and Thamūd, and those who came after them? No one knows them except Allah. Their messengers came to them with clear proofs, but they shoved their hands into their mouths5 and said, “We disbelieve in what you are sent with, and we surely doubt what you are calling us to.”
Notes
[5] as a gesture of denial and rejection.
Has not the news reached you, of those before you, the people of Nûh (Noah), and ‘Âd, and Thamûd? And those after them? None knows them but Allâh. To them came their Messengers with clear proofs, but they put their hands in their mouths (biting them from anger) and said: "Verily, we disbelieve in that with which you have been sent, and we are really in grave doubt as to that to which you invite us (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism)."
Hath not the history of those before you reached you: the folk of Noah, and (the tribes of) A'ad and Thamud, and those after them? None save Allah knoweth them. Their messengers came unto them with clear proofs, but they thrust their hands into their mouths, and said: Lo! we disbelieve in that wherewith ye have been sent, and lo! we are in grave doubt concerning that to which ye call us.
Has not the story reached you, (O people!), of those who (went) before you? - of the people of Noah, and 'Ad, and Thamud? - And of those who (came) after them? None knows them but Allah. To them came messengers with Clear (Signs); but they put their hands up to their mouths, and said: "We do deny (the mission) on which ye have been sent, and we are really in suspicious (disquieting) doubt as to that to which ye invite us."
Has not the account reached you of those before you, of the people of Nuh and Ad and Samood, and those after them? None knows them but Allah. Their messengers come to them with clear arguments, but they thrust their hands into their mouths and said: Surely we deny that with which you are sent, and most surely we are in serious doubt as to that to which you invite us.
Has there not come up to you the tidings of the ones who were even before you, the people of Nuh (Literally: Renderer; i.e., creator) and cÂd and Thamud and of the ones even after them? None knows them except Allah. Their Messengers came to them with the Supreme evidences; yet they turned back their hands in their mouths (i.e., put their hands in their mouths "biting them in anger") and said, "Surely we disbelieve in what you have been sent with, and surely we are indeed in doubt concerning that to which you call us, causing suspicion."
If you disbelieve - indeed, Allāh is Free from need of you. And He does not approve for His servants disbelief. And if you are grateful, He approves [i.e., likes] it for you; and no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you about what you used to do. Indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts.
That is because their messengers used to come to them with clear evidences, but they said, "Shall human beings guide us?" and disbelieved and turned away. And Allāh dispensed [with them]; and Allāh is Free of need and Praiseworthy.
Here you are loving them but they are not loving you, while you believe in the Scripture - all of it. And when they meet you, they say, "We believe." But when they are alone, they bite their fingertips at you in rage. Say, "Die in your rage. Indeed, Allāh is Knowing of that within the breasts."
Verses with similar wording
They share a sequence of words with this verse: useful for telling them apart when memorising.
Has there not come to you the news of those who disbelieved before? So they tasted the bad consequence of their affair, and they will have a painful punishment.
Has there not reached them the news of those before them - the people of Noah and [the tribes of] ʿAad and Thamūd and the people of Abraham and the companions [i.e., dwellers] of Madyan and the towns overturned? Their messengers came to them with clear proofs. And Allāh would never have wronged them, but they were wronging themselves.
