Surah al-Fajr (The Dawn ) 89 : 6

Overview (Verses 6 - 14)

Swift Punishment of Tyranny

The subject of the oath is omitted, but it is explained by the discussion that follows on tyranny and corruption. The punishment inflicted by God on the insolent, tyrannical and corrupt communities is a law of nature asserted by this oath. The assertion takes the form of a hint befitting the generally light tone of this surah: “Have you not heard how your Lord dealt with the `Ad, the people of Iram, the many pillared [city], the like of whom has never been created in the whole land? And with the Thamud, who hollowed out rocks in the valley? And with Pharaoh, of the tent pegs? They were all transgressors throughout their lands, bringing about much corruption there. Therefore, your Lord let loose on them the scourge of suffering. Your Lord surely observes all.” (Verses 6-14)

The interrogative form in such a context is more effective in drawing the attention of the addressee, who is, in the first instance, the Prophet (peace be upon him) and then all those who may ponder over the fates of those past communities. The people of the Prophet’s generation, who were the first to be addressed by the Qur’an, were aware of what happened to these nations. Their fates were also explained in reports and stories conveyed by one generation to another. The description of these outcomes as the deeds of God is comforting and reassuring for the believers. It was particularly so to those believers in Makkah who, at the time when this surah was revealed, were subjected to relentless persecution and hardship by the unbelievers.

These short verses refer to the fates of the most powerful and despotic nations in ancient history. They speak of the earlier tribe of `Ad of Iram, a branch of extinct Arabs. They used to dwell in al-Ahqaf, a sandy piece of land in southern Arabia, midway between Yemen and Hadramowt. The `Ad were nomadic, using posts and pillars to erect their tents. They are described elsewhere in the Qur’an as being extremely powerful and aggressive. Indeed they were the most powerful and prestigious of all contemporary Arabian tribes: “The like of whom has never been created in the whole land.” (Verse 8) The distinction here is restricted to that particular age.

“And with the Thamud, who hollowed out rocks in the valley?” (Verse 9) The Thamud used to live at Al-Hijr, a rocky tract in northern Arabia, on the road from Madinah to Syria. They excelled in using rocks to build their palaces and homes. They also dug shelters and caves into the mountains.

“And with Pharaoh, of the tent pegs.” (Verse 10) The term, tent- pegs’, refers to the pyramids which are as firm in their construction as pegs well dug into the ground. The Pharaoh referred to here is the despot who was Moses’s contemporary.

These people “were all transgressors throughout their lands, bringing about much corruption there.” (Verses 11-12) Corruption is an inevitable result of tyranny, and it affects the tyrant and his subjects alike. Indeed, tyranny ruins all human relations. It forces human life out of its healthy, constructive and straight path and diverts it into a line which does not lead to the fulfilment of man’s role as God’s vicegerent on earth. Tyranny makes the tyrant captive of his own desires because he is uncommitted to any principle or standard and unrestrained within any reasonable limit. Thus the tyrant is always the first to be corrupted by his own tyranny. He assumes for himself a role other than that of a servant of God, entrusted with a specific mission. This is evident in Pharaoh’s boastful claim: “I am your supreme Lord.” (79: 24)

Here we have an example of the corrupting influence, indeed insolence, of despotism in Pharaoh’s aspiring to a status greater than that of an obedient creature. Tyranny also corrupts the masses, as it humiliates them and compels them to suppress their discontent and hatred. It kills all human dignity and wastes all creative talents, which cannot flourish except in an atmosphere of freedom. A humiliated soul inevitably rots away and becomes a breeding ground for sickly desires. Hence, digression from the right path becomes the order of the day as clear vision becomes an impossibility. In such conditions no aspiration to a higher human standard can be entertained. The net result of all this is the spread of corruption. Tyranny also destroys all healthy standards and concepts because they constitute a threat to its existence. Hence, values are falsified and standards are distorted so that the repulsive idea of despotism becomes acceptable as natural. This, in itself, is great corruption.

When these aforementioned peoples caused such corruption, the remedy was, inevitably, a complete purge: “Therefore, your Lord let loose on them the scourge of suffering. Your Lord surely observes all.” (Verses 13-14) God is certainly aware of their deeds and He records them all. So, when corruption increased, He severely punished the corrupt. The text connotes that the punishment was very painful as it uses the term ‘scourge’, or ‘whip’ as the Arabic term literally means, and that it was in large supply as indicated by use of the phrase ‘let loose’. Thus these tyrants were made to suffer a plentiful and painful retribution.

As the believer faces tyranny in any age or place, he feels great reassurance emanating from far beyond the fates of all those communities. He also feels a particular comfort as he reads the verse: “Your Lord surely observes all.” (Verse 14) Nothing passes unnoticed and nothing is forgotten. So let the believers be always reassured that God will deal, in time, with all corruption and tyranny.

Thus the surah provides some examples of what God may do about the cause of faith, which are totally different from the example of the people of the pit outlined in Surah 85, The Constellations. All these stories are related for a definite purpose, namely, the education of the believers and their preparation to face whichever course God chooses for them. They will, then, be ready for all eventualities and equipped with God’s reassurance as they submit themselves to Him and let His will be done.

Human Short-Sightedness

“Your Lord surely observes all.” (Verse 14) He sees, records, holds to account and rewards according to a strict and accurate measure which neither errs nor exceeds the limits of justice. It is never deceived by appearances because it judges the essence of things. Human measures and standards are liable to all sorts of errors. Man sees nothing beyond appearances unless he adopts the divine measure.