15:4
وَمَآأَهْلَكْنَامِنقَرْيَةٍإِلَّاوَلَهَاكِتَابٌمَّعْلُومٌ٤
wamā ahlaknā min qaryatin illā walahā kitābun maʿlūmun
And We did not destroy any city but that for it was a known decree.(4)
Surah Al-Hijr, Ayah 4 (15:4)
ٱلْحِجْر
وَمَآ أَهْلَكْنَا مِن قَرْيَةٍ إِلَّا وَلَهَا كِتَابٌ مَّعْلُومٌ
Quran 15:4 is ayah 4 of Surah Al-Hijr (“The Rocky Tract”), a Meccan surah of 99 ayahs. It is in Juz 14, on page 262 of the Madani Mushaf.
- Juz 14
- Hizb 27
- Page 262
- Ruku 1
- Revealed Mecca
Word by word
- وَمَآwamāAnd not
- أَهْلَكْنَاahlaknāWe destroyed
- مِنminany
- قَرْيَةٍqaryatintown
- إِلَّاillābut
- وَلَهَاwalahā(there was) for it
- كِتَابٌkitābuna decree
- مَّعْلُومٌmaʿlūmunknown
Tafsir (commentary) of 15:4
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English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir
This commentary explains ayahs 15:4–5 together.
Every Township has its allotted Time
Allah is informing us that He never destroys a township until He has established evidences for it and its allotted time has ended. When the time for a nation's destruction has come, He never delays it, and He never moves its appointed time forward. This was a message and a warning to the people of Makkah, telling them to give up their Shirk, their stubbornness and disbelief for which they deserved to be destroyed.