Qisas al-Anbiya by Ibn Kathir (قصص الأنبياء لابن كثير) — Page 461

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

الَّذِي هُوَ أَدْنَى بِالَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ اهْبِطُوا مِصْراً فَإِنَّ لَكُم مَّا سَأَلْتُمْ أَيْ هَذَا الَّذِي تَطْلُبُونَهُ وَتُرِيدُونَهُ بَدَلَ هَذِهِ النِّعَمِ الَّتِي أَنْتُمْ فِيهَا حَاصِلٌ لِأَهْلِ الْأَمْصَارِ الصِّغَارِ وَالْكِبَارِ مَوْجُودٌ بِهَا ، وَإِذَا هَبَطْتُمْ إِلَيْهَا ، أَيْ وَنَزَلْتُمْ عَنْ هَذِهِ الْمَرْتَبَةِ الَّتِي لَا تَصْلُحُونَ لِمَنْصِبِهَا - تَجِدُونَ بِهَا مَا تَشْتَهُونَ وَمَا تَرُومُونَ بِمَا ذَكَرْتُمْ مِنَ الْمَآكِلِ الدَّنِيَّةِ وَالْأَغْذِيَةِ الرَّدِيَّةِ ، وَلَكِنِّي لَسْتُ أُجِيبُكُمْ إِلَى سُؤَالِ ذَلِكَ هَا هُنَا ، وَلَا أُبَلِّغُكُمْ مَا تَعَنَّتُّمْ بِهِ مِنَ الْمُنَى.

That which is inferior for that which is better; 'Go down to any city, and you shall have what you have asked for,' meaning that this which you seek and desire in exchange for these blessings you are currently in is available to the people of the cities, both small and large, and exists therein; and if you go down to them—that is, if you descend from this rank for which you are not fit to hold—you will find there what you crave and what you seek of the lowly foods and inferior provisions you mentioned, but I will not grant your request for that here, nor will I fulfill for you the wishes you have stubbornly insisted upon.

وَكُلُّ هَذِهِ الصِّفَاتِ الْمَذْكُورَةِ عَنْهُمُ الصَّادِرَةِ مِنْهُمْ ، تَدُلُّ عَلَى أَنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَنْتَهُوا عَمَّا نُهُوا عَنْهُ ، كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى : ﴿ وَلَا تَطْغَوْا فِيهِ فَيَحِلَّ عَلَيْكُمُ غَضَبِي وَمَن يَحْلِلْ عَلَيْهِ غَضَبِي فَقَدْ هَوَى ﴾ أَيْ فَقَدْ هَلَكَ وَحَقَّ لَهُ وَاللَّهِ الْهَلَاكُ وَالدَّمَارُ ، وَقَدْ حَلَّ عَلَيْهِ غَضَبُ الْمَلِكِ الْجَبَّارِ.

All these mentioned traits of theirs, which emanated from them, indicate that they did not desist from what they were forbidden, as the Almighty said: 'And do not transgress therein, lest My anger should descend upon you; and he upon whom My anger descends has indeed fallen,' meaning he has perished, and by God, destruction and ruin have become his due, and the anger of the Almighty King has descended upon him.

وَلَكِنَّهُ تَعَالَى مَزَجَ هَذَا الْوَعِيدَ الشَّدِيدَ بِالرَّجَاءِ لِمَنْ أَنَابَ وَتَابَ وَلَمْ يَسْتَمِرَّ عَلَى مُتَابَعَةِ الشَّيْطَانِ الْمَرِيدِ ، فَقَالَ : ﴿ وَإِنِّي لَغَفَّارٌ لِمَن تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحاً ثُمَّ اهْتَدَى

However, the Almighty tempered this severe warning with hope for those who turn back in repentance and do not persist in following the rebellious Satan, saying: 'And indeed, I am the Perpetual Forgiver of whoever repents and believes and does righteousness and then continues in guidance.'

…0 more translated lines, 26 more verbs and 26 more nouns on this page — subscribe to study every page.

Vocabulary · المفردات (29 verbs · 29 nouns)

• هَبَطَ — to descend
• سَأَلَ — to ask
• طَلَبَ — to request
• مِصْر — city
• نِعْمَة — blessing
• أَهْل — people