ভূমিকা

“And how many a town We utterly destroyed (the people of) which were iniquitous, and We raised up after them another people.” 12. “So when they felt (the coming of) Our punishment, behold, they (tried to) flee from it.” 13.

“(But it was said to them) ‘Do not fly (now) and come back unto what you were made to lead easy lives in and unto your dwellings, haply you will be questioned.” Following the explanations about the obstinate polytheists and disbelievers, which were mentioned before, here, the Holy Qur’an refers to the fate of them in comparison with the end of former nations.

At first, it says: “And how many a town We utterly destroyed (the people of) which were iniquitous, and We raised up after them another people.” Then, the Qur’an states their circumstance when the Divine chastisement is cast over their towns and they are helpless but confronting the punishment of Allah.

The Qur’an says: “So when they felt (the coming of) Our punishment, behold, they (tried to) flee from it.” They tried to flee from the punishment of Allah exactly like a defeated army who see the blades of the swords of the enemy above their heads and they escape every side.

But, as a blame and scorn, they are told not to fly and return to the comfortable life they have made, to the beautiful splendid castles and ornamented dwellings they have produced, perhaps the beggars and the deprive come there and ask them something.

The verse says: “(But it was said to them) ‘Do not fly (now) and come back unto what you were made to lead easy lives in and unto your dwellings, haply you will be questioned.” This phrase may be a hint to the fact that when they were living in the world and were leading their easy comfortable lives, they used to send back the beggars who come to their dwellings and asked for some helps. Now, such people are told to return and repeat the same hateful and disgraceful actions they used to do.

This is, in fact, a kind of derision and blame upon them.