Al-Kahf 55: When guidance (the Qur’an) came to them, what kept mankind from believing and asking for mercy from their Lord, was that they expected to be struck by the calamities that came to the ones before them, or that they expected clear punishment to come to them.
Contents
Explanation
Translation
When guidance (the Qur’an) came to them, what kept mankind from believing and asking for mercy from their Lord, was that they expected to be struck by the calamities that came to the ones before them, or that they expected clear punishment to come to them.
Tafsir
Allah (swt) has created human beings incomplete and faulty. If people had been left to themselves, they would have found Allah (swt) difficult with their limited intellect. By showering His mercy upon mankind, Allah (swt) intended that His Essence should be known. Allah's mercy is the Prophets, the Books and the scholars who came after the Prophets. This is Allah's guidance to mankind.
People's disbelief in Allah, Who sends guidance to mankind out of His mercy, is because they wish for the calamities that befell the ancients and expect the torments that befell them to befall them.
In fact, these people disbelieved in Allah (swt) in the early days, in other words (kalu bela). It is because they have written this denial as their destiny. When these people come to this world, they are living in this world the covenant they made with Allah (swt) in the Hereafter. Therefore, it is not possible for those who disbelieved in Allah in the past to believe and have faith in the One and Only Allah while they are living in this world. This is because they were destined to disbelieve in Allah in the past. Therefore, they cannot accept Allah's guidance. They can only wait for the punishment to come to them. When the punishment comes, their repentance will be useless.
What is said in the video
We have come to verse 55 of Surah Al-Kahf.
"What keeps people, when guidance, the Book, has come to them, from believing and from asking their Lord for forgiveness, is only that they wait for what befell those before them to befall them too, or for the punishment to come upon them before their very eyes." Now, what do people do when they do not believe? "Come on, let Allah rain stones from the sky, come on, let Allah do this, come on, let Him bring such a calamity upon us." Instead of saying that, say: "Come, may Allah grant us a blessed life, may Allah light the way before us. If our path would lead to calamities, to dead ends, may Allah light it." Instead of praying like that, what does he say?
"Come on then, let Allah rain a stone on our heads, let Allah raise a storm and destroy this place." In this way people always ask for the disasters that befell those of old. Allah Almighty created people incomplete and fallible. If people had been left on their own, with their own limited minds they would hardly have found Allah Almighty. By pouring the ocean of His mercy upon people, Allah Almighty willed that His Being be known. And Allah Almighty's ocean of mercy is the prophets, the books and the scholars who came after the prophets. This is a guidance from Allah Almighty to people. People's not believing in Allah, who sends people guidance from the ocean of His mercy, is their asking for the disasters that befell the ones of old, and their waiting for the punishments done to them to come upon them too.
In truth, this stems from these people's denying Allah Almighty in the first barzakh, that is, at Qalu Bala. It is their having this denial written for them as their destiny. When these people come into this world, the covenant they gave Allah Almighty in the realm of the hereafter, they live it out in this world. Therefore it is not possible for those who denied Allah beforehand, while living in this world, to believe in and have faith in that one Allah. Because their denial of Allah beforehand has been written for them as their destiny. Therefore they cannot accept Allah Almighty's guidance. They only wait for the punishment to come upon them before their very eyes.
When the punishment comes, their regret is of no use.