أَو نُرِيَنَّكَ الَّذي وَعَدناهُم فَإِنّا عَلَيهِم مُقتَدِرونَ
Or We shall show you what We have promised them, for indeed We hold them in Our power.
EXEGESIS
Nuriyannaka (we shall show you) is divided into three morphological segments. The imperfect verb nurī, the suffixed emphatic particle nūn which is known as nūn of emphasis, and the attached object pronoun. Shakir’s more accurate translation is: ‘We will certainly show you.’
What We have promised them is understood as referring to the punishment promised for the disbelievers. Some exegetes similarly suggest that this promise goes back to We will indeed take vengeance on them mentioned in the previous verse.
Describing the punishment as promised serves as a powerful rhetorical device, emphasising the inevitability and certainty of its occurrence. This is reinforced by the Quranic assertion that Indeed Allah does not break His promise (3:9), highlighting the divine reliability and consistency in carrying out what has been foretold.
The active participle muqtadirūn (hold them in our power) comes from the infinitive iqtidār which indicates intense power, as opposed to qādirūn which comes from qadara, which merely shows power.
The use of the rhetorical devices known as taqdīm and the accusative particle innā serves to intensify the focus on God’s authority and control over punishing the disbelievers. By shifting the prepositional phrase ʿalayhim to an earlier position in the sentence, the emphasis on the object of God’s power is heightened.
Additionally, the employment of the active participle muqtadirūn further underscores the continuous and dynamic nature of God’s control, while the use of innā accentuates the certainty and truth of this assertion.
EXPOSITION
While the previous verse alluded to the possibility of divine punishment befalling the disbelievers after the Prophet’s demise, the current verse addresses another scenario wherein God’s vengeance may unfold during the Prophet’s own lifetime. This suggests that the Prophet would witness the consequences of disbelief and rejection of divine guidance of his people.
Many exegetes, including Ibn Abbas, have linked this verse to the Battle of Badr, during which the Prophet witnessed God’s promised vengeance as numerous polytheists were slain and captured, despite the Muslims being vastly outnumbered. Others, however, extend this interpretation to encompass other significant battles, such as Uḥud, and Ḥunayn, where the Muslim forces emerged victorious despite being disadvantaged in terms of numbers.
However, a different interpretation of We shall show you suggests that God would reveal to the Prophet the fate and punishment that they would face after his time. As mentioned by Ṭabrisī, it has been narrated that the Prophet received knowledge about the trials and tribulations his community would endure after his passing. According to this account, the Prophet was deeply affected by these revelations, which caused him to maintain a solemn demeanour and refrain from smiling broadly until he met Allah. Qatādah also mentions the same.
The absence of explicit details concerning the precise timing of the divine vengeance in these verses may serve to emphasise the absolute sovereignty of God in determining the appropriate moment for punishment. By leaving the exact timing unspecified, the verses suggest that the decision rests entirely in God’s hands, guided by His infinite wisdom.
Some exegetes argue that these verses, while highlighting the certainty of God’s vengeance, also allude to the impatience and provocation displayed by the disbelievers. They suggest that the Prophet was often taunted by those who questioned his status as a divine messenger, and who challenged him to bring forth punishment as proof of his prophethood. Concurrently, the verses address the disbelievers’ eager anticipation of the Prophet’s demise, as evidenced in them saying, He is a poet, for whom we await a fatal accident (52:30). These verses therefore threaten the disbelievers by informing them that God would exact vengeance on them either after the demise of the Prophet or during his lifetime.
One might wonder if the notion of punishment during the Prophet’s lifetime contradicts the assertion in 8:33, But Allah will not punish them while you are in their midst. However, these two verses can be harmonised by interpreting the latter as referring specifically to the period before the Prophet’s migration from Mecca to Medina when he was still living amidst the disbelievers in Mecca.
Another way to reconcile the two verses is to consider the differences in the severity and scope of the punishment. In this interpretation, the reference in 8:33 to God not punishing the disbelievers while the Prophet is in their midst may pertain specifically to punishment in the form of complete annihilation. Conversely, the verse under examination could be understood as addressing a partial punishment, which serves as a warning or a taste of the consequences for disbelief, without entirely wiping out the community.
REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE
Some exegetes, whilst referring to the battles won by the Muslims against the disbelievers, interpret what We have promised them in light of 40:51: Indeed We shall help Our apostles and those who have faith in the life of the world and on the day when the witnesses rise up. However, the problem with such an interpretation is that the apparent meaning of what We have promised them is that it is referring to a promise made to the disbelievers, whilst 40:51 is a promise to the apostles and believers.
[1] Jalalayn, 1/495.
[2] Ibn Ashur, 25/259.
[3] Maraghi, 25/92.
[4] Ibn Ashur, 25/259.
[5] Mizan, 18/104.
[6] Suyuti, 6/18; see also Zamakhshari, 4/254.
[7] Tibyan, 9/202; Tabrisi, 9/75; Makhzan, 12/31; Muqatil, 3/796.
[8] Atyab, 12/32.
[9] Tabrisi, 9/75.
[10] Tabari, 25/45.
[11] Amthal, 16/61; Ibn Ashur, 25/259.
[12] Furqan, 26/324.
[13] Atyab, 12/33.