Surah Al-Anbiya 21:95
سُورَةُ الأَنبِيَاءِ · Meccan · Verse 95 of 112
وَحَرَٰمٌ عَلَىٰ قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَٰهَآ أَنَّهُمْ لَا يَرْجِعُونَ
Translation
No community destroyed by Us can escape its return,
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
This profound verse from Surah Al-Anbiya' speaks to a divine decree, a powerful truth conveyed through precise and impactful Arabic wording.
The Divine Decree: "Forbidden"
The verse opens with وَحَرَٰمٌ عَلَىٰ قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَٰهَآ أَنَّهُمْ لَا يَرْجِعُونَ. The word "حرام" (haraam) usually means "forbidden" or "unlawful," but here, as scholars like Al-Zamakhshari and Ibn Ashur explain, it takes on a deeper meaning: "impossible" or "prevented." It's not a legal prohibition but a statement of an unchangeable reality, a divine impossibility. This emphasis at the very beginning tells us that what follows is a settled, certain matter. The phrase "على قرية أهلكناها" (upon a village We destroyed) refers to the *people* of those villages, a common usage in Arabic, emphasizing that the consequence is for the inhabitants, not just the physical structures. The past tense "أهلكناها" (We destroyed them) can mean that Allah has already destroyed them, or, as Al-Zamakhshari and Ibn Ashur point out, it can signify that Allah has *decreed* or *intended* their destruction. This highlights Allah's absolute knowledge and power over events, even before they occur.
The Unchanging "Return"
The central linguistic discussion revolves around the phrase "أنهم لا يرجعون" (that they do not return), particularly the particle "لا" (laa), which means "not."
One interpretation, supported by Al-Jalalayn and a view in Al-Razi, is that the "لا" here is an *extra* particle. If we remove it, the meaning becomes: "It is impossible for a village We destroyed *that they return* (to this world)." This reflects the plain meaning: once a community is destroyed in this life for its disbelief, there is no returning to worldly life or a second chance to repent before the Day of Judgment.
However, other scholars like Ibn Ashur and Al-Razi offer a profound alternative. They suggest that "لا" is *not* extra, and the entire phrase "أنهم لا يرجعون" means "their *non-return*." When combined with "حرام" (impossible), it means: "It is impossible for them *not to return*." This creates a double negative, effectively turning it into a powerful affirmation: they *will certainly return*. But return to what?
* Some scholars suggest it means they will not return *from their disbelief* to faith once Allah has decreed their destruction, thus solidifying their fate in this life.
* More powerfully, especially given the preceding verse (21:93) about everyone returning to Allah, Ibn Ashur and Abu Muslim (cited by Al-Razi) propose that it means they *will certainly return to Allah in the Hereafter for judgment*. By declaring the impossibility of their *non-return* to the afterlife, Allah uses a potent rhetorical device to emphasize the absolute certainty of the Resurrection and accountability. It's a stronger affirmation than simply saying "they will return," because it negates the very possibility of escaping that return.
Through these precise word choices and grammatical structures, the verse conveys a stark reality: for those communities upon whom Allah's decree of destruction has fallen due to their unwavering disbelief, there is no turning back to this world, and there is no escape from their inevitable return to Allah for judgment.
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), al-Jalalayn, al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Anbiya 21:95 is discussed in 2 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Al-Anbiya 21:95 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.