Surah Ad-Dukhan 44:37
سُورَةُ الدُّخَانِ · Meccan · Verse 37 of 59
أَهُمْ خَيْرٌ أَمْ قَوْمُ تُبَّعٍۢ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ أَهْلَكْنَٰهُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ مُجْرِمِينَ
Translation
Are they better than the people of Tubba and those who flourished before them? We destroyed them all- they were guilty.
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
This verse opens with a profound, challenging question, inviting deep reflection on our own standing before Allah.
A Challenging Question
The verse begins with the rhetorical question, "أَهُمْ خَيْرٌ أَمْ قَوْمُ تُبَّعٍۢ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ" (Are they better, or the people of Tubba' and those before them?). The "they" here refers to the disbelievers of Mecca, who denied the resurrection and challenged the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This isn't a genuine query seeking information, but a powerful rebuke, a form of interrogation intended to deny their false sense of superiority, as scholars like al-Razi and Ibn Ashur explain.
The word "خَيْرٌ" (khayr), often translated as "good," here means "better in strength and might" or "more powerful," as al-Zamakhshari and Ibn Ashur clarify. Allah is asking: Are these Meccan disbelievers, with their arrogance and denial, more formidable and immune to divine punishment than previous mighty nations? The implied answer is a resounding "No."
Who Were Tubba's People?
The Quran specifically mentions "قوم تُبَّعٍ" (qawmu Tubba', the people of Tubba'). Tubba' was a title for powerful kings of Yemen, renowned for their vast kingdoms and military might. Scholars like Ibn Ashur detail how these kings were celebrated in Arab folklore for their journeys and conquests. Interestingly, many scholars, including al-Zamakhshari and Ibn Ashur, relay narrations that King Tubba' himself was a righteous man, or even a Muslim, and that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) forbade reviling him. This linguistic detail is crucial: the verse condemns *his people*, not Tubba' himself, for their wrongdoing. This distinction highlights divine justice, which targets the actions of individuals and groups, not merely their association with a powerful figure. The reference to "وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ" (and those before them) expands the comparison to include all other mighty, disbelieving nations throughout history who met a similar end.
The Weight of Their Actions
The verse then delivers the stark consequence: "أَهْلَكْنَٰهُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ مُجْرِمِينَ" (We destroyed them, indeed they were criminals). The emphatic "إِنَّهُمْ" (innnahum, indeed they) underscores the certainty and the reason for their destruction: they were "مُجْرِمِينَ" (mujrimin), meaning wrongdoers, criminals, those who committed grave sins, particularly disbelief and rejecting the truth. This phrase establishes a universal principle of divine justice: strength and worldly power offer no protection against Allah's punishment when people persist in disbelief and crime. Just as those mighty nations were destroyed for their transgression, so too will any who follow their path. This serves as a potent warning and a call to reflect on one's own actions and accountability.
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Jalalayn, al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Ad-Dukhan 44:37 is discussed in 3 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Ad-Dukhan 44:37 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.