Surah Al Mu'minun Tafseer

ثُمَّ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا تَتْرَا

Then We sent Our Messengers in succession.

Ibn Abbas said,

"(This means) following one another in succession."

This is like the Ayah:

وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الْطَّـغُوتَ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى اللَّهُ وَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الضَّلَـلَةُ

And verily, We have sent among every Ummah a Messenger (proclaiming):

"Worship Allah, and avoid Taghut (all false deities)."

Then of them were some whom Allah guided and of them were some upon whom the straying was justified. (16:36)

...

كُلَّ مَا جَاء أُمَّةً رَّسُولُهَا كَذَّبُوهُ

Every time there came to a nation their Messenger, they denied him;

meaning the greater majority of them.

This is like the Ayah:

يحَسْرَةً عَلَى الْعِبَادِ مَا يَأْتِيهِمْ مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلاَّ كَانُواْ بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ

Alas for mankind! There never came a Messenger to them but they used to mock at him. (36:30)

...

فَأَتْبَعْنَا بَعْضَهُم بَعْضًا

so We made them follow one another,

means, `We destroyed them,' as Allah says:

وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مِن بَعْدِ نُوحٍ

And how many generations have We destroyed after Nuh! (17:17)

...

وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَحَادِيثَ

and We made them as Ahadith,

meaning, stories and lessons for mankind, as Allah says elsewhere:

فَجَعَلْنَـهُمْ أَحَادِيثَ وَمَزَّقْنَـهُمْ كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍ

so, We made them as tales (in the land), and We dispersed them all totally. (34:19)

...

فَبُعْدًا لِّقَوْمٍ لاَّ يُوْمِنُونَ

So, away with a people who believe not!