Surah Al A'raf Tafseer

إِنَّ هَـوُلاء مُتَبَّرٌ مَّا هُمْ فِيهِ

"Verily, these people will be destroyed for that which they are engaged in, (they will perish),

وَبَاطِلٌ مَّا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ

"and all that they are doing is in vain."

Commenting on this Ayah, Imam Abu Jafar bin Jarir reported from Abu Waqid Al-Laythi that;

they (the Companions) went out from Makkah with the Messenger of Allah for (the battle of) Hunayn. Abu Waqid said, "Some of the disbelievers had a lote tree whose vicinity they used to remain in, and upon which they would hang their weapons on. That tree was called `Dhat Al-Anwat'. So when we passed by a huge, green lote tree, we said, `O Messenger of Allah! Appoint for us a Dhat Al-Anwat as they have.'

He said,

قُلْتُمْ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ كَمَا قَالَ قَوْمُ مُوسَى لِمُوسَى

by He in Whose Hand is my soul! You said just as what the people of Musa said to him:

اجْعَل لَّنَا إِلَـهًا كَمَا لَهُمْ الِهَةٌ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ

إِنَّ هَـوُلاء مُتَبَّرٌ مَّا هُمْ فِيهِ وَبَاطِلٌ مَّا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ

"Make for us a god as they have gods." He said:"Verily, you are an ignorant people. Verily, these people will be destroyed for that which they are engaged in, and all that they are doing is in vain.