27:69 An-Naml (The Ant)

ثم نبههم على صدق ما أخبرت به الرسل فقال: { قُلْ سِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ } فلا تجدون مجرما قد استمر على إجرامه، إلا وعاقبته شر عاقبة وقد أحل الله به من الشر والعقوبة ما يليق بحاله.

"قل" يا محمد لهؤلاء "سيروا في الأرض انظروا كيف كان عاقبة المجرمين" أي المكذبين بالرسل وبما جاءوهم به من أمر المعاد وغيره كيف حلت بهم نقمة الله وعذابه ونكاله ونجى الله من بينهم رسله الكرام ومن اتبعهم من المؤمنين فدل ذلك على صدق ما جاءت به الرسل وصحته.

Scepticism about the Resurrection and Its Refutation

Allah tells us about the idolators who deny the Resurrection, considering it extremely unlikely that bodies will be re-created after they have become bones and dust. Then He says:

لَقَدْ وُعِدْنَا هَـذَا نَحْنُ وَءَابَآؤُنَا مِن قَبْلُ

(Indeed we were promised this -- we and our forefathers before,) meaning, `we and our forefathers have been hearing this for a long time, but in reality, we have never seen it happen.'

إِنْ هَـذَآ إِلاَّ أَسَـطِيرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ

(verily, these are nothing but tales of ancients.) the promises that bodies will be restored are

إِلاَّ أَسَـطِيرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ

(nothing but tales of ancients.) meaning that they were taken by the people who came before us from books which were handed down from one to the other, but they have no basis in reality. Responding to their thoughts of disbelief and their belief that there would be no Resurrection, Allah said,

قُلْ

(Say) `O Muhammad, to these people,'

سِيرُواْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَاْنظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـقِبَةُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ

(Travel in the land and see how has been the end of the criminals. ) meaning, those who denied the Messengers and their message of the Resurrection and other matters. See how the punishment and vengeance of Allah struck them and how Allah saved from among them the noble Messengers and the believers who followed them. This will be an indication of the truth of the Message brought by the Messengers. Then, to comfort the Prophet , Allah says:

وَلاَ تَحْزَنْ عَلَيْهِمْ

(And grieve you not over them,) meaning, `but do not feel sorry for them or kill yourself with regret for them,'

وَلاَ تَكُن فِى ضَيْقٍ مِّمَّا يَمْكُرُونَ

(nor be straitened because of what they plot.) means, `because they plot against you and reject what you have brought, for Allah will help and support you, and cause your religion to prevail over those who oppose you and stubbornly resist you in the east and in the west.'

Say ‘Travel in the land and see how was the sequel for the criminals’ because of their denials — and this sequel is that they were destroyed with punishment.

بَلِ ادَّارَ‌كَ عِلْمُهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَ‌ةِ ۚ بَلْ هُمْ فِي شَكٍّ مِّنْهَا ۖ بَلْ هُم مِّنْهَا عَمُونَ ﴿66﴾

Rather, their knowledge failed in the matter of Hereafter. Rather, they are in doubt about it. Rather, they are blind to it. 27:66.

There are different recitations for the word اِدّٰرَکَ (iddaraka) and their meanings are also different. Those who are interested should refer to different commentaries for the details. It is enough to understand here that some commentators have taken it to mean "completion" and have explained the verse thus: "Their knowledge and understanding will be completed in the Hereafter", because then the truth about every thing shall be laid bare. But knowledge of truth at that time will be of no avail, because they had been contradicting the Hereafter in the world. But some other commentators have taken the word in the meaning of 'having failed' and 'hating been lost'. The sense in this case would be that their knowledge about the Hereafter was lost, and they could not understand what it was.