Key Verses

1. 2:259Al-BaqarahCommand
   أَوۡ كَٱلَّذِي مَرَّ عَلَىٰ قَرۡيَةٖ وَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا قَالَ أَنَّىٰ يُحۡيِۦ هَٰذِهِ ٱللَّهُ بَعۡدَ مَوۡتِهَاۖ فَأَمَاتَهُ ٱللَّهُ مِاْئَةَ عَامٖ ثُمَّ بَعَثَهُۥۖ قَالَ كَمۡ لَبِثۡتَۖ قَالَ لَبِثۡتُ يَوۡمًا أَوۡ بَعۡضَ يَوۡمٖۖ قَالَ بَل لَّبِثۡتَ مِاْئَةَ عَامٖ فَٱنظُرۡ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِكَ وَشَرَابِكَ لَمۡ يَتَسَنَّهۡۖ وَٱنظُرۡ إِلَىٰ حِمَارِكَ وَلِنَجۡعَلَكَ ءَايَةٗ لِّلنَّاسِۖ وَٱنظُرۡ إِلَى ٱلۡعِظَامِ كَيۡفَ نُنشِزُهَا ثُمَّ نَكۡسُوهَا لَحۡمٗاۚ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُۥ قَالَ أَعۡلَمُ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٞ
   Or (bethink thee of) the like of him who, passing by a township which had fallen into utter ruin, exclaimed: How shall Allah give this township life after its death? And Allah made him die a hundred years, then brought him back to life. He said: How long hast thou tarried? (The man) said: I have tarried a day or part of a day. (He) said: Nay, but thou hast tarried for a hundred years. Just look at thy food and drink which have not rotted! Look at thine ass! And, that We may make thee a token unto mankind, look at the bones, how We adjust them and then cover them with flesh! And when (the matter) became clear unto him, he said: I know now that Allah is Able to do all things.
   In context

   Or do you know the example of the one who passed by a town in which the roofs had fallen, the walls had collapsed and the people had died, making it a deserted ruin? This man said in surprise, ‘How will Allah ever bring these people back to life?’ Allah then caused him to die for a period of one hundred years and then brought him back to life and asked him, ‘How long were you dead for?

2. 11:42Hud
   وَهِيَ تَجۡرِي بِهِمۡ فِي مَوۡجٖ كَٱلۡجِبَالِ وَنَادَىٰ نُوحٌ ٱبۡنَهُۥ وَكَانَ فِي مَعۡزِلٖ يَٰبُنَيَّ ٱرۡكَب مَّعَنَا وَلَا تَكُن مَّعَ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ
   And it sailed with them amid waves like mountains, and Noah cried unto his son - and he was standing aloof - O my son! Come ride with us, and be not with the disbelievers.
   In context

   The Ark sailed with the people and animals in it, through the great waves like mountains. Noah (peace be upon him) called to his son, who did not believe, and who was isolated from his father and his people in some place.

3. 11:102HudWarning
   وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَخۡذُ رَبِّكَ إِذَآ أَخَذَ ٱلۡقُرَىٰ وَهِيَ ظَٰلِمَةٌۚ إِنَّ أَخۡذَهُۥٓ أَلِيمٞ شَدِيدٌ
   Even thus is the grasp of thy Lord when He graspeth the townships while they are doing wrong. Lo! His grasp is painful, very strong.
   In context

   Such is the grip and annihilation with which Allah seizes the towns that deny, in every time and place. His grip of such disobedient towns is a painful and strong one.

4. 18:42Al-Kahf
   وَأُحِيطَ بِثَمَرِهِۦ فَأَصۡبَحَ يُقَلِّبُ كَفَّيۡهِ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَنفَقَ فِيهَا وَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا وَيَقُولُ يَٰلَيۡتَنِي لَمۡ أُشۡرِكۡ بِرَبِّيٓ أَحَدٗا
   And his fruit was beset (with destruction). Then began he to wring his hands for all that he had spent upon it, when (now) it was all ruined on its trellises, and to say: Would that I had ascribed no partner to my Lord!
   In context

   What the believer anticipated occurred.

5. 22:45Al-HajjCommand
   فَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرۡيَةٍ أَهۡلَكۡنَٰهَا وَهِيَ ظَالِمَةٞ فَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا وَبِئۡرٖ مُّعَطَّلَةٖ وَقَصۡرٖ مَّشِيدٍ
   How many a township have We destroyed while it was sinful, so that it lieth (to this day) in ruins, and (how many) a deserted well and lofty tower!
   In context

   How many cities, which were unjust because of their disbelief, I destroyed with obliterating punishment. Their homes are ruined and empty of inhabitants. How many wells are there which have nobody to drink from them, due to their being destroyed. How many lofty decorated palaces are there which could not save their residents from the punishment.

6. 22:48Al-HajjCommand
   وَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرۡيَةٍ أَمۡلَيۡتُ لَهَا وَهِيَ ظَالِمَةٞ ثُمَّ أَخَذۡتُهَا وَإِلَيَّ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ
   And how many a township did I suffer long though it was sinful! Then I grasped it. Unto Me is the return.
   In context

   How many towns are there which I gave respite to in punishment and which were oppressive due to their disbelief. I did not punish them instantly, to gradually lead them on, then I seized them by an obliterating punishment. To Me alone is their return on the Day of Judgment, then I will reward them for their disbelief with the everlasting punishment.

7. 27:88An-NamlCommand
   وَتَرَى ٱلۡجِبَالَ تَحۡسَبُهَا جَامِدَةٗ وَهِيَ تَمُرُّ مَرَّ ٱلسَّحَابِۚ صُنۡعَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَتۡقَنَ كُلَّ شَيۡءٍۚ إِنَّهُۥ خَبِيرُۢ بِمَا تَفۡعَلُونَ
   And thou seest the hills thou deemest solid flying with the flight of clouds: the doing of Allah Who perfecteth all things. Lo! He is Informed of what ye do.
   In context

   And you will see mountains on that day thinking them to be firm without moving, but they will in fact move like clouds move. It is the doing of Allah, for He is the one who makes them move. He is Aware of what you do. None of your actions are hidden from Him and He shall reward you for them.

8. 36:78Ya-Sin
   وَضَرَبَ لَنَا مَثَلٗا وَنَسِيَ خَلۡقَهُۥۖ قَالَ مَن يُحۡيِ ٱلۡعِظَٰمَ وَهِيَ رَمِيمٞ
   And he hath coined for Us a similitude, and hath forgotten the fact of his creation, saying: Who will revive these bones when they have rotted away?
   In context

   This disbeliever is heedless and ignorant when he uses decayed bones to prove the impossibility of resurrection, saying, “Who will resurrect us?” whilst having forgotten his own creation from non-existence.

9. 41:11FussilatCommand
   ثُمَّ ٱسۡتَوَىٰٓ إِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَهِيَ دُخَانٞ فَقَالَ لَهَا وَلِلۡأَرۡضِ ٱئۡتِيَا طَوۡعًا أَوۡ كَرۡهٗا قَالَتَآ أَتَيۡنَا طَآئِعِينَ
   Then turned He to the heaven when it was smoke, and said unto it and unto the earth: Come both of you, willingly or loth. They said: We come, obedient.
   In context

   Then Allah (may He be glorified) resolved to create the sky at a time when it was smoke, saying to it and the earth, “Submit to My command willingly or be forced, it has to be one of the two, They said, “We come willingly; O our Lord! We have no wish except your wish.”

10. 67:7Al-MulkWarning
    إِذَآ أُلۡقُواْ فِيهَا سَمِعُواْ لَهَا شَهِيقٗا وَهِيَ تَفُورُ
    When they are flung therein they hear its roaring as it boileth up,
    In context

    When they will be thrown into the hellfire, they will hear an extremely evil sound: it will be bubbling like a boiling pot.