concept

The Shriek

الصَّيْحَة

In Islamic tradition, al-Sayhah (الصَّيْحَة), often translated as "The Shriek" or "The Blast," represents a profound manifestation of divine power and justice. It is depicted in the Quran as a sudden, overwhelming sound that brings swift and decisive judgment upon nations that rejected God's messengers and persisted in wrongdoing. More than just a loud noise, it is an act of divine intervention, a calamitous event that seizes people and brings about their destruction. The Quran recounts how this shriek befell various disbelieving communities, such as the people of Thamud and Midian. For instance, it is described that [the shriek seized those who had wronged, and they became within their homes corpses fallen prone], illustrating its devastating and immediate impact. In other instances, it struck with startling suddenness, as when [the shriek seized them at sunrise]. This divine cry serves as a powerful reminder of accountability and the consequences of heedlessness, turning entire populations into [as plant stubble]. It underscores the fragility of human existence before God's might and the ultimate triumph of divine truth over persistent denial.

Quran 6 verses

وَأَخَذَ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ ٱلصَّيْحَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا۟ فِى دِيَٰرِهِمْ جَٰثِمِينَ

Wa akhazal lazeena zalamus saihatu fa asbahoo fee diyaarihim jaasimeena

And the shriek seized those who had wronged, and they became within their homes [corpses] fallen prone

اور جن لوگوں نے ظلم کیا تھا ان کو چنگھاڑ (کی صورت میں عذاب) نے آپکڑا تو وہ اپنے گھروں میں اوندھے پڑے رہ گئے

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: According to Tafsir al-Qurtubi, these three days were Thursday, Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, the punishment descended upon them: وَأَخَذَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا الصَّيْحَةُ (And those who transgressed were caught by the Cry - 67). This awesome Cry was that of the archangel, Sayyidna Jibra'il (علیہ ال...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: And those who did evil were seized by the Cry so that they ended up lying lifeless prostrate in their habitations keeled over their knees dead
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Conversation between Salih and the People of Thamud Allah, the Exalted, mentions what transpired in the discussion between Salih and his people. Allah informs of their ignorance and obstinacy in their statement, قَدْ كُنتَ فِينَا مَرْجُوًّا قَبْلَ هَـذَا (You have been among us as a figure of go...

وَلَمَّا جَآءَ أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا شُعَيْبًا وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنَّا وَأَخَذَتِ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ ٱلصَّيْحَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا۟ فِى دِيَٰرِهِمْ جَٰثِمِينَ

Wa lammaa jaaa'a amrunaa najjainaa shu'aibanw wal lazeena aamanoo ma'ahoo birahmatim minnaa wa akhazatil lazeena zalamus saihatu fa asbahoo fee diyaarihim jaasimeen

And when Our command came, We saved Shu'ayb and those who believed with him, by mercy from Us. And the shriek seized those who had wronged, and they became within their homes [corpses] fallen prone

اور جب ہمارا حکم آپہنچا تو ہم نے شعیب کو اور جو لوگ ان کے ساتھ ایمان لائے تھے ان کو تو اپنی رحمت سے بچا لیا۔ اور جو لوگ ظالم تھے، ان کو چنگھاڑ نے آدبوچا تو وہ اپنے گھروں میں اوندھے پڑے رہ گئے

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: After having given this good counsel to them, he warned them of the punishment of Allah Ta` ala. He said: وَيَا قَوْمِ لَا يَجْرِ‌مَنَّكُمْ شِقَاقِي أَن يُصِيبَكُم مِّثْلُ مَا أَصَابَ قَوْمَ نُوحٍ أَوْ قَوْمَ هُودٍ أَوْ قَوْمَ صَالِحٍ ۚ وَمَا قَوْمُ لُوطٍ مِّنكُم بِبَعِيدٍ And 0 my people, let not y...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: And when Our command came for their destruction We delivered Shu‘ayb and those who believed with him by a mercy from Us; and the Cry seized those who were evildoers — Gabriel cried at them — and they ended up lying lifeless prostrate in their habitations keeled over on their knees dead
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Shu` ayb's threatening of His People When the Prophet of Allah,Shu` ayb, despaired of their response to him, he said, "O mypeople اعْمَلُواْ عَلَى مَكَانَتِكُمْ (Act according to your ability,) This means, "Act according to your current ways." This is actually a severe threat. إِنِّى عَـمِلٌ (I am a...

فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ ٱلصَّيْحَةُ مُشْرِقِينَ

Fa akhazat humus saihatu mushriqeen

So the shriek seized them at sunrise.

سو ان کو سورج نکلتے نکلتے چنگھاڑ نے آپکڑا

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Commentary A Great Honour for the Holy Prophet ﷺ About the word of Allah: لَعَمرُکَ (la'amruk : By your life), the majority of commentators, as reported in Ruh al-Ma’ ani, have said that the addressee of 'la'amruka' is the Holy Prophet ﷺ . It is his life that Allah Ta’ ala has sworn by. Al-Baihaqi i...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: Then the Cry the Cry of Gabriel seized them at sunrise.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Destruction of the People of Lut Allah said; فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّيْحَةُ (So the Sayhah overtook them) This is the piercing sound that came to them when the sun rose, which was accompanied by the city being flipped upside down, and stones of baked clay (As-Sijjil) raining down upon them. The disc...

فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ ٱلصَّيْحَةُ مُصْبِحِينَ

Fa akhazat humus saihatu musbiheen

But the shriek seized them at early morning.

تو چیخ نے ان کو صبح ہوتے ہوتے آپکڑا

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Commentary Aikah means a dense forest. There are other views too. Some commentators say that there was a dense forest near Madyan, therefore, Aikah is actually the title of the people of Madyan. Others have said that the people of Aikah and the people of Madyan were two different people. It was afte...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: But the Cry seized them in the morning.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Destruction of the Dwellers of Al-Hijr, Who are the People called Thamud The Dwellers of the Al Hijr were the people of Thamud who rejected their Prophet, Salih. Whoever denies even one Messenger, then he has disbelieved in all of the Messengers, thus they are described as rejecting "the Messeng...

فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ ٱلصَّيْحَةُ بِٱلْحَقِّ فَجَعَلْنَٰهُمْ غُثَآءً فَبُعْدًا لِّلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

Fa akhazat humus saihatu bilhaqqi faja'alnaahum ghusaaa'aa; fabu;dal lilqaw miz zaalimeen

So the shriek seized them in truth, and We made them as [plant] stubble. Then away with the wrongdoing people.

تو ان کو (وعدہٴ برحق کے مطابق) زور کی آواز نے آپکڑا، تو ہم نے ان کو کوڑا کرڈالا۔ پس ظالم لوگوں پر لعنت ہے

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا نَمُوتُ وَنَحْيَا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَبْعُوثِينَ There is nothing but our worldly life. We die and we live and we are not to be raised again. - 23:37 This is the argument which the unbelievers advance when denying belief in the Day of Judgment. Those who deny it p...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: So the Cry the Cry of chastisement and destruction seized them rightfully and they died and We made them as husks ghuthā’ is desiccated vegetation in other words We transformed them into similarly desiccated worthless things. So a far removal from mercy for the evildoing folk the denying folk.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Story of `Ad or Thamud Allah tells us that after the people of Nuh, He created another nation. It was said that this was `Ad, because they were the successors of the people of Nuh. Or it was said that they were Thamud, because Allah says: فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّيْحَةُ بِالْحَقِّ (So, the Sayhah ove...

إِن كَانَتْ إِلَّا صَيْحَةً وَٰحِدَةً فَإِذَا هُمْ خَٰمِدُونَ

In kaanat illaa saihatanw waahidatan fa-izaa hum khaamidoon

It was not but one shout, and immediately they were extinguished.

وہ تو صرف ایک چنگھاڑ تھی (آتشین) سو وہ (اس سے) ناگہاں بجھ کر رہ گئے

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: In verses 28 and 29, it was said: وَمَا أَنزَلْنَا عَلَىٰ قَوْمِهِ مِن بَعْدِهِ مِن جُندٍ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَمَا كُنَّا مُنزِلِينَ إِن كَانَتْ إِلَّا صَيْحَةً وَاحِدَةً فَإِذَا هُمْ خَامِدُونَ " (And We did not send down to his people any army from the heavens after him, nor were We (in need ) to se...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: It their punishment was but one Cry — Gabriel gave a cry to them — and lo! they were extinguished silent dead.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): ادْخُلِ الْجَنَّةَ ("Enter Paradise.") so he entered it with all its bountiful provision, when Allah had taken away from him all the sickness, grief and exhaustion of this world. Mujahid said, "It was said to Habib An-Najjar, `Enter Paradise.' This was his right, for he had been killed. When he saw ...

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