understanding verse 89:9

[Sharon]

Assalam alikum is 89:9 saying the Arabs could still see those buildings because it says (the rocks it uses al the why not just say rocks and what does it mean by rocks does it mean houses or mountains or does the verse just saying what they use to do thanks the verse is 89:9 (and thamud who carved out the rocks in the valley)

[Sharon]

And does the verses before say the Arabs could see the Arabs loft pillars or just saying what they used to do 89:6-8 (do you not see how your Lord debt with the people of ad who made lofty pillars like witch were not created in the land)

[adilriaz123]

In islam we don't have to see everything in order to believe it. That is why allah swt explained muslimeen as being believers of the unseen because allah swt himself is unseen. If allah swt says they were we don't need to see it to believe it. Like photos on internet about ppl saying skeleton of people of Aad or thamud. I can tell you as someone who uses adobe photoshop program it is easy to manipulate a photo. We need to believe what allah swt told us and not nick pick over every little thing because that is plan of iblis. People go after visual proof because they might not realize that there own iman might be weak. Quran and events in islam are proof enough for its legitmacy.

[adilriaz123]

What i believe that properly explains 89:9 is when allah swt mentioned "they HAD lofty pillars" that means depending on the time you live in you have to consider the effects climate change and how it can impact a deserted city. So the sahaba probably saw more than wat we can see now.

[Sharon]

Thanks but I wasn't asking to see them or anything I just meant trying to understand the arabic what allah meant that was all what I mean is it uses al before the rock I was just wonder why some arabic words have the al before it when many translations don't use the al the like for example in verse 2:36 (But Satan caused both of them to deflect from obeying Our command by tempting them to the tree and brought them out of the state they were in, and We said: “Get down all of you; henceforth, each of you is an enemy of the other,50 and on earth you shall have your abode and your livelihood for an appointed time.”) in this verse it use al Shatan the satan why does it have al before satan when all you need is Satan because if you translate it as the satan it sounds weird that's all I meant I didn't need proof just trying to understand the arabic sometimes

[AMuslimDude213]

Al Shaytan is not mentioned in any verse,even if  there is Al Shaytaan,It is in Arabic,in arabic people put Al behind names or titles,like Al Khwarizmi,Al Muhammad
Al Tariq,etc

[Sharon]

Ok thanks but why does verse 89:9 say al  the rocks why not just say rocks without the al that's what I mean or when it says the rocks is it saying the Arabs could see there rocks what we're carved out or is the verse just saying what they used to do without them seeing it why the al before rocks why not just say rocks jazzakkallah

[QuranSearchCom]

As'salamu Alaikum sister Sharon and Everyone,

‏89:9 وثمود الذين جابوا الصخر بالواد

[089:009]  And with the Thamud (people), who cut out (huge) rocks الصخر in the valley?-

The AL (the) article in Arabic here is not referring to certain rocks.  It's referring to rocks in general.  It's Arabic grammar.  The "the" and "a" and "an" articles can all be used in the "AL" in Arabic.  Even in English, if you use the "THE" article to unknown subjects, then it can refer to general subjects and not specific ones.  Take this example:

"Sharon saw the kids playing in the playground, where there was a church that had pedophile priests in it."

Here kids doesn't refer to kids that Sharon necessarily knew.  It's referring to random kids in general.  In fact, the "THE" article in "the kids" is general, while the "a" article in "a church" is specific.  And the "the" in "the playground" is specific.

You could also add THE to "pedophile priests in it" and still be referring to general subjects, because you may not necessarily knew them, but you've heard about them from other people and on the news.


The Arab Christians that are feeding you the load of nonsense are leading you astray, my dear sister in Islam.  They are known to be weak in the classical Quranic Arabic.

And "the load of nonsense" is also referring to general nonsense that they will try to deceive you with.

Take care,
Osama Abdallah

[Sharon]

Ok thanks jazzakkallah so conclusion the al in that arabic is just genral from Allah point of view not saying the rocks houses that the Arabs could see at that time but saying what thamud used to do and that's why a lot of translations don't use it like they don't use the al in the al satan is that correct jazzakkallah

[Sharon]

That what it means by the rocks means the rocks that they carved out at the there time when doing it not rocks houses that they could see what they carved out is that correct jazzakkallah

[QuranSearchCom]

Yes.  But keep in mind that some carvings were discovered and are still in existence today, also.

Take care,
Osama Abdallah

[Sharon]

Thanks jazzakkallah just to know in the future how do we tell the al (the) as a genral the like the kids and the rocks from a specific al (the) like the playground and the valley just to know in the future jazzakkallah also those buildings you say we're discovered they were built by the nabteons not thamud because they date back to 100 bc and there tombs not houses also like the verse says above they built in a valley with water stream in the middle and that place doesn't fit the info most people are starting to believe it was some where else like al ula down the road from there because it fits all the info but never mind all that just like to know for the future when studying the arabic thanks jazzakkallah

[Sharon]

Studying the al arabic and such that's what I meant and j
and this is all I want to talk about not the tombs etc jazzakkallah thanks for the help

[Sharon]

Or is the verse just a title given to the thamud like example Henry the 8th the killer

[Sharon]

 I sort of got what you were saying but could you further elaborate what you mean jazzakkallah are you saying that part of the verse (who carved out the rocks in the valley) (allatheena jaboo alssakhra bialwadi) بِالْوَادِ وَثَمُودَ الَّذِينَ جَابُوا الصَّخْرَ  is speaking in the past tense to the prophet and not rocks he could see but what they used to do is that what you are saying jazzakkallah and if yes can you explain to me how it does because I don't know arabic very do if you could help that would be great