Ash-Shu'ara · Makki · ayah 174 of 227

Ash-Shu'ara 26:174

إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَةً ۖ وَمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرُهُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

“Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.”

Saheeh International

Essence

The refrain of 26:8 closes Lut's story, where 'most of them' meant a whole town against a single household.

A reflection

When 'most' meant all but one house

This exact line was first met at 26:8, and its full treatment lives there. Here it closes the sixth story, and the word most has never been heavier.

A legal and linguistic commentary says plainly what it meant in Lut's town. There was no believer in it except Lut's household and his two daughters. Another surah tells it from inside the rescue. We brought out whoever was in it of the believers, and We found there only one house of those who submitted (51:35-36).

So 'most of them' here is a town against a house. And even that house was not whole: his wife stayed behind (26:171).

The refrain does not soften the numbers. It simply records them, and then, in the next ayah, names its Lord. One house was enough for Allah to send angels to bring it out. Numbers decided nothing.

The full entry has 2 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.