Transliteration:( Litunzira qawmam maaa unzira aabaaa'uhum fahum ghaafiloon )
"That you may warn people whose fathers were not warned, that they are unaware [6]."
This verse highlights the mission of the Prophet ﷺ—to warn a people who had not received guidance for generations, and who had thus fallen into heedlessness.
From this, a few key points emerge:
The Holy Prophet ﷺ carried out his mission methodically: beginning with his own family, then extending to his tribe and community, and eventually to all of humanity. The verse here refers specifically to the second phase—his message to the nation of Arabia.
There had been no prophet sent to the Arabs after Prophet Isma'il (peace be upon him). As a result, centuries had passed without divine guidance, leaving the people ignorant of true faith and immersed in misguidance.
The verse reflects the great stature of the Prophet ﷺ. He was tasked with reviving a nation that had been morally and spiritually decayed for generations. Such a massive task required a leader of exceptional wisdom, strength, and mercy—qualities perfectly embodied by the Prophet ﷺ.
This verse reminds us that the Prophet’s mission was not limited by geography or time—it was a universal call to awaken hearts and return people to the path of truth.
The tafsir of Surah Yaseen verse 6 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Yaseen ayat 1 which provides the complete commentary from verse 1 through 7.
(36:6) so that you may warn a people whose ancestors were not warned before wherefore they are heedless.[4]
4. Another translation can be: You should warn the people of the same of which their forefathers had been warned, because they live in heedlessness. If the first meaning, as given above in the text, is taken, the forefathers would imply the forefathers of the immediate past, for in the ancient time several Prophets had appeared in Arabia. And if the second meaning is adopted, it would imply this: Revive and refresh the message that had been conveyed to the forefathers of this nation by the Prophets in the past, for these people have forgotten it. Obviously, there is no contradiction between the two translations, and, as to meaning, each is correct in its own place.
A doubt may rise here: How could the forefathers of a nation to whom no warner had been sent at a particular time in the past, be held responsible for their deviation at that time? The answer is: When Allah sends a Prophet in the world, the influence of his message and teaching spreads far and wide, and is handed down by one generation to the other. As long as this influence remains and there continue arising among the followers of the Prophet such people as keep his message of guidance fresh, the period of time cannot be said to be without the guidance. And when the influence of the Prophet’s teaching dies out, or the teaching is tampered with, the appointment of another Prophet becomes inevitable. Before the advent of the Prophet (peace be upon him) the influence of the teachings of the Prophets Abraham, Ishmael, Shuaib and Moses and Jesus (peace be upon all of them) could be seen everywhere in Arabia and from time to time there had been arising among the Arabs, or coming from outside, men, who revived their teachings. When the influence was about to die out, and the real teaching was also distorted, Allah raised the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and made such arrangements that his message can neither be wiped out nor tampered with. For further explanation, see (Surah Saba, ayat 3) note 5.
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