أَهُمۡ خَيۡرٌ أَمۡ قَوۡمُ تُبَّعٖ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَٰهُمۡ إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ مُجۡرِمِينَ
Quranic context: Ad-Dukhan 37 / Qaf 14
The verses: "Are they better or the people of Tubba?" (Ad-Dukhan: 37) — a rhetorical question: should they not fear being destroyed as the people of Tubba were?
Who was Tubba? A title for ancient Yemeni kings, just as "Pharaoh" was a title for Egyptian kings. The one referenced here was a king of the Himyar who believed in Allah and in the prophethood of the Prophet before his mission.
The Prophet said: "Do not revile Tubba for he accepted Islam" — narrated by Ahmad and Al-Tabarani; Al-Haythami said: its narrators are trustworthy.
His story: Tubba passed by Madinah and intended to fight its people, but the Jewish scholars who knew it would become the city of emigration of the last prophet stopped him. He refrained and believed what they told him. He also clothed the Kaaba according to one narration.
Lesson:
- His belief before the mission proves the truth was known among honest people of the scriptures
- His people denied and were destroyed — a believing king does not save his disbelieving people
- "Do not revile Tubba" — it is not permitted to revile one who accepted Islam even from earlier nations
Question: What is the reason behind the prophetic prohibition of reviling Tubba, and what evidence indicates his belief according to narrations?
Answer: The Prophet forbade reviling him because he accepted Islam before the mission — he refrained from attacking Madinah when informed of its status, and believed in the final prophet. The hadith was graded hasan by Al-Haythami: its narrators are trustworthy.