ثُمَّ صَدَقْنَـٰهُمُ ٱلْوَعْدَ فَأَنجَيْنَـٰهُمْ وَمَن نَّشَآءُ وَأَهْلَكْنَا ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ 9
Translations
Then We fulfilled for them the promise, and We saved them and whom We willed and destroyed the transgressors.
Transliteration
Thumma saddaqnahumu al-wa'd fa-anjayna-hum wa-man nasha'u wa-ahlakna al-musrifin
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms Allah's faithfulness to His promise—He fulfilled His word to the prophets by saving them and the believers, while destroying those who transgressed and committed excess (al-musrifun). According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this verse demonstrates the divine pattern of supporting the righteous and punishing the arrogant, establishing that Allah's promises are never broken and that He alone determines who is saved and who is destroyed.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within Surah Al-Anbiya's broader narrative of prophetic history, where Allah recounts how He sent messengers to warn their nations. The verse follows discussions of various prophets (Nuh, Ibrahim, Lut, Yunus, etc.) and exemplifies the consistent divine pattern throughout history: fulfillment of promises to the faithful and destruction of those who reject and transgress.
Related Hadiths
Tirmidhi narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, 'Verily, Allah has made it haram upon the fire to touch the bodies of the prophets.' This relates to the protection (inja') promised to Allah's messengers. Additionally, the principle of destruction of the transgressors (musrifun) echoes in the hadith about the destruction of nations that rejected their prophets.
Themes
Key Lesson
This verse reassures believers that Allah's promises are certain and His justice is absolute—those who follow His prophets will be saved, while those who transgress boundaries will face destruction. For modern readers, it emphasizes unwavering trust in Allah's divine plan and the importance of adhering to prophetic guidance to secure salvation.
Related Ayahs
لَّقَدْ صَدَقَ ٱللَّهُ رَسُولَهُ ٱلرُّءْيَا بِٱلْحَقِّ ۖ لَتَدْخُلُنَّ ٱلْمَسْجِدَ ٱلْحَرَامَ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ءَامِنِينَ مُحَلِّقِينَ رُءُوسَكُمْ وَمُقَصِّرِينَ لَا تَخَافُونَ ۖ فَعَلِمَ مَا لَمْ تَعْلَمُوا۟ فَجَعَلَ مِن دُونِ ذَٰلِكَ فَتْحًا قَرِيبًا
Certainly has Allāh showed to His Messenger the vision [i.e., dream] in truth. You will surely enter al-Masjid al-Ḥarām, if Allāh wills, in safety, with your heads shaved and [hair] shortened, not fearing [anyone]. He knew what you did not know and has arranged before that a conquest near [at hand].
وَلَمَّا رَءَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ٱلْأَحْزَابَ قَالُوا۟ هَـٰذَا مَا وَعَدَنَا ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ وَصَدَقَ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ ۚ وَمَا زَادَهُمْ إِلَّآ إِيمَـٰنًا وَتَسْلِيمًا
And when the believers saw the companies, they said, "This is what Allāh and His Messenger had promised us, and Allāh and His Messenger spoke the truth." And it increased them only in faith and acceptance.
وَقَالُوا۟ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى صَدَقَنَا وَعْدَهُۥ وَأَوْرَثَنَا ٱلْأَرْضَ نَتَبَوَّأُ مِنَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ حَيْثُ نَشَآءُ ۖ فَنِعْمَ أَجْرُ ٱلْعَـٰمِلِينَ
And they will say, "Praise to Allāh, who has fulfilled for us His promise and made us inherit the earth [so] we may settle in Paradise wherever we will. And excellent is the reward of [righteous] workers."
وَنُمَكِّنَ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَنُرِىَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَـٰمَـٰنَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا مِنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَحْذَرُونَ
And establish them in the land and show Pharaoh and [his minister] Hāmān and their soldiers through them that which they had feared.