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.