كَدَأْبِ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ 11
Translations
[Theirs is] like the custom of the people of Pharaoh and those before them. They denied Our signs, so Allāh seized them for their sins. And Allāh is severe in penalty.
Transliteration
Kada'bi ali Fir'awna wa alladhina min qablihim; Kadhdhabo bi-ayatina fa-akhdhahumu Allahu bidhunubihim; wa Allahu shadidu al-'iqab
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah warns that the disbelievers among the Quraysh will face punishment similar to that which befell Pharaoh's people and nations before them, as they rejected Allah's signs and divine guidance. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the phrase 'as the custom (da'b) of the family of Pharaoh' establishes a divine pattern whereby those who persistently deny Allah's revelations are seized by punishment commensurate with their sins. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that this serves as both a historical reminder and a warning that Allah's punishment for those who reject truth is severe and inescapable.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Medinan period within Surah Ali 'Imran, which addresses the early Muslim community's conflicts with the People of the Book and the polytheists of Mecca. It comes in the context of warning the Quraysh about the fate of previous nations, reinforcing that rejection of divine signs carries grave consequences.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari (3274) where the Prophet ﷺ mentioned how nations before the Muslims were destroyed emphasizes this theme of divine punishment for rejecting truth. Additionally, the general principle is supported by various hadiths on the consequences of kufr (disbelief) found throughout the Sihah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that rejection of divine truth has inevitable consequences established by Allah's immutable law, and serves as a sobering reminder that no nation or group is exempt from accountability before Allah. For believers, it reinforces the importance of accepting and acting upon divine guidance while serving as a warning against arrogance and stubborn denial of truth.