وَأَزْلَفْنَا ثَمَّ ٱلْـَٔاخَرِينَ 64
Translations
And We advanced thereto the others [i.e., the pursuers].
Transliteration
Wa azlafna thamma al-akhireen
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes how Allah brought the other people (Pharaoh's army) near to the sea after Moses and the believers had crossed. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that 'azlafna' means 'We brought near' or 'We caused to approach,' referring to how Allah guided Pharaoh's forces to the shore in pursuit, setting the stage for their drowning. This demonstrates Allah's perfect orchestration of events and His power over all creation, as the disbelievers were led to their inevitable destruction while the believers were saved.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative of Surah Ash-Shu'ara detailing the story of Moses and the parting of the Red Sea. It occurs within the broader context of the Meccan period when the Quran was strengthening the faith of early Muslims by recounting the triumphant stories of previous prophets and the inevitable fate of those who reject Allah's signs.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly references this specific ayah, Surah Ash-Shu'ara's narrative parallels hadiths discussing the Red Sea crossing found in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, where the Prophet (peace be upon him) described the miraculous parting of the sea and drowning of Pharaoh's army as signs of Allah's power.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that Allah's justice is inevitable—those who persistently reject truth and pursue believers with hostility will ultimately face consequences, while the faithful are divinely protected. It encourages believers to trust in Allah's timing and methods of salvation, even when facing seemingly overwhelming opposition.
Related Ayahs
وَنُفِخَ فِى ٱلصُّورِ فَصَعِقَ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ إِلَّا مَن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۖ ثُمَّ نُفِخَ فِيهِ أُخْرَىٰ فَإِذَا هُمْ قِيَامٌ يَنظُرُونَ
And the Horn will be blown, and whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth will fall dead except whom Allāh wills. Then it will be blown again, and at once they will be standing, looking on.
وَٱلشَّمْسُ تَجْرِى لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَّهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْعَلِيمِ
And the sun runs [on course] toward its stopping point. That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing.
أَفَأَمِنتُمْ أَن يَخْسِفَ بِكُمْ جَانِبَ ٱلْبَرِّ أَوْ يُرْسِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ حَاصِبًا ثُمَّ لَا تَجِدُوا۟ لَكُمْ وَكِيلًا
Then do you feel secure that [instead] He will not cause a part of the land to swallow you or send against you a storm of stones? Then you would not find for yourselves an advocate.
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُزْجِى سَحَابًا ثُمَّ يُؤَلِّفُ بَيْنَهُۥ ثُمَّ يَجْعَلُهُۥ رُكَامًا فَتَرَى ٱلْوَدْقَ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ خِلَـٰلِهِۦ وَيُنَزِّلُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مِن جِبَالٍ فِيهَا مِنۢ بَرَدٍ فَيُصِيبُ بِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَصْرِفُهُۥ عَن مَّن يَشَآءُ ۖ يَكَادُ سَنَا بَرْقِهِۦ يَذْهَبُ بِٱلْأَبْصَـٰرِ
Do you not see that Allāh drives clouds? Then He brings them together; then He makes them into a mass, and you see the rain emerge from within it. And He sends down from the sky, mountains [of clouds] within which is hail, and He strikes with it whom He wills and averts it from whom He wills. The flash of its lightning almost takes away the eyesight.