وَعَادٌ وَفِرْعَوْنُ وَإِخْوَٰنُ لُوطٍ 13
Translations
And ʿAad and Pharaoh and the brothers [i.e., people] of Lot
Transliteration
Wa 'ādun wa fir'awnu wa ikhwānu lūṭ
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah lists the nations and peoples who rejected their messengers and were destroyed as a result: 'Ād (the people of Hud), Pharaoh and his people, and the brothers/people of Lot. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this verse is part of a broader passage (50:12-14) that enumerates historical examples of those who denied the truth and faced divine punishment, serving as a warning to the disbelievers of Mecca. The mention of these three groups emphasizes the consistency of Allah's pattern throughout history: rejection of revelation leads to destruction.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Qaf, a Meccan chapter that emphasizes the reality of the Day of Judgment and Allah's power over all creation. It is part of a section (50:12-14) that directly addresses the Meccan polytheists by reminding them of past nations who mocked their messengers and were subsequently annihilated, functioning as a stern warning to those who similarly rejected Prophet Muhammad's message.
Related Hadiths
The destruction of 'Ād is referenced in Sahih Muslim (2788) where the Prophet describes how the wind destroyed 'Ād for eight nights and seven days continuously. Similarly, Pharaoh's drowning is mentioned in Surah Al-'Imran (3:11) and related in Surah An-Nazi'at (79:25), discussed extensively in Sahih Bukhari regarding the signs of Allah's power.
Themes
Key Lesson
Just as the proud nations of 'Ād, Pharaoh, and Lot's people faced destruction for rejecting clear signs, believers today should recognize that rejecting divine guidance always leads to ruin, while those who heed their messengers find success and protection. This ayah calls us to learn from history and embrace faith humbly before it is too late.
Related Ayahs
أَفَلَمْ يَنظُرُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَوْقَهُمْ كَيْفَ بَنَيْنَـٰهَا وَزَيَّنَّـٰهَا وَمَا لَهَا مِن فُرُوجٍ
Have they not looked at the heaven above them - how We structured it and adorned it and [how] it has no rifts?
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِن لُّغُوبٍ
And We did certainly create the heavens and earth and what is between them in six days, and there touched Us no weariness.
۞ قَالَ قَرِينُهُۥ رَبَّنَا مَآ أَطْغَيْتُهُۥ وَلَـٰكِن كَانَ فِى ضَلَـٰلٍۭ بَعِيدٍ
His [devil] companion will say, "Our Lord, I did not make him transgress, but he [himself] was in extreme error."
ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَـٰهًا ءَاخَرَ فَأَلْقِيَاهُ فِى ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلشَّدِيدِ
Who made [as equal] with Allāh another deity; then throw him into the severe punishment."