كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ وَعَادٌ وَفِرْعَوْنُ ذُو ٱلْأَوْتَادِ 12
Translations
The people of Noah denied before them, and [the tribe of] ʿAad and Pharaoh, the owner of stakes,
Transliteration
Kazzabat qablahum qawmu Noohin wa 'Aadun wa Fi'awnu dhu al-awtaad
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah presents a historical reminder that the peoples of Noah, 'Ad, and Pharaoh (described as 'possessor of the stakes/tent-pegs') all rejected and denied the messages of their respective prophets before the time of Prophet Muhammad. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the phrase 'dhū al-awtād' (possessor of the stakes) refers to Pharaoh's great military power and fortifications, symbolizing his earthly dominion and strength. The ayah serves as a consolation to the Prophet and a warning to the Meccan disbelievers that rejection of divine signs is not unprecedented—previous powerful nations faced similar spiritual blindness and consequent destruction.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan period within Surah Sad, which addresses the mockery and rejection faced by Prophet Muhammad from the Quraysh. The surah frequently references previous nations' rejection of their prophets to contextualize the contemporary disbelief and to reassure the Prophet that this pattern of denial is historical and carries inevitable consequences. The broader theme emphasizes that divine justice operates consistently across time.
Related Hadiths
The principle reflected here relates to Hadith Qudsi: 'My mercy precedes My wrath' (Sahih Muslim 2751), illustrating that Allah gave these nations opportunities before punishment. Additionally, the destruction of 'Ad is detailed in Sahih Bukhari (3156) where the Prophet described the tremendous wind that destroyed them over seven nights and eight days.
Themes
Key Lesson
Just as powerful nations before us rejected their prophets and faced destruction, we must heed divine guidance in our own time; arrogance and material strength offer no protection against the consequences of rejecting truth and divine signs.