بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Al-Fajr 89:10
The Dawn · Juz 30 · Page 593
وَفِرۡعَوۡنَ ذِي ٱلۡأَوۡتَادِ ١٠
Tafsir · in English
Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 89:10–12
وَفِرْعَوْنَ ذِي الْأَوْتَادِ (and with Fir'aun [ the Pharaoh ], the man of the stakes...89:10). The word autad is the plural of watad that means 'peg or stake or nail'. Fir'aun (the Pharaoh) is referred to as 'the man of the stakes'. There are several reasons for this. Majority of the commentators hold the view that he was so called because of the brute torture and cruel torment he inflicted on the people. When he was angry with people, he would hammer stakes into the ground and tie them to these, so that they could be tortured; or he would hammer stakes into their hands and feet, as they lay on the ground in the scorching heat of the sun, and leave them to the mercy of snakes and scorpions. Other commentators have recounted a lengthy story about his wife 'Asiyah. She embraced 'Iman (the True Faith) and expressed it to Fir'aun (the Pharaoh). This angered him and he inflicted on her the same type of brute torture and destroyed her. [ Mazhari ].
Page 593
سورة الفجر
Al-Fajr
The Dawn · Meccan · 30 ayahs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
89:1
وَٱلۡفَجۡرِ ١
By the dawn
89:2
وَلَيَالٍ عَشۡرٖ ٢
And [by] ten nights1
1 translator’s note
- Usually interpreted as the first ten nights of the month of Dhul-Ḥijjah. ↩
89:3
وَٱلشَّفۡعِ وَٱلۡوَتۡرِ ٣
And [by] the even [number] and the odd
89:4
وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا يَسۡرِ ٤
And [by] the night when it passes,
89:5
هَلۡ فِي ذَٰلِكَ قَسَمٞ لِّذِي حِجۡرٍ ٥
Is there [not] in [all] that an oath [sufficient] for one of perception?1
1 translator’s note
- Based upon the following verses, what has been sworn to by Allāh is that He will certainly punish the disbelievers. ↩
89:6
أَلَمۡ تَرَ كَيۡفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ ٦
Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with ʿAad -
89:7
إِرَمَ ذَاتِ ٱلۡعِمَادِ ٧
89:8
ٱلَّتِي لَمۡ يُخۡلَقۡ مِثۡلُهَا فِي ٱلۡبِلَٰدِ ٨
The likes of whom had never been created in the land?
89:9
وَثَمُودَ ٱلَّذِينَ جَابُواْ ٱلصَّخۡرَ بِٱلۡوَادِ ٩
And [with] Thamūd, who carved out the rocks in the valley?
89:10
وَفِرۡعَوۡنَ ذِي ٱلۡأَوۡتَادِ ١٠
And [with] Pharaoh, owner of the stakes?1
1 translator’s note
- By which he tortured people. ↩
89:11
ٱلَّذِينَ طَغَوۡاْ فِي ٱلۡبِلَٰدِ ١١
[All of] whom oppressed within the lands
89:12
فَأَكۡثَرُواْ فِيهَا ٱلۡفَسَادَ ١٢
And increased therein the corruption.
89:13
فَصَبَّ عَلَيۡهِمۡ رَبُّكَ سَوۡطَ عَذَابٍ ١٣
So your Lord poured upon them a scourge of punishment.
89:14
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَبِٱلۡمِرۡصَادِ ١٤
Indeed, your Lord is in observation.
89:15
فَأَمَّا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ إِذَا مَا ٱبۡتَلَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَأَكۡرَمَهُۥ وَنَعَّمَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّيٓ أَكۡرَمَنِ ١٥
And as for man, when his Lord tries him and [thus] is generous to him and favors him, he says, "My Lord has honored me."1
1 translator’s note
- He is proud rather than grateful, attributing the favor to his own merit. ↩
89:16
وَأَمَّآ إِذَا مَا ٱبۡتَلَىٰهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيۡهِ رِزۡقَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّيٓ أَهَٰنَنِ ١٦
But when He tries him and restricts his provision, he says, "My Lord has humiliated me."
89:17
كـَلَّاۖ بَل لَّا تُكۡرِمُونَ ٱلۡيَتِيمَ ١٧
No!1 But you do not honor the orphan
1 translator’s note
- It is not like you imagine. Rather, Allāh tries people through prosperity and hardship and rewards both gratitude and patience with honor in the Hereafter. ↩
89:18
وَلَا تَحَٰٓضُّونَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ ٱلۡمِسۡكِينِ ١٨
And you do not encourage one another to feed the poor.
89:19
وَتَأۡكُلُونَ ٱلتُّرَاثَ أَكۡلٗا لَّمّٗا ١٩
And you consume inheritance, devouring [it] altogether,1
1 translator’s note
- Not caring whether it is lawful or unlawful. ↩
89:20
وَتُحِبُّونَ ٱلۡمَالَ حُبّٗا جَمّٗا ٢٠
And you love wealth with immense love.
89:21
كـَلَّآۖ إِذَا دُكَّتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ دَكّٗا دَكّٗا ٢١
No! When the earth has been leveled - pounded and crushed
89:22
وَجَآءَ رَبُّكَ وَٱلۡمَلَكُ صَفّٗا صَفّٗا ٢٢
And your Lord has come1 and the angels, rank upon rank,
1 translator’s note
- To pass judgement. See footnote to 2:19. ↩
89:23
وَجِاْيٓءَ يَوۡمَئِذِۭ بِجَهَنَّمَۚ يَوۡمَئِذٖ يَتَذَكَّرُ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ وَأَنَّىٰ لَهُ ٱلذِّكۡرَىٰ ٢٣
And brought [within view], that Day, is Hell - that Day, man will remember, but how [i.e., what good] to him will be the remembrance?