ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَا مِنۢ بَعْدِهِم مُّوسَىٰ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَآ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَإِي۟هِۦ فَظَلَمُوا۟ بِهَا ۖ فَٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ 103
Translations
Then We sent after them Moses with Our signs to Pharaoh and his establishment, but they were unjust toward them. So see how was the end of the corrupters.
Transliteration
Thumma ba'athna min ba'dihim Musa bi-ayatina ila Fir'awna wa mala-ihi fa-zalimu biha fa-nzur kayfa kana aqibatu al-mufsideen
Tafsir (Explanation)
After the destruction of previous nations, Allah sent Prophet Musa with clear signs (miracles) to Pharaoh and his assembly, yet they rejected and wronged themselves by denying these signs. The ayah concludes with a command to observe and reflect upon the ultimate fate of those who spread corruption and reject divine guidance. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that this ayah demonstrates the recurring pattern of divine mercy through prophets and the inevitable punishment of those who arrogantly refuse guidance.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan portion of Surah Al-A'raf and is part of a broader narrative sequence reviewing the histories of previous nations and prophets. The surah presents these examples to the Quraysh to warn them against following the destructive path of rejection taken by Pharaoh and his people, drawing historical parallels for the believers in Mecca.
Related Hadiths
The story of Musa and Pharaoh is extensively referenced in authentic hadith collections. Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim contain numerous hadiths about the ten plagues sent upon Pharaoh's people and his ultimate drowning, emphasizing divine justice. Abu Dawud also records traditions about the lessons to be learned from Pharaoh's arrogance and rejection of truth.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that consistent rejection of divine truth despite clear signs leads to inevitable ruin, and serves as a timeless warning against arrogance and corruption. Reflecting on the fate of past nations strengthens faith and encourages humility in accepting divine guidance in our own lives.
Related Ayahs
أَمْ حَسِبْتَ أَنَّ أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْكَهْفِ وَٱلرَّقِيمِ كَانُوا۟ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا عَجَبًا
Or have you thought that the companions of the cave and the inscription were, among Our signs, a wonder?
قَالَ أَرَءَيْتَ إِذْ أَوَيْنَآ إِلَى ٱلصَّخْرَةِ فَإِنِّى نَسِيتُ ٱلْحُوتَ وَمَآ أَنسَىٰنِيهُ إِلَّا ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ أَنْ أَذْكُرَهُۥ ۚ وَٱتَّخَذَ سَبِيلَهُۥ فِى ٱلْبَحْرِ عَجَبًا
He said, "Did you see when we retired to the rock? Indeed, I forgot [there] the fish. And none made me forget it except Satan - that I should mention it. And it took its course into the sea amazingly."
يَسْـَٔلُكَ أَهْلُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ أَن تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ كِتَـٰبًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۚ فَقَدْ سَأَلُوا۟ مُوسَىٰٓ أَكْبَرَ مِن ذَٰلِكَ فَقَالُوٓا۟ أَرِنَا ٱللَّهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ ٱلصَّـٰعِقَةُ بِظُلْمِهِمْ ۚ ثُمَّ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ ٱلْعِجْلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْهُمُ ٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتُ فَعَفَوْنَا عَن ذَٰلِكَ ۚ وَءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَىٰ سُلْطَـٰنًا مُّبِينًا
The People of the Scripture ask you to bring down to them a book from the heaven. But they had asked of Moses [even] greater than that and said, "Show us Allāh outright," so the thunderbolt struck them for their wrongdoing. Then they took the calf [for worship] after clear evidences had come to them, and We pardoned that. And We gave Moses a clear authority.
قَالُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا بِرَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
They said, "We have believed in the Lord of the worlds,