ثُمَّ أَغْرَقْنَا ٱلْـَٔاخَرِينَ 82
Translations
Then We drowned the others [i.e., disbelievers].
Transliteration
Thumma aghraqna al-akhireen
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to Allah's drowning of the disbelievers and those who rejected Noah's message after he and the believers were saved in the ark. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this verse emphasizes Allah's decisive punishment upon those who persistently rejected His signs and His messenger, demonstrating that rejection of truth inevitably leads to destruction. The ayah illustrates the divine justice whereby the righteous are delivered while the arrogant face annihilation.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within the account of Prophet Noah in Surah As-Saffat, which is a Meccan surah recounting stories of the prophets to console the Prophet Muhammad and strengthen the believers' faith during persecution. The broader narrative context shows how Noah preached for 950 years, and only a few believed, while the majority drowned in the flood—a parallel to the Meccan rejection of Muhammad's message.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari (3156) records that the Prophet mentioned Noah spent 950 years calling his people to Allah. Sunan Ibn Majah contains accounts emphasizing that only eighty believers were with Noah, contrasting sharply with the multitude who rejected him and faced drowning.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that persistent rejection of divine guidance carries inevitable consequences, while sincere faith and obedience lead to salvation and deliverance. Modern readers are reminded that heeding the message of truth is not merely a personal choice but a matter of spiritual survival, and that Allah's justice ensures the righteous are protected while the arrogant face their reckoning.