Surah Al-A'raaf 7:137

سُورَةُ الأَعۡرَافِ“The Heights”

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Qur'an 7:137

وَأَوْرَثْنَا ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَانُوا يُسْتَضْعَفُونَ مَشَٰرِقَ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَغَٰرِبَهَا ٱلَّتِى بَٰرَكْنَا فِيهَا وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ عَلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ بِمَا صَبَرُوا وَدَمَّرْنَا مَا كَانَ يَصْنَعُ فِرْعَوْنُ وَقَوْمُهُ وَمَا كَانُوا يَعْرِشُونَ

Wa awrasnal qawmal lazeena kaanoo yustad'afoona mashaariqal ardi wa maghaari bahal latee baaraknaa feehaa wa tammat kalimatu Rabbikal husnaa 'alaa Baneee Israaa'eela bimaa sabaroo wa dammarnaa maa kaana yasna'u Fir'awnu wa qawmuhoo wa maa kaanoo ya'rishoon

Translation

And We caused the people who had been oppressed to inherit the eastern regions of the land and the western ones, which We had blessed. And the good word of your Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel because of what they had patiently endured. And We destroyed [all] that Pharaoh and his people were producing and what they had been building.

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Tafsir of this Ayah Ibn Kathir

So We took retribution from them. We drowned them in the sea, because they belied Our Ayat and were heedless with them (136)And We made the people who were considered weak to inherit the eastern parts of the land and the western parts thereof which We have blessed. And the fair Word of your Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel, because of their endurance. And We destroyed what Fir'awn and his people produced, and what they erected (137)

The People of Fir'awn drown in the Sea; the Children of Israel inherit the Holy Land

Allah states that when the people of Fir'awn rebelled and transgressed, even though He inflicted them with consecutive signs, one after another, He took retribution from them by drowning them in the sea that Musa parted by Allah's power, and he and the Children of Israel passed through. In their pursuit, Fir'awn and his soldiers went in the sea chasing Musa and his people. When they all had gone inside the water, the sea closed in on them and they all drowned, because they belied the Ayat of Allah and were heedless of them. Allah said that He has granted the people who were considered weak, the Children of Israel, to inherit the eastern and western parts of the land.

Al-Hasan Al-Basri and Qatadah commented that Allah's statement,

مَشَارِقَ الْأَرْضِ وَمَغَارِبَهَا الَّتِي بَارَكْنَا فِيهَا

(...the eastern parts of the land and the western parts thereof which We have blessed.) refers to the Sham area (Greater Syria). Also, Mujahid and Ibn Jarir said that Allah's statement,

وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ الْحُسْنَىٰ عَلَىٰ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ بِمَا صَبَرُوا

(And the fair Word of your Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel, because of their endurance.) is explained by Allah's other statement,

وَنُرِيدُ أَن نَّمُنَّ عَلَى الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَنَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَنَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوَارِثِينَ - وَنُمَكِّنَ لَهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَنُرِيَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَامَانَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا مِنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا يَحْذَرُونَ

(And We wished to do a favor to those who were weak (and oppressed) in the land, and to make them rulers and to make them the inheritors. And to establish them in the land, and We let Fir'awn and Haman and their hosts receive from them that which they feared)[28:5-6]. Further, Allah's statement,

وَدَمَّرْنَا مَا كَانَ يَصْنَعُ فِرْعَوْنُ وَقَوْمُهُ

(And We destroyed what Fir'awn and his people produced,) meaning, We destroyed what Fir'awn and his people produced, such as agriculture and buildings.

وَمَا كَانُوا يَعْرِشُونَ

(and what they erected.) Ibn 'Abbas and Mujahid said that

يَعْرِشُونَ

(they erected) means, they built.