Lessons from the Destruction of Fir`awn, `Ad, Thamud, and the People of Nuh

Allah the Exalted said,

﴿ وَفِى مُوسَىٰٓ إِذۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَـٰهُ إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ بِسُلۡطَـٰنٍ۬ مُّبِينٍ۬ ﴾

(And in Musa, when We sent him to Fir`awn with a manifest authority.) meaning, with clear proof and plain evidence,

﴿ فَتَوَلَّىٰ بِرُكۡنِهِۦ ﴾

(But he turned away along with his hosts,) meaning, in rebellion and arrogance, Fir`awn turned away from the plain truth that Musa was sent with,

﴿ ثَانِىَ عِطۡفِهِۦ لِيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۖ ﴾

(Bending his neck in pride, and leading (others) too (far) astray from the path of Allah.)(22:9 ), meaning turning away from truth in arrogance,

﴿ وَقَالَ سَـٰحِرٌ أَوۡ مَجۡنُونٌ۬ ﴾

(and said: "A sorcerer, or a madman.'') meaning Fir`awn said to Musa, "With regards to the message that you brought me, you are either a magician or a madman.'' Allah the Exalted replied,

﴿ فَأَخَذۡنَـٰهُ وَجُنُودَهُ ۥ فَنَبَذۡنَـٰهُمۡ ﴾

(So We took him and his armies, and dumped them), meaning `We threw them,'

﴿ فِى ٱلۡيَمِّ ﴾

(into the Yamm), into the sea,

﴿ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ۬ ﴾

(for he was blameworthy.) meaning, Fir`awn was a denying sinner and a stubborn disbeliever worthy of blame. Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said,

﴿ وَفِى عَادٍ إِذۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡہِمُ ٱلرِّيحَ ٱلۡعَقِيمَ ﴾

(And in `Ad when We sent against them the barren wind) that destroys everything and produces nothing. This was said by Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah and others. Allah's statement,

﴿ مَا تَذَرُ مِن شَىۡءٍ أَتَتۡ عَلَيۡهِ ﴾

(It spared nothing that it reached,) meaning, everything that the wind could destroy,

﴿ إِلَّا جَعَلَتۡهُ كَٱلرَّمِيمِ ﴾

(but blew it into broken spreads of rotten ruins.) meaning, made it just like a rotten and destroyed. Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib and others commented on:

﴿ إِذۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡہِمُ ٱلرِّيحَ ٱلۡعَقِيمَ ﴾

(when We sent against them the barren wind),"Southerly winds.'' However, there is a Hadith in the Sahih from Shu`bah bin Al-Hakam, from Mujahid, from Ibn `Abbas, who said that the Messenger of Allah said,

« نُصِرْتُ بِالصَّبَا وَأُهْلِكَتْ عَادٌ بِالدَّبُور »

(I have been made victorious with the Saba (easterly wind), and the people of `Ad were destroyed with the Dabur (westerly wind).) Allah saying,

﴿ وَفِى ثَمُودَ إِذۡ قِيلَ لَهُمۡ تَمَتَّعُواْ حَتَّىٰ حِينٍ۬ ﴾

(And in Thamud, when they were told: "Enjoy yourselves for a while!'') is just as He said in another Ayah,

﴿ وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيۡنَـٰهُمۡ فَٱسۡتَحَبُّواْ ٱلۡعَمَىٰ عَلَى ٱلۡهُدَىٰ فَأَخَذَتۡہُمۡ صَـٰعِقَةُ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٱلۡهُونِ ﴾

(And as for Thamud, We guided them to the path of truth, but they preferred blindness to guidance; so the Sa`iqah of disgracing torment seized them.) (41:17) Allah said here,

﴿ وَفِى ثَمُودَ إِذۡ قِيلَ لَهُمۡ تَمَتَّعُواْ حَتَّىٰ حِينٍ۬ • فَعَتَوۡاْ عَنۡ أَمۡرِ رَبِّہِمۡ فَأَخَذَتۡهُمُ ٱلصَّـٰعِقَةُ وَهُمۡ يَنظُرُونَ ﴾

(And in Thamud, when they were told: "Enjoy yourselves for a while!'' But they insolently defied the command of their Lord, so the Sa`iqah overtook them while they were looking.) Thamud were given a respite for three days, during which they await the torment. In the early morning of the fourth day, the torment overtook them,

﴿ فَمَا ٱسۡتَطَـٰعُواْ مِن قِيَامٍ۬ ﴾

(Then they were unable to rise up,) they were unable to escape and run away from it,

﴿ وَمَا كَانُواْ مُنتَصِرِينَ ﴾

(nor could they help themselves.) nor could they save themselves from the torment that befell them. Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said,

﴿ وَقَوۡمَ نُوحٍ۬ مِّن قَبۡلُ‌ۖ ﴾

((So were) the people of Nuh before them.) meaning, `We destroyed the people of Nuh before these people (Fir`awn, `Ad and Thamud).'

﴿ إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ قَوۡمً۬ا فَـٰسِقِينَ ﴾

(Verily, they were a people who were revellious.) We mentioned these stories in details before in the Tafsir of several other Surahs.

﴿ وَٱلسَّمَآءَ بَنَيۡنَـٰهَا بِأَيۡيْدٍ۬ وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ • وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ فَرَشۡنَـٰهَا فَنِعۡمَ ٱلۡمَـٰهِدُونَ • وَمِن ڪُلِّ شَىۡءٍ خَلَقۡنَا زَوۡجَيۡنِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ • فَفِرُّوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ‌ۖ إِنِّى لَكُم مِّنۡهُ نَذِيرٌ۬ مُّبِينٌ۬ • وَلَا تَجۡعَلُواْ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَـٰهًا ءَاخَرَ‌ۖ إِنِّى لَكُم مِّنۡهُ نَذِيرٌ۬ مُّبِينٌ۬ ﴾

(47. With Hands We constructed the heaven. Verily, We are able to expand the vastness of space thereof.) (48. And We have made the earth a Firash; how excellent spreader (thereof) are We!) (49. And of everything We have created pairs, that you may remember.) (50. So, flee to Allah. Verily, I am a plain warner to you from Him.) (51. And set not up any other god along with Allah. Verily, I am a plain warner to you from Him.)