سُوْرَةُ صٓ
Surah Saad (38) — Ayah 12
كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ وَعَادٌ وَفِرْعَوْنُ ذُو ٱلْأَوْتَادِ ﴿12﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Before them (were many who) belied (Messengers) - the people of Nûh (Noah); and ‘Âd; and Fir‘aun (Pharaoh) the man of stakes (with which he used to punish the people),
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
كَذَّبَتْ
kadhabat
Denied
قَبْلَهُمْ
qablahum
before them
قَوْمُ
qawmu
(the) people
نُوحٍۢ
nūḥin
(of) Nuh
وَعَادٌۭ
waʿādun
and Aad
وَفِرْعَوْنُ
wafir'ʿawnu
and Firaun
ذُو
dhū
(the) owner
ٱلْأَوْتَادِ
l-awtādi
(of) the stakes
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 13,12) ➊ {كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوْحٍ وَّ عَادٌ …:} That is, what status do these poor Quraysh and their allied groups have? Before them, there were nations far greater in number, power, and glory—namely, the people of Noah, Pharaoh of the stakes, ‘Ad, Thamud, the people of Lot, and the companions of the thicket. They were mighty armies, each of whom denied the messengers, so My punishment befell them.
➋ { وَ فِرْعَوْنُ ذُو الْاَوْتَادِ : ’’ الْاَوْتَادِ ‘‘ ’’وَتَدٌ‘‘} is the plural of "Watad" (stake). Calling Pharaoh “the one of the stakes” either means that when he was displeased with someone, he would punish them by having stakes driven through their hands and feet, or that his kingdom was so strong as if stakes were driven into the earth, or that his army was so numerous that wherever they camped, stakes for tents could be seen everywhere. It is also possible that the buildings he constructed were fixed in the ground like stakes, as the pyramids of Egypt have been embedded in the earth for thousands of years.
➋ { وَ فِرْعَوْنُ ذُو الْاَوْتَادِ : ’’ الْاَوْتَادِ ‘‘ ’’وَتَدٌ‘‘} is the plural of "Watad" (stake). Calling Pharaoh “the one of the stakes” either means that when he was displeased with someone, he would punish them by having stakes driven through their hands and feet, or that his kingdom was so strong as if stakes were driven into the earth, or that his army was so numerous that wherever they camped, stakes for tents could be seen everywhere. It is also possible that the buildings he constructed were fixed in the ground like stakes, as the pyramids of Egypt have been embedded in the earth for thousands of years.
