Tafseer of The Spoils of War · Al-Anfaal · 8:52
[Theirs is] like the custom of the people of Pharaoh and of those before them. They disbelieved in the signs of Allah, so Allah seized them for their sins. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and severe in penalty.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The discourse on the explanation of His statement: كَدَأْبِ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ وَالَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ فَأَخَذَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِيٌّ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ (Like the custom of the people of Pharaoh and those who were before them: they did not believe in the signs of Allah, and Allah seized them for their sins; verily, Allah is Strong, Severe in punishment) (52).
Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: The deed of these polytheists (mushrikīn) of the Quraysh, who were killed at Badr, is like the custom of the people of Pharaoh and their manner of conduct and their deed, and the deed of those among the past nations before them who denied the proofs of Allah and His messengers; and We did with them as We did with those others.
We have already explained earlier that "al-daʾb" is the condition and the custom, in a manner that makes it unnecessary to repeat it here.
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16208 — Al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz related to me, saying: Shaybān related to us, on the authority of Jābir, on the authority of ʿĀmir and Mujāhid and ʿAṭāʾ: كدأب آل فرعون (like the custom of the people of Pharaoh) — like the deed of the people of Pharaoh, like the fixed manners of conduct of the people of Pharaoh.
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And His statement: فأخذهم الله بذنوبهم (and Allah seized them for their sins), He says: and Allah punished them for their denial of His proofs and His messengers, and their disobedience to their Lord, just as He punished their likes and the nations that were before them. إن الله قوي (verily, Allah is Strong) — no victor overcomes Him, and none can repel His decree; He carries out His command and accomplishes His decree among His creatures. شديد العقاب (Severe in punishment) for whoever does not believe in His signs and rejects His proofs.
