Surah Al A'raf Tafseer

وَأَوْرَثْنَا الْقَوْمَ الَّذِينَ كَانُواْ يُسْتَضْعَفُونَ

So We took retribution from them. We drowned them in the sea, because they belied Our Ayat and were heedless with them. And We made the people who were considered weak to inherit...

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.

مَشَارِقَ الَارْضِ وَمَغَارِبَهَا الَّتِي بَارَكْنَا فِيهَا

the eastern parts of the land and the western parts thereof which We have blessed.

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

refers to the Sham area (Greater Syria).

وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ الْحُسْنَى عَلَى بَنِي إِسْرَايِيلَ بِمَا صَبَرُواْ

And the fair Word of your Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel, because of their endurance.

Mujahid and Ibn Jarir said that Allah's statement, is explained by Allah's other statement,

وَنُرِيدُ أَن نَّمُنَّ عَلَى الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُواْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَنَجْعَلَهُمْ أَيِمَّةً وَنَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوَارِثِينَ

وَنُمَكِّنَ لَهُمْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَنُرِىَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَـمَـنَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا مِنْهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يَحْذَرونَ

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 كَانُواْ يَعْرِشُونَ

and what they erected.

Ibn Abbas and Mujahid said that

يَعْرِشُونَ

(they erected),

means, they built