Juz 24: Az-Zumar 32 to Fuṣṣilat 46
Section 12 of 18 · Tafsir of the Qur’an · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Allah's Protection and the Fate of Pharaoh's People
The story continues with Allah's immediate response to the believing man's trust:
فَوَقَاهُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِ مَا مَكَرُوا وَحَاقَ بِآلِ فِرْعَوْنَ سُوءُ الْعَذَابِ
“So Allah saved him from the evils of what they planned, and the house of Pharaoh was encircled by an evil punishment.”
This verse affirms a fundamental Islamic principle: Allah protects those who place their trust in Him. The believing man, despite being surrounded by powerful enemies, was saved by divine intervention, while Pharaoh and his followers faced severe punishment.
What follows in verse 46 is particularly significant as it reveals an aspect of the afterlife that occurs before the Day of Resurrection:
النَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوًّا وَعَشِيًّا وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُوا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ
“The Fire! They are exposed to it morning and evening. And on the day when the Hour will take place, (it will be said), "Make the house of Pharaoh enter the most severe punishment.”
This verse indicates that the people of Pharaoh are already experiencing punishment in barzakh (the intermediary realm between death and resurrection). They are presented to the Fire morning and evening, yet this is not their final punishment. On the Day of Judgment, they will face an even more severe chastisement when they will be commanded to enter "the worst punishment." This verse is one of the Quranic evidences for punishment in the grave before the Final Day.
The narrative then shifts to portray the arguments that will occur in Hellfire between the followers and their leaders, reflecting how worldly hierarchies will collapse in the face of divine judgment. The weak followers will say to their arrogant leaders:
إِنَّا كُنَّا لَكُمْ تَبَعًا فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّغْنُونَ عَنَّا نَصِيبًا مِّنَ النَّارِ
“We were your followers. Now, can you relieve us of a portion of the Fire?”
The leaders will respond with the harsh reality that they are all equally subjected to Allah's judgment:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ حَكَمَ بَيْنَ الْعِبَادِ
“Allah has already passed judgment upon [all His] servants.”
The passage continues with the desperate pleas of the inhabitants of Hellfire calling upon the keepers of Hell to ask Allah for a reduction in their punishment. The keepers respond by reminding them that messengers had come to them with clear signs, yet they rejected them. When they affirm this truth, the keepers simply tell them to make their supplications themselves, though they warn that such prayers from disbelievers are destined to be in vain.
This powerful narrative concludes with Allah's promise that He will support His messengers and the believers, both in this world and on the Day when witnesses will stand forth, emphasizing the ultimate triumph of truth over falsehood despite temporary setbacks in worldly life.