Surah Al-A'raf 7:136

The People of Fir`awn drown in the Sea; the Children of Israel inherit the Holy Land

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

(...the eastern parts of the land and the western parts thereof which We have blessed.) refers to the Sham area (Greater Syria). Also, Mujahid and Ibn Jarir said that Allah's statement,

(And the fair Word of your Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel, because of their endurance.) is explained by Allah's other statement,

(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,

(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.

(and what they erected.) Ibn `Abbas and Mujahid said that

(they erected) means, they built.

Pada ayat ini Allah menceritakan tentang datangnya saat kebinasaan bagi Firaun dan kaumnya, setelah berbagai azab yang ditimpakan kepada mereka sebelumnya ternyata tidak mengubah sikap dan perbuatan mereka, lantaran kekufuran dan kezaliman mereka.

Firaun dan kaumnya telah mengingkari janji untuk membiarkan Bani Israil meninggalkan negeri Mesir bersama Nabi Musa. Oleh sebab itu, ketika Nabi Musa membawa kaumnya meninggalkan negeri itu menuju Palestina melalui Laut Merah, Firaun dan kaumnya mengejar mereka. Musa dan kaumnya selamat menyeberangi Laut Merah, tetapi Firaun dan kaumnya tenggelam ketika berada di tengah-tengah laut itu, maka mereka binasa.

Pada akhir ayat ini Allah menjelaskan bahwa hukuman tersebut dijatuhkan lantaran mereka senantiasa mendustakan ayat-ayat-Nya, dan tidak mau menyadari akibat yang menimpa mereka lantaran kekufuran dan kezaliman mereka, baik malapetaka di dunia ini, maupun azab sengsara di akhirat kelak. Sebagian dari kaum Firaun telah binasa bersamanya, karena mengikuti kesesatan dan kekufurannya. Sedang sebagiannya lagi binasa karena kekejaman dan kezaliman Firaun terhadap mereka.