Who Were the Two Nations Whom Allah Drowned?
من هما الأمّتان اللتان أغرقهما الله تعالى؟
They are the people of Nuh (Noah), just as Allah the Almighty drowned Fir'awn (Pharaoh) and his army. 1) The people of Nuh: "And ˹remember˺ when Noah had cried out to Us earlier, so We responded to him and delivered him and his family from the great distress. And We made him prevail over those who had rejected Our signs. They were truly an evil people, so We drowned them all" (Surah Al-Anbiya 21:76-77). 2) Fir'awn and his army: "Then Pharaoh pursued them with his soldiers, but how overwhelming were the waters that submerged them!" (Surah Ta-Ha 20:78). "So We seized him and his soldiers, casting them into the sea. See then what was the end of the wrongdoers!" (Surah Al-Qasas 28:40). "And in ˹the story of˺ Moses ˹was another lesson,˺ when We sent him to Pharaoh with compelling proof, but Pharaoh was carried away by his power, saying ˹of Moses˺, 'A magician or a madman!' So We seized him and his soldiers, casting them into the sea while he was blameworthy" (Surah Adh-Dhariyat 51:38-40).
هم قوم نوح، كما أغرق الله تعالى فرعون وجنوده. قال الله تعالى في قوم نوح: وَنُوحًا إِذْ نَادَىٰ مِن قَبْلُ فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ فَنَجَّيْنَاهُ وَأَهْلَهُ مِنَ الْكَرْبِ الْعَظِيمِ وَنَصَرْنَاهُ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَوْمَ سَوْءٍ فَأَغْرَقْنَاهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ (سورة الأنبياء: 76-77). وقال في فرعون وجنوده: فَأَتْبَعَهُمْ فِرْعَوْنُ بِجُنُودِهِ فَغَشِيَهُم مِّنَ الْيَمِّ مَا غَشِيَهُمْ (سورة طه: 78)، وقال: فَأَخَذْنَاهُ وَجُنُودَهُ فَنَبَذْنَاهُمْ فِي الْيَمِّ فَانظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الظَّالِمِينَ (سورة القصص: 40)، وقال: وَفِي مُوسَىٰ إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَاهُ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ بِسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِينٍ فَتَوَلَّىٰ بِرُكْنِهِ وَقَالَ سَاحِرٌ أَوْ مَجْنُونٌ فَأَخَذْنَاهُ وَجُنُودَهُ فَنَبَذْنَاهُمْ فِي الْيَمِّ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ (سورة الذاريات: 38-40).
1. The People of Nuh | قوم نوح
Nuh preached to his people for centuries, and when they persisted in rejecting him, Allah answered his prayer and drowned them in the Flood while saving Nuh and the believers with him. Surah Al-Anbiya 21:76-77 frames this as Allah's direct response to a Messenger's sincere invocation after prolonged patience.
دعا نوح عليه السلام قومه قرونًا، فلما أصرّوا على تكذيبه استجاب الله دعاءه، فأغرقهم بالطوفان، وأنجاه والمؤمنين معه. وقد ذكر الله تعالى ذلك (الأنبياء 21: 76-77) استجابةً منه لدعاء رسوله بعد صبر طويل.
2. Pharaoh and His Army | فرعون وجنوده
Fir'awn pursued Musa (peace be upon him) and the Children of Israel as they fled Egypt, and his entire army was drowned in the sea. This event was significant enough that the Quran repeats it across several surahs, including Ta-Ha 20:78, Al-Qasas 28:40, and Adh-Dhariyat 51:38-40, each highlighting a different angle: the pursuit itself, the outcome for the wrongdoers, and Fir'awn's arrogant dismissal of Musa.
وطارد فرعون موسى عليه السلام وبني إسرائيل وهم يخرجون من مصر، فأغرقه الله وجنوده جميعًا في البحر. ولعِظم هذا الحدث تكرر ذكره في سور عدة، منها: (طه 20: 78)، و(القصص 28: 40)، و(الذاريات 51: 38-40)، تُبرز كل منها جانبًا: المطاردة نفسها، وعاقبة الظالمين، واستكبار فرعون حين رمى موسى بالسحر أو الجنون.
3. Why This Story Recurs Across So Many Surahs | لماذا تكررت القصة في سور عدة
Repetition with variation also appears within Surah Ash-Shu'ara, where five Messengers each tell their people that they ask for no reward, covered in What Reward Did All the Messengers Ask From Their People? Each retelling of Fir'awn's drowning serves a different lesson depending on the surah's broader theme, whether emphasizing Allah's justice, the futility of arrogance, or the certainty of Allah's support for His Messengers.
والتكرار مع التنويع معروف في القرآن، ومنه ما جاء في سورة الشعراء من قول كل واحد من الرسل الخمسة لقومه إنه لا يسألهم أجرًا، كما بيّنا في جواب: ما الأجر الذي طلبه الرسل من أقوامهم على دعوتهم إلى الله؟ وكل موضع ذُكر فيه إغراق فرعون يحمل عبرة بحسب سياق سورته: عدل الله، أو خيبة المتكبرين، أو يقين نصر الله لرسله.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Which two nations did Allah drown?
The people of Nuh (Noah) and Fir'awn (Pharaoh) with his army.
Why were the people of Nuh drowned?
They persistently rejected his message over a long period, and Allah answered Nuh's prayer by drowning them while saving him and the believers with him.
Why does Pharaoh's drowning appear in multiple surahs?
Each surah retells it to highlight a different lesson, such as Allah's justice, the futility of arrogance, or His support for His Messengers.
Where in the Quran is Pharaoh's drowning mentioned?
Among other places, in Surah Ta-Ha 20:78, Surah Al-Qasas 28:40, and Surah Adh-Dhariyat 51:38-40.