Who Were the Two Nations Whom Allah Drowned?
من هم الأقوام الذين أغرقهم الله؟
The people of Nuh (Noah) and Fir'awn (Pharaoh) and his army. 1) The people of Nuh: "And (remember) Nuh (Noah), when he cried (to Us) aforetime. We listened to his invocation and saved him and his family from great distress. We helped him against the people who denied Our Ayat. Verily, they were a people given to evil, so We drowned them all" (Surah Al-Anbiya 21:76-77). 2) Fir'awn and his army: "Then Fir'aun (Pharaoh) pursued them with his hosts, but the sea-water completely overwhelmed them and covered them up" (Surah Ta-Ha 20:78). "So We seized him and his hosts, and We threw them all into the sea (and drowned them). So behold what was the end of the wrongdoers" (Surah Al-Qasas 28:40). "But he turned away, along with his hosts, and said, 'A sorcerer, or a madman.' So We took him and his hosts, and dumped them into the sea, while he was to be blamed" (Surah Adh-Dhariyat 51:38-40).
هم قوم نوح، كما أغرق الله تعالى فرعون وجنوده. 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). وفرعون وجنوده: فَأَتْبَعَهُمْ فِرْعَوْنُ بِجُنُودِهِ فَغَشِيَهُم مِّنَ الْيَمِّ مَا غَشِيَهُمْ (سورة طه: 78). فَأَخَذْنَاهُ وَجُنُودَهُ فَنَبَذْنَاهُمْ فِي الْيَمِّ فَانظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الظَّالِمِينَ (سورة القصص: 40). 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.
2. Pharaoh and His Army | فرعون وجنوده
Fir'awn pursued Musa 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 four separate surahs, 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 just before his end.
3. Why This Story Recurs Across So Many Surahs | لماذا تتكرر هذه القصة في سور عديدة
This pattern of the same historical event being retold from different angles across multiple surahs also appears with the refrain of the five Messengers who asked 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.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Which two nations did Allah drown?
The people of Nuh (Noah) and Fir'awn (Pharaoh) with his army.
Why was 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.