Surah 8:54
Show Full Scripture Context (8:52-54) — 3 Verses
كَدَأۡبِ ءَالِ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡۚ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَوِيّٞ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ
(It will be) like the case of the house of Pharaoh, and those who were before them: they disbelieved in the signs of God, so God seized them for their sins. Surely God is strong, harsh in retribution.
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَمۡ يَكُ مُغَيِّرٗا نِّعۡمَةً أَنۡعَمَهَا عَلَىٰ قَوۡمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُواْ مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمۡ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٞ
That is because God is not one to change the blessing with which He has blessed a people, until they change what is within themselves. (Know) that God is hearing, knowing.
كَدَأۡبِ ءَالِ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡۚ كَذَّبُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِ رَبِّهِمۡ فَأَهۡلَكۡنَٰهُم بِذُنُوبِهِمۡ وَأَغۡرَقۡنَآ ءَالَ فِرۡعَوۡنَۚ وَكُلّٞ كَانُواْ ظَٰلِمِينَ
Like the case of the house of Pharaoh, and those who were before them: they called the signs of their Lord a lie, so We destroyed them for their sins, and We drowned the house of Pharaoh. All were evildoers.
53. That is so because Allah will never change a grace which He has bestowed on a people until they change what is in themselves. And verily, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower .
54. Similar to the behavior of the people of Fir'awn, and those before them. They belied the Ayat of their Lord, so We destroyed them for their sins, and We drowned the people of Fir'awn for they were all wrongdoers .
Allah affirms His perfect justice and fairness in His decisions, for He decided that He will not change a bounty that He has granted someone, except on account of an evil that they committed. Allah said in another Ayah,
<Verily, Allah will not change the (good) condition of a people as long as they do not change their state (of goodness) themselves. But when Allah wills a people's punishment, there can be no turning it back, and they will find besides Him no protector .> [13:11]
Allah said next,
<Similar to the behavior of the people of Fir'awn,>
meaning, He punished Fir'awn and his kind, those who denied His Ayat. Allah destroyed them because of their sins, and took away the favors that He granted them, such as gardens, springs, plants, treasures and pleasant dwellings, as well as all of the delights that they enjoyed. Allah did not wrong them, but it is they who wronged themselves.
— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (batch_021)