كَأَنْ لَمْ يَغْنَوْا فِيهَا أَلَا بُعْدًا لِمَدْيَنَ كَمَا بَعِدَتْ ثَمُودُ ﴿۹۵﴾ وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسَى بِآيَاتِنَا وَسُلْطَانٍ مُبِينٍ ﴿۹۶﴾ إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَئِهِ فَاتَّبَعُوا أَمْرَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَا أَمْرُ فِرْعَوْنَ بِرَشِيدٍ ﴿۹۷﴾ يَقْدُمُ قَوْمَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَأَوْرَدَهُمُ النَّارَ وَبِئْسَ الْوِرْدُ الْمَوْرُودُ ﴿۹۸﴾ وَأُتْبِعُوا فِي هَذِهِ لَعْنَةً وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِئْسَ الرِّفْدُ الْمَرْفُودُ ﴿۹۹﴾ ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَنْبَاءِ الْقُرَى نَقُصُّهُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْهَا قَائِمٌ وَحَصِيدٌ ﴿۱۰۰﴾

﴾95﴿ Ka-al-lam yaghnaw feehaaa; alaa bu'dal li Madyana Kamaa ba'idat Samood
﴾96﴿ Wa laqad arsalnaa Moosaa bi Aayaatinaa wa sultaanim mubeen
﴾97﴿ Ilaa Fir'awna wa mala'ihee fattaba'ooo amra Fir'awna wa maaa amru Fir'awna birasheed
﴾98﴿ Yaqdumu qawmahoo Yawmal Qiyaamati fa awrada humun Naara wa bi'sal wirdul mawrood
﴾99﴿ Wa utbi'oo fee haazihee la'natanw wa Yawmal Qiyaamah; bi'sar rifdul marfood
﴾100﴿ Zaalika min ambaaa'il quraa naqussuhoo 'alaika minhaa qaaa'imunw wa haseed

﴾95﴿ It was as if they had never dwelt there (in that place). Beware! destruction is for the people of Madyan just like the destruction of the people of Thamud
﴾96﴿ And indeed, We sent Moses (peace be upon him) with Our signs and a clear proof
﴾97﴿ They followed the way of Pharaoh and the leaders of his people, but the way of Pharaoh brought them no benefit
﴾98﴿ He leads his people forward on the Day of Judgment, then causes them to enter the Fire, and what an evil place it is to enter
﴾99﴿ And a curse shall follow them continuously in this world and on the Day of Resurrection as well, and wretched is the gift that was given to them
﴾100﴿ Some of the news is mentioned as being decades old; we narrate it to you. Some of them remain in their place, while others have been altered or overturned

[95] In this verse, the punishment of the people of Shu‘ayb (peace be upon him) is compared to the punishment of Thamūd, due to the similarity in the form of torment — both were struck by a blast (ṣayḥah) and a tremor (rajfah).
Another reason for the comparison may be that both nations were Arab tribes and shared cultural or regional connections.
In verse 67, the verb (أَخَذَ) appears in masculine form, and in this verse 94, the verb (أَخَذَتْ) appears in feminine form.
This difference is due to the interpretation (ta’wīl) of the word ṣayḥah (صيحة):
– If it is understood as ṣiyāḥ (shouting/sound) — a masculine noun, then the verb is masculine.
– If kept as ṣayḥah — which is a feminine noun, then the verb appears in feminine form, as here.
It is narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with him) that:
– The blast of Thamūd came from beneath the earth, – While the blast of the people of Shu‘ayb came from the sky.
This adds to the precision and variation in Allah’s punishments, tailored to the crimes and circumstances of each nation.
[96] From this point begins the seventh narrative — the story of Mūsā (peace be upon him) — presented briefly, since it was already explained in detail in Surah Yūnus.
This story relates to the third main theme (da‘wah) of the surah, which is: “Remember the courage of Mūsā (peace be upon him) when he stood against Pharaoh.”
(بِآيَاتِنَا) — refers to the general miracles of Mūsā (peace be upon him), such as the hand and the staff.
(سُلْطَانٍ مُبِينٍ) — refers either to the specific miracle of the staff (ʿaṣā) turning into a serpent, or to the divinely inspired awe and fear (ruʿb) that Allah placed in Pharaoh’s heart toward Mūsā — for Pharaoh feared him greatly, even as he tried to oppose him outwardly.
[97] In this verse, the great corruption and wickedness of Pharaoh’s followers is mentioned — specifically, that they followed him in opposing Mūsā (peace be upon him).
The word (أَمْرَ) here refers to his way, religion, or system — meaning his ideology and leadership.
The phrase (وَمَا أَمْرُ فِرْعَوْنَ بِرَشِيدٍ) — Pharaoh’s way was not rightly guided — is a direct refutation of Pharaoh’s false claim to guidance, as he said in Surah Ghāfir (40:29): “I only show you what I see and guide you to the path of right conduct.”
This verse exposes that claim as a lie, showing that Pharaoh’s path was misguided and destructive, not one of truth or wisdom.
[98] This verse is a warning of the Hereafter, and it reflects the principle that the punishment fits the nature of the deed.
Pharaoh was a leader (muqtaḍā) of his people in this world, leading them in misguidance — so on the Day of Judgment, he will also be their leader into Hellfire, as part of his punishment.
(الْوِرْدُ) — literally refers to approaching or arriving at a water source, but here it is used mockingly (tahakkuman) for Hell, as if they were going to water — when in reality, they are being led to torment and thirst, the opposite of what wird normally implies.
This use of irony emphasizes the humiliation and reversal of Pharaoh’s fate in the afterlife.
[99] This verse mentions both worldly and eternal punishment:
In the world, Pharaoh and his people were cursed by Allah, the angels, and the believers.
And in the Hereafter, they will be cursed again — a continuation of disgrace and rejection.
The phrase (الرِّفْدُ) — which normally means support or aid — is used here mockingly (tahakkuman) in connection with la‘nah (curse).
Although "rifd" is not usually associated with cursing, it is used here to emphasize the irony — as if the only “support” they will receive is the curse itself, turning a word of benefit into a symbol of their eternal disgrace.
[100] This verse relates to all the previous events mentioned in the surah.
The word (قَائِمٌ) means still present or existing — for example:
– The structures and ruins of the Pharaohs in Egypt still remain,
– The stone-carved dwellings of the Thamūd are still visible in the mountains near Madā’in Ṣāliḥ,
– While the villages of the ʿĀd and the people of Lūṭ have been completely wiped out and are no longer visible.
The verse serves as a reminder and warning — that the traces of the past nations remain as signs for reflection, showing the truth of the prophets and the consequences of denial.