Surah Hud — Verse 99

Word Meanings:

• لَعْنَةً (La‘nah): A curse, being cast out and distanced from Allah’s mercy.
• الرِّفْدُ (Rifd): Literally means a provision, supply, or aid given to someone. Here it refers to what they were given or "supplied" with.
• الْمَرْفُودُ (Marfood): That which is given or supplied, piled upon one another.

Explanation of the Verse:

After Pharaoh and his people were destroyed by drowning in the sea, Allah tells us that they were pursued in this worldly life with a curse—being cast out from all goodness and mercy, disgraced and humiliated among the nations. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will be followed by another curse, as they will be cast into the blazing Fire. So they received a double punishment: the torment of this world and the torment of the Hereafter.

The verse then declares: "How evil is the gift that is given!" This is a powerful rhetorical statement expressing the utmost disapproval. What a terrible "provision" they received—a provision of curses, divine wrath, and punishment that piled upon them in this life and the next. Their "gift" was not something to be thankful for, but rather a source of eternal regret and suffering.

A Call to Reflection and Faith:

This verse serves as a profound reminder of the consequences of arrogance, transgression, and rejecting the truth. Pharaoh and his people were given every chance to believe, yet they chose pride and oppression. Their end was utter ruin—both in this world and the next.

For us as believers, this is a lesson in humility and obedience. Allah’s mercy is vast, but His justice is certain. Let us not be like those who earned His curse, but rather strive to be among those who earn His pleasure and His eternal reward. The path of faith is the path of safety, and the Qur’an constantly calls us to it with love and wisdom. Let us take heed before it is too late, and let us turn to Allah with sincere repentance, for He is the Most Merciful, the Oft-Forgiving.