Surah Al-Isra — Verse 103

Word Meanings:

• يَسْتَفِزَّهُم: to disturb, provoke, or drive them out forcibly — meaning to uproot them from their place and expel them.
• مِنَ الْأَرْضِ: from the land — i.e., the land of Egypt.
• فَأَغْرَقْنَاهُ: so We drowned him — referring to Pharaoh.
• وَمَن مَّعَهُ جَمِيعًا: and those with him, all together — meaning his entire army and followers.

Tafsir (Explanation):

After Allah had shown Pharaoh and his people the mighty signs through Prophet Musa (Moses, peace be upon him) — the staff turning into a serpent, the shining hand, and the plagues — Pharaoh did not learn his lesson. Instead, his arrogance and tyranny only grew. He resolved to expel Musa and the Children of Israel from the land of Egypt, intending to strip them of their homes, their security, and their very existence. He wanted to uproot them completely, thinking that by doing so he could silence the truth and crush the faith that had begun to spread.

But Allah — the All-Powerful, the Just — turned Pharaoh’s evil plan against him. No sooner did Pharaoh make this wicked decision than Allah drowned him and all his soldiers in the sea — not one of them survived. The very water that Pharaoh had once used to oppress and terrorize the Children of Israel became the means of his own destruction. The tyrant who sought to expel others was himself expelled from life, from power, and from mercy — his body preserved as a sign for later generations, as mentioned in another verse.

This is a profound lesson for every oppressor and tyrant throughout history: when a person plots evil against the righteous, Allah’s plan is greater and His justice is swift. The believer should never fear the schemes of the powerful, for Allah is the Protector of His servants. He says in the Qur'an: “And they planned, and Allah planned, and Allah is the best of planners” (Al-Imran 3:54).

Reflect on this: Pharaoh had the might of an empire, the wealth of Egypt, and an army that seemed invincible. Yet when Allah willed his destruction, none of that could save him. The sea that parted for Musa and his people closed over Pharaoh and his hosts. So trust in Allah, for He never abandons those who rely on Him, and He never lets the wrongdoers escape His justice — even if their power seems overwhelming for a time. The end always belongs to the righteous.