Surah Al-Qasas, Ayah 4 (28:4)

ٱلْقَصَص

إِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ عَلَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَجَعَلَ أَهْلَهَا شِيَعًا يَسْتَضْعِفُ طَآئِفَةً مِّنْهُمْ يُذَبِّحُ …

Quran 28:4 is ayah 4 of Surah Al-Qasas (“The Stories”), a Meccan surah of 88 ayahs. It is in Juz 20, on page 385 of the Madani Mushaf.

28:4
إِنَّفِرْعَوْنَعَلَافِىٱلْأَرْضِوَجَعَلَأَهْلَهَاشِيَعًايَسْتَضْعِفُطَآئِفَةًمِّنْهُمْيُذَبِّحُأَبْنَآءَهُمْوَيَسْتَحْىِۦنِسَآءَهُمْ ۚإِنَّهُۥكَانَمِنَٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ٤
inna fir'ʿawna ʿalā fī l-arḍi wajaʿala ahlahā shiyaʿan yastaḍʿifu ṭāifatan min'hum yudhabbiḥu abnāahum wayastaḥyī nisāahum innahu kāna mina l-muf'sidīna

Indeed, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land and made its people into factions, oppressing a sector among them, slaughtering their [newborn] sons and keeping their females alive. Indeed, he was of the corrupters.(4)

Word by word

  1. إِنَّinnaIndeed
  2. فِرْعَوْنَfir'ʿawnaFiraun
  3. عَلَاʿalāexalted himself
  4. فِىfīin
  5. ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍithe land
  6. وَجَعَلَwajaʿalaand made
  7. أَهْلَهَاahlahāits people
  8. شِيَعًاshiyaʿan(into) sects
  9. يَسْتَضْعِفُyastaḍʿifuoppressing
  10. طَآئِفَةًṭāifatana group
  11. مِّنْهُمْmin'humamong them
  12. يُذَبِّحُyudhabbiḥuslaughtering
  13. أَبْنَآءَهُمْabnāahumtheir sons
  14. وَيَسْتَحْىِۦwayastaḥyīand letting live
  15. نِسَآءَهُمْ ۚnisāahumtheir women
  16. إِنَّهُۥinnahuIndeed, he
  17. كَانَkānawas
  18. مِنَminaof
  19. ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَl-muf'sidīnathe corrupters

Tafsir (commentary) of 28:4

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English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

This commentary explains ayahs 28:1–6 together.

Read the English tafsir of 28:1–6 →

Read the full Surah Al-Qasas