Al-Haaqqa (The Reality)

9. And Pharaoh and those before him and the inhabitants of the shattered cities [of the people of Lot] who had committed grave sins.

10. And they disobeyed their Lord’s Messenger, so He inflicted them with a strong chastisement.

Following a reference made to the dire fate of the peoples of ‘Àd and Thamud, the blessed Verses in question make mention of other peoples like those of Pharaoh, Lot so that the awakened may take lessons of them, saying that Pharaoh and those before them and the inhabitants of the shattered habitations (the people of Lot) had committed grave sins.

The Arabic word khati’a denotes mistake and error and it herein connotes different sins like polytheism, disbelief, wrong doing, and corruption. The plural nominal form mu’tafikat (sg. mu’tafika) implies revolution and undergoing drastic changes and it herein alludes to the habitations of the people of Lot which were shattered owing to a severe earthquake.

The phrase

“before him” (min qablihi)

alludes to the peoples antedating Pharaoh, like that of Shu‘ayb and tyrants like Nimrod (Namrud).

The blessed Verse 10 is saying that they rose against their Lord’s Messenger (as) as a consequence of which God Almighty inflicted them with a severe torment. The people of Pharaoh rose against Prophet Moses (as) and Aaron.

The inhabitants of Sodom rose against Prophet Lot (as). Likewise, other peoples disobeyed their Prophets (as) and each of them were inflicted with a different kind of severe torment: the people of Pharaoh were drowned in the Nile which was the source of life, blessing, and prosperity in their land; the people of Lot with a strong earthquake followed by a downpour of rocks leading to their perdition.

The Arabic word rabiya, cognate with riba’ (“usury money, interest”), denotes increase and surplus and it herein connotes a very strong and severe torment.