Allah then says,
[وَفِرْعَوْنَ ذِى
الاٌّوْتَادِ ]
(And Fir`awn with Al-Awtad) Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said,
"Al-Awtad are the armies who enforced his commands for him.'' It has also been
said that Fir`awn used to nail their hands and their feet into pegs (Awtad) of
iron that he would hang them from. A similar statement was made by Mujahid when
he said, "He used to nail the people (up) on pegs.'' Sa`id bin Jubayr, Al-Hasan
and As-Suddi all said the same thing. Allah said,
[الَّذِينَ طَغَوْاْ
فِى الْبِلَـدِ - فَأَكْثَرُواْ فِيهَا الْفَسَادَ ]
(Who did transgress beyond bounds in the lands. And made therein much
mischief.) meaning, they rebelled, were arrogant, and went about making
corruption in the land, and harming the people.
[فَصَبَّ عَلَيْهِمْ
رَبُّكَ سَوْطَ عَذَابٍ ]
(So, your Lord poured on them different kinds of severe torment.) meaning, He
sent down a torment upon them from the sky and caused them to be overcome by a
punishment that could not be repelled from the people who were criminals.
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