Transliteration:( Wa awrasnal qawmal lazeena kaanoo yustad'afoona mashaariqal ardi wa maghaari bahal latee baaraknaa feehaa wa tammat kalimatu Rabbikal husnaa 'alaa Baneee Israaa'eela bimaa sabaroo wa dammarnaa maa kaana yasna'u Fir'awnu wa qawmuhoo wa maa kaanoo ya'rishoon )
And We made a people, who were already oppressed, inheritors of the eastern and western parts of the land (289) in which We placed Our blessings (290). And the gracious promise of your Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel (291), in reward for their patience. And We destroyed whatever Pharaoh and his people produced and what they used to erect (292).
After the drowning of Pharaoh, the Israelites—once oppressed and enslaved—were made owners of the entire land of Egypt. The words “eastern and western parts” symbolize the entire territory. The term “inheritors” signifies that they gained ownership after the fall of Pharaoh, with no contradiction, as some misinterpretations wrongly suggest. It marked a complete reversal of power by the will of Allah.
The land granted to the Israelites was filled with blessings of both dunya and akhirah. Especially in Syria and Palestine, where fruits and vegetation are abundant, and where the graves of Prophets and sacred landmarks like the starting point of Al-Mi'raj exist. These blessings signify both material prosperity and spiritual elevation.
Allah’s promise to Musa (peace be upon him) was fulfilled as the Children of Israel were rescued and honored, all in reward for their patience. This emphasizes that divine promises made to Prophets are always kept, and that steadfastness leads to victory and fulfillment.
Everything Pharaoh and his people built—gardens, monuments, and wealth—was destroyed. The Israelites did not inherit these directly, as they had long since fallen into ruin. Their destruction was not just by divine punishment, but also by gradual desolation, ensuring that the oppressors' legacy was erased, and the new phase of divine justice could begin.
The tafsir of Surah Al-A’raf verse 137 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah A’raf ayat 136 which provides the complete commentary from verse 136 through 137.
(7:137) And We made those who had been persecuted inherit the eastern and western lands which We had blessed.[97] Thus your Lord’s gracious promise was fulfilled to the Children of Israel, for they had endured with patience; and We destroyed all that Pharaoh and his people had wrought, and all that they had built.
97. The Israelites were made the inheritors of Palestine. This has been interpreted by some commentators of the Qur’an to mean that the Israelites were made the rulers of Egypt as well. This view, however, is neither supported by, the Qur’an nor by any other historical and archaeological evidence. We have, therefore, serious reservations about the correctness of this opinion. (See Tafhim a]-Qur’an, (al-Kahf 18, n. 57), and (al-Shuara’ 26, n. 45)
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