Quran Universe
8:52

كَدَأۡبِ ءَالِ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡۚ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَوِيّٞ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ

Kadabi ali firAAawna waallatheena min qablihim kafaroo biayati Allahi faakhathahumu Allahu bithunoobihim inna Allaha qawiyyun shadeedu alAAiqabi

[Theirs is] like the custom of the people of Pharaoh and of those before them. They disbelieved in the signs of Allah, so Allah seized them for their sins. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and severe in penalty.

Word by word
  1. كَدَأۡبِLike (the) way
  2. ءَالِ(of) people
  3. فِرۡعَوۡنَ(of) Firaun
  4. وَٱلَّذِينَand those who
  5. مِن(were) from
  6. قَبۡلِهِمۡۚbefore them
  7. كَفَرُواْThey disbelieved
  8. بِـَٔايَٰتِin (the) Signs
  9. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  10. فَأَخَذَهُمُso seized them
  11. ٱللَّهُAllah
  12. بِذُنُوبِهِمۡۚfor their sins
  13. إِنَّIndeed
  14. ٱللَّهَAllah
  15. قَوِيّٞ(is) All-Strong
  16. شَدِيدُ(and) severe
  17. ٱلۡعِقَابِ(in) the penalty
Al-Anfal · 8:52Madinah

The same pattern as Pharaoh's people.

Denying signs, and what follows

An old pattern
Pharaoh's peopleand those before them
rejected
Allah's signs
so
seized for their sins
Why history repeats
bad luckthings just happened
a way of Allahdeeds have consequences

Ibn Kathir explains that those who fought the Prophet ﷺ were behaving like Pharaoh's people and earlier nations who rejected the messengers. Allah dealt with them as He deals with their like. None can resist Him or escape His grasp.

Patterns repeat in a life too. You ignore the first warning sign, then the second. The same argument, the same debt, the same regret, every few years. Notice the pattern before it becomes your story.

History is about other people. My life is different.

Ignoring signs follows a pattern. I can notice mine and break it.

Try this

Identify one warning sign in your life you keep ignoring. Take it seriously today.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Similar to the behavior of the people of Fir'awn, and of those before them – they rejected the Ayat of Allah, so Allah punished them for their sins. Verily, Allah is All-Strong, severe in punishment (52)

Allah says, 'The behavior of these rebellious disbelievers against what I sent you with, O Muhammad, is similar to the behavior of earlier disbelieving nations. So We behaved with them according to Our Da'b, that is, Our behavior [or custom] and way, as We did with them with what We often do and decide concerning their likes, the denying people of Fir'awn and the earlier nations who rejected the Messengers and disbelieved in Our Ayat,'

فَأَخَذَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ

(so Allah punished them for their sins.)

Because of their sins, Allah destroyed them

إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِيٌّ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ

(Verily, Allah is All-Strong, severe in punishment.)

none can resist Him or escape His grasp.