3:11

كَدَأۡبِ ءَالِ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡۚ كَذَّبُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ

Kadabi ali firAAawna waallatheena min qablihim kaththaboo biayatina faakhathahumu Allahu bithunoobihim waAllahu shadeedu alAAiqabi

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

Word by word
  1. كَدَأۡبِLike behavior
  2. ءَالِ(of the) people
  3. فِرۡعَوۡنَ(of) Firaun
  4. وَٱلَّذِينَand those who
  5. مِن(were) from
  6. قَبۡلِهِمۡۚbefore them
  7. كَذَّبُواْThey denied
  8. بِـَٔايَٰتِنَاOur Signs
  9. فَأَخَذَهُمُso seized them
  10. ٱللَّهُAllah
  11. بِذُنُوبِهِمۡۗfor their sins
  12. وَٱللَّهُAnd Allah
  13. شَدِيدُ(is) severe
  14. ٱلۡعِقَابِ(in) [the] punishment
Ali 'Imran · 3:11Madinah

Pharaoh's people had a habit. It ended badly.

A pattern of denial and how it ends


The old pattern
Pharaoh's peopleand nations before
denied
Allah's signsclear proofs
so
seized for sinssevere penalty
Da'b means habit
one-time slipI'll change later
a settled habitthat becomes a path

Ibn Kathir notes Ibn Abbas read the word here as the behavior and habit of Pharaoh's people. They and the nations before them rejected the messengers and proofs, and their end was the same.

It starts small: ignoring one reminder, then scrolling past the next. After a while it is just how you are. The verse is about habits more than single moments. Habits can also be turned.

Ignoring one reminder is no big deal.

Repeated ignoring becomes a pattern, and patterns have an end.

Try this

Notice one reminder you usually brush off, and act on it once today.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 3:10)

Verily, those who disbelieve, neither their properties nor their offspring will avail them whatsoever against Allah; and it is they who will be fuel of the Fire (10)Like the behavior of the people of Fir'awn and those before them; they belied Our Ayat. So Allah punished them for their sins. And Allah is severe in punishment (11)

On the Day of Resurrection, No Wealth or Offspring Shall Avail

Allah states that the disbelievers shall be fuel for the Fire,

يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ الظَّالِمِينَ مَعْذِرَتُهُمْ وَلَهُمُ اللَّعْنَةُ وَلَهُمْ سُوءُ الدَّارِ

(The Day when their excuses will be of no profit to wrongdoers. Theirs will be the curse, and theirs will be the evil abode (i.e. painful torment in Hell-fire).)[40:52].

Further, what they were granted in this life of wealth and offspring shall not avail them with Allah, or save them from His punishment and severe torment. Similarly, Allah said,

فَلَا تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُهُمْ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُم بِهَا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَتَزْهَقَ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ كَافِرُونَ

(So let not their wealth nor their children amaze you; in reality Allah's plan is to punish them with these things in the life of this world, and that their souls shall depart (die) while they are disbelievers.)[9:55], and,

لَا يَغُرَّنَّكَ تَقَلُّبُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي الْبِلَادِ - مَتَاعٌ قَلِيلٌ ثُمَّ مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ

(Let not the free disposal (and affluence) of the disbelievers throughout the land deceive you. A brief enjoyment; then, their ultimate abode is Hell; and worst indeed is that place for rest.)[3:196-197].

Allah said in this Ayah [3:10],

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا

(Verily, those who disbelieve) meaning, disbelieved in Allah's Ayat, denied His Messengers, defied His Books and did not benefit from His revelation to His Prophets,

 لَن تُغْنِيَ عَنْهُمْ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُهُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمْ وَقُودُ النَّارِ

(Neither their properties nor their offspring will avail them whatsoever against Allah; and it is they who will be fuel of the Fire.) meaning, they will be the wood with which the Fire is kindled and fed. Similarly, Allah said,

إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ

(Certainly you (disbelievers) and that which you are worshipping now besides Allah, are (but) fuel for Hell!)[21:98].

Allah said next,

كَدَأْبِ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ

(Like the Da'b of the people of Fira'wn.) Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn 'Abbas said that the Ayah means, "Like the behavior of the people of Fir'awn." This is the same Tafsir of 'Ikrimah, Mujahid, Abu Malik, Ad-Dahhak, and others. Other scholars said that the Ayah means, "Like the practice, conduct, likeness of the people of Fir'awn." These meanings are all plausible, for the Da'b means practice, behavior, tradition and habit. The Ayah indicates that the disbelievers will not benefit from their wealth or offspring. Rather, they will perish and be punished. This is the same end the people of Fir'awn and the previous nations met, those who rejected the Messengers, the Ayat, and proofs of Allah that they were sent with.

وَاللَّهُ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ

(And Allah is severe in punishment.) meaning, His punishment is severe and His torment is painful. None can escape Allah's grasp, nor does anything escape His knowledge. Allah does what He wills and prevails over all things, it is He to Whom everything is humbled and there is no deity worthy of worship, nor any Lord except Him.