Meaning of ‘Pharaoh, owner of stakes’ in verse 89:10

9-8-2017 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalaamu alaykum. I was just wondering: does 89:8 mean what they used to do, like that Pharaoh killed people on stakes? Or does it mean what they have done, like the pyramids.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Allah says (what means): {And [with] Pharaoh, owner of the stakes?} [Quran 89:10]

There were several interpretations of the word ‘stakes’; Ibn Al-Jawzi said in Zaad Al-Maseer about the interpretation of Soorah Sad [as the same verse is mentioned in Soorah 38:12]:

“There are six views about the meaning of the verse {And [with] Pharaoh, owner of the stakes?}:

1- He used to torture the people with four stakes to which he would tie them up, then he would lift up a rock and throw it on the person, and it would injure him in his head. This is reported from Ibn Mas’ood and Ibn ‘Abbaas. Al-Hasan and Mujaahid said: ‘He used to torture people with stakes which he put in their hands and feet.’

2- He had well-built structures. This was also reported from Ibn ‘Abbaas. Adh-Dhahhaak and Al-Qurathi said the same thing. Ibn Qutaybah chose the same view, as he said: ‘The Arabs say: They have an honor with firm stakes, and a rule with firm stakes; meaning that it is permanent and strong.’

3- What is meant by stakes are the soldiers; this was reported by ‘Atiyyah from Ibn ‘Abbaas, because the soldiers supported his rule and strengthened him in the same manner that the stakes strengthen something.

4- He used to build a signpost on which he would slaughter the people.

5- He had four cylinders; he would take a man by his arms and legs and tie each limb to a cylinder and torture him in this manner. The fourth and this fifth views were narrated by Sa’eed ibn Jubayr.

6- He had structures and playgrounds where people would play for him; this was said by ‘Ataa’ and Qataadah.” 

Allah knows best.