Surah Al-Qasas (القصص) • The Stories

Quran 28:4

28:4

إِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ عَلَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَجَعَلَ أَهْلَهَا شِيَعًا يَسْتَضْعِفُ طَآئِفَةً مِّنْهُمْ يُذَبِّحُ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ وَيَسْتَحْىِۦ نِسَآءَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ

inna fir'ʿawna ʿalā fī l-arḍi wajaʿala ahlahā shiyaʿan yastaḍʿifu ṭāifatan min'hum yudhabbiḥu abnāahum wayastaḥyī nisāahum innahu kāna mina l-muf'sidīna

Indeed, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land and made its people into factions, oppressing a sector among them, slaughtering their [newborn] sons and keeping their females alive. Indeed, he was of the corrupters.

— Saheeh International

Pharaoh made himself high and mighty in the land and divided the people into different groups: one group he oppressed, slaughtering their sons and sparing their women––he was one of those who spread corruption––

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

Verily, Fir‘aun (Pharaoh) exalted himself in the land and made its people sects, weakening (oppressing) a group (i.e. Children of Israel) among them: killing their sons, and letting their females live. Verily, he was of the Mufsidûn(i.e. those who commit great sins and crimes, oppressors, tyrants).

— Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

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Word by Word

إِنَّinnaIndeed
فِرْعَوْنَfir'ʿawnaFiraun
عَلَاʿalāexalted himself
فِىfīin
ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍithe land
وَجَعَلَwajaʿalaand made
أَهْلَهَاahlahāits people
شِيَعًۭاshiyaʿan(into) sects
يَسْتَضْعِفُyastaḍʿifuoppressing
طَآئِفَةًۭṭāifatana group
مِّنْهُمْmin'humamong them
يُذَبِّحُyudhabbiḥuslaughtering
أَبْنَآءَهُمْabnāahumtheir sons
وَيَسْتَحْىِۦwayastaḥyīand letting live
نِسَآءَهُمْۚnisāahumtheir women
إِنَّهُۥinnahuIndeed, he
كَانَkānawas
مِنَminaof
ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَl-muf'sidīnathe corrupters