His saying, the Almighty: "And We surely seized the people of Pharaoh..."

8839 - Muhammad ibn Yahya told us, al-'Abbas informed us, Yazid informed us, from Sa'id, from Qatadah regarding His saying: "And We surely seized the people of Pharaoh with years [of famine]," meaning: Allah afflicted them with years of famine, year after year, and a shortage of fruits. As for the years [of drought], that was in their deserts and among their livestock, and as for the shortage of fruits, that was in their cities and villages.

His saying, the Almighty: "with years [of famine]"

[The first interpretation]

8840 - My father told us, 'Amr ibn 'Awn told us, Sharik informed us, from Ibn Ishaq, from Abu 'Ubaydah, from 'Abd Allah regarding His saying: "And We surely seized the people of Pharaoh with years," he said: Years of famine.

8841 - My father told us, Muhammad ibn 'Imran ibn Abi Layla told us, Bishr told us, from Abu Rawq, from al-Dahhak, from Ibn 'Abbas who said: When Allah seized the people of Pharaoh with years [of famine], every tree they had dried up and their livestock perished, until the Nile of Egypt dried up. They gathered before Pharaoh and said to him: "If you are who you claim to be, then bring us water in the Nile of Egypt." He said: "Tomorrow morning the water will come to you." When they left him, he said [to himself]: "What have I done? I am not capable of making water flow in the Nile of Egypt by tomorrow morning; they will surely call me a liar." When it was the middle of the night, he got up, washed, put on a wool garment, and went out walking until he reached the Nile of Egypt. He stood in its bed and said: "O Allah, You know that I know that You are capable of filling the Nile of Egypt with water, so fill it with water." He was barely aware before the sound of water approaching [was heard], so he ran away, and the Nile came gushing with water, [as] Allah willed for their destruction.

The second interpretation:

8842 - Hajjaj ibn Hamzah told us, Shababah told us, Warqa' told us, from Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid, regarding His saying: "with years," [meaning] calamities.

His saying, the Almighty: "and [a] shortage of fruits"

8843 - My father told us, 'Abd Allah ibn Raja' told us, Shayban informed us, from Abu Ishaq, from Raja' ibn Haywah regarding "and [a] shortage of fruits," he said: Until a date palm would produce only one unripe date.