Al-Qur'an Surah Al-A'raf Verse 91

Mufti Taqi Usmani

So, the earthquake seized them, and they were (found dead) in their homes, fallen on their faces.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Then an ˹overwhelming˺ earthquake struck them and they fell lifeless in their homes.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Then they were seized by the earthquake and they fell lifeless in their homes.

A. J. Arberry

So the earthquake seized them, and morning found them in their habitation fallen prostrate,

Abdul Haleem

an earthquake seized them: by the next morning they were lying dead in their homes;

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Whereupon an earthquake laid hold of them: so that they lay prone in their dwelling.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

But the earthquake took them unawares, and they lay prostrate in their homes before the morning!

Abul Ala Maududi

Thereupon a shocking catastrophe seized them, and they remained prostrate in their dwellings.

Ahmed Ali

Then they were seized by an earthquake, and lay overturned on the ground in their homes in the morning.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Therefore the earthquake seized them – so at morning they remained lying flattened in their homes.

Ali Quli Qarai

So the earthquake seized them, and they lay lifeless prostrate in their homes.

Ali Ünal

Then a shocking catastrophe seized them, so that they lay prostrate and lifeless in their very dwellings –

Amatul Rahman Omar

Then they were caught in an earthquake and the morning found them lying prostrate on the ground in their habitations.

English Literal

So the tremble/shake/quake punished/took them so they became/became in the morning in their home/country/place stuck to the ground (dead).102

Faridul Haque

Therefore the earthquake seized them - so at morning they remained lying flattened in their homes.

Hamid S. Aziz

So the earthquake seized them, and in the morning they lay prone in their dwellings.

Hilali & Khan

So the earthquake seized them and they lay (dead), prostrate in their homes.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And the chiefs of his people, who disbelieved, said: If you follow Shuaib, you are surely losers.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Then the earthquake overtook them, so they became motionless bodies in their abode.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

So the earthquake seized them and morning found them prostrate in their dwelling-place.

Muhammad Sarwar

Suddenly, an earthquake struck them and left them motionless in their homes.

Qaribullah & Darwish

So the earthquake seized them, at the morning they were crouched in their dwellings, dead.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

So the earthquake seized them and they lay (dead), prostrate in their homes.

Wahiduddin Khan

Thereupon an earthquake overtook them and morning found them lying flattened in their homes;

Talal Itani

Thereupon, the quake struck them; and they became lifeless bodies in their homes.

Tafsir jalalayn

So the Trembling, the violent earthquake, seized them, and they lay lifeless prostrate in their habitations, keeled over their knees, dead.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

So the earthquake seized them and they lay (dead), prostrate in their homes.

Allah said that the earthquake shook them, as punishment for threatening to expel Shu`ayb and his followers.

Allah mentioned their end again in Surah Hud,

وَلَمَّا جَأءَ أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا شُعَيْبًا وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنَّا وَأَخَذَتِ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ الصَّيْحَةُ فَأَصْبَحُواْ فِى دِيَـرِهِمْ جَـثِمِينَ

And when Our commandment came, We saved Shu`ayb and those who believed with him by a mercy from Us. And the Sayhah (loud cry) seized the wrongdoers, and they lay (dead) prostrate in their homes. (11;94)

This Ayah mentions the Sayhah (cry) that struck them after they mocked Shu`ayb, saying,
أَصَلَتُكَ تَأْمُرُكَ
. (Does your Salah (prayer) command you...11;87), so it was befitting to mention here the cry that made them silence.

In Surah Ash-Shu`ara, Allah said,
فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَخَذَهُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمِ الظُّلَّةِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ
But they belied him, so the torment of the Day of Shadow (a gloomy cloud) seized them. Indeed that was the torment of a Great Day. (26;189) because they challenged Shu`ayb,
فَأَسْقِطْ عَلَيْنَا كِسَفًا مِّنَ السَّمَاء
("So cause a piece of the heaven to fall on us, if you are of the truthful!)" (26;187).

Therefore, Allah stated that each of these forms of punishment struck them on the Day of the Shadow.

First,
فَأَخَذَهُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمِ الظُّلَّةِ
So the torment of the Day of Shadow (a gloomy cloud) seized them (26;189), when a gloomy cloud came over them (containing) fire, flames and a tremendous light.

Next, a cry from the sky descended on them and a tremor shook them from beneath. Consequently, their souls were captured, their lives were taken and their bodies became idle,
فَأَصْبَحُواْ فِي دَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ
(and they lay (dead), prostrate in their homes).

Allah said next