Tafsir of Sad 38:12

(Denied before them the people of Noah, and ‘Ad, and Pharaoh, possessor of the stakes [al-awtad])

This is a new commencement, confirming the content of what preceded it, by clarifying the states of the insolent tyrants regarding what they committed of denial and the punishment that was inflicted upon them.

"Possessor of the stakes" (dhu al-awtad) is an attribute of Pharaoh, not of everything that preceded it; otherwise, it would have been said "possessors of the stakes" (dhawu al-awtad). "Stakes" (al-awtad) is the plural of "stake" (watad), which is well known. The kasra (vowel 'i') on the ta is more common than the fatha (vowel 'a'). It is also said "watid" and "watid," just as it is said "shughl shaghil" (a busy task), as stated by al-Asma'i, who cited the line: "It encountered upon the water a support, firmly staked, and it would not fail its promises."

It is also said "wudd," by changing the ta into a dal and assimilating it, and "watt," by changing the dal into a ta, and this involves transposing the second to the first, which is rare. The origin of applying this term is to a tent fastened with its stakes; it does not remain upright without them, as al-A'sha said: "A house cannot be built except upon pillars, and there is no pillar if the stakes are not firmly set." Thus, it is said that he likened Pharaoh here—in the stability of his kingdom and the firmness of his authority—to a stable house whose pillars have been erected and whose stakes have been fixed, a metaphor concealed in the mind by way of a metonymic metaphor (isti'arah makniyyah), and he was described as "possessor of the stakes" by way of imagery (takhayyul). The meaning is: Denied before them the people of Noah, ‘Ad, and Pharaoh, whose kingdom and authority were firm.

It is also said: The firm kingdom was likened, in terms of stability and firmness, to the "possessor of the stakes," which is the tent fastened by its stakes, and "possessor of the stakes" was borrowed for it by way of an explicit metaphor (isti'arah tasrihiyyah). It is said that this is clearer than what preceded it; the end result is that Pharaoh was described with this as an exaggeration to make him the very essence of his kingdom, and the meaning refers to his being described by the stability of his kingdom, the firmness of his authority, and the uprightness of his affairs.

Ibn Mas'ud and Ibn Abbas, in a narration by 'Atiyyah, said: The stakes are the soldiers who strengthen his kingdom just as a stake strengthens a thing; meaning, "Pharaoh, possessor of the soldiers." The metaphor here is explicit regarding the "stakes." It is also said to be a figurative metonymy (majaz mursal) where "stakes" is used for soldiers. Others say it refers to the great, firm buildings, which also contains a figurative element.

Ibn Abbas, in another narration, as well as Qatadah and 'Ata', said: He—may the curse be upon him—had stakes and pieces of wood with which he used to play. It is also said that he used to stretch the one being tortured between four pillars, tying each of his limbs to a pillar, driving into each one a stake of iron, and leaving him until he died. A similar meaning is narrated from al-Hasan and Mujahid. It is also said: He would stretch him between four stakes in the earth and unleash upon him scorpions and snakes. And it is said: He would bind him to four stakes, then lift a rock and drop it upon him so that it would crush him. According to these last four accounts, the "stakes" are literal.