Does "Dhul Awtad" mentioned in Surat Al-Fajr refer to the pyramids? Has this interpretation been reported by any of the exegetes, and is it correct?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
Some contemporary scholars interpreted "al-awtad" (stakes/pegs) as the pyramids, while the well-known interpretation among the Salaf (early Muslims) is that they refer to soldiers or the pegs Pharaoh used to torture people. It was said that he would tie a man to a peg at each limb, then drop a rock on him. Some also interpreted it as Pharaoh driving pegs into the ground to which he would tie the limbs of his opponents before killing them with arrows. It is also possible that "al-awtad" refers to power and tyranny, or the pyramids due to their firmness and stability, resembling pegs.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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