Al-Qasas 28:38
The Stories · Juz 20 · Page 390
وَقَالَ فِرۡعَوۡنُ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡمَلَأُ مَا عَلِمۡتُ لَكُم مِّنۡ إِلَٰهٍ غَيۡرِي فَأَوۡقِدۡ لِي يَٰهَٰمَٰنُ عَلَى ٱلطِّينِ فَٱجۡعَل لِّي صَرۡحٗا لَّعَلِّيٓ أَطَّلِعُ إِلَىٰٓ إِلَٰهِ مُوسَىٰ وَإِنِّي لَأَظُنُّهُۥ مِنَ ٱلۡكَٰذِبِينَ ٣٨
And Pharaoh said, "O eminent ones, I have not known you to have a god other than me. Then ignite for me, O Hāmān, [a fire] upon the clay1 and make for me a tower that I may look at the God of Moses. And indeed, I do think he is among the liars."
1 translator’s note
- From which bricks are made. ↩
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Commentary on 28:38–42
The Arrogance of Fir`awn and His ultimate Destiny
Allah tells us of Fir`awn's disbelief and wrongdoing, and how he falsely claimed divinity for his evil self, may Allah curse him.
فَاسْتَخَفَّ قَوْمَهُ فَأَطَاعُوهُ
(Thus he fooled his people, and they obeyed him.) 43:54 He called on his people to recognize his divinity, and they responded, because of their weak and foolish minds. So, he said:
يأَيُّهَا الْملأ مَا عَلِمْتُ لَكُمْ مِّنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرِى
(O chiefs! I know not that you have a god other than me.) Allah tells us about Fir`awn:
فَحَشَرَ فَنَادَى - فَقَالَ أَنَاْ رَبُّكُمُ الاٌّعْلَى - فَأَخَذَهُ اللَّهُ نَكَالَ الاٌّخِرَةِ وَالاٍّوْلَى - إِنَّ فِى ذَلِكَ لَعِبْرَةً لِّمَن يَخْشَى
(Then he gathered (his people) and cried aloud, saying: "I am your lord, most high." So Allah, seized him with punishment for his last and first transgression. Verily, in this is an instructive admonition for whosoever fears Allah.) (79:23-26) meaning: he brought his people together and called to them in a loud voice, shouting that, and they responded to him obediently. So Allah took revenge on him, and made him a lesson to others in this world and the Hereafter. He even confronted Musa with that, and said:
لَئِنِ اتَّخَذْتَ إِلَهَاً غَيْرِى لأَجْعَلَنَّكَ مِنَ الْمَسْجُونِينَ
(If you choose a god other than me, I will certainly put you among the prisoners) (26:29).
فَأَوْقِدْ لِى يَهَمَنُ عَلَى الطِّينِ فَاجْعَل لِّى صَرْحاً لَّعَلِّى أَطَّلِعُ إِلَى إِلَهِ مُوسَى
(So kindle for me (a fire), O Haman, to bake (bricks out of) clay, and set up for me a Sarh in order that I may look at the God of Musa;) He commanded his minister and adviser Haman to bake bricks for him, i.e., to make bricks in order to build a Sarh, a exalted towering palace. This is like the Ayah,
وَقَالَ فَرْعَوْنُ يهَمَنُ ابْنِ لِى صَرْحاً لَّعَلِّى أَبْلُغُ الاٌّسْبَبَ - أَسْبَبَ السَّمَوَتِ فَأَطَّلِعَ إِلَى إِلَهِ مُوسَى وَإِنِّى لاّظُنُّهُ كَذِباً وَكَذَلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِفِرْعَوْنَ سُوءُ عَمَلِهِ وَصُدَّ عَنِ السَّبِيلِ وَمَا كَيْدُ فِرْعَوْنَ إِلاَّ فِى تَبَابٍ
(And Fir`awn said: "O Haman! Build me a Sarh that I may arrive at the ways -- the ways of the heavens, and I may look upon the God of Musa, but verily, I think him to be a liar." Thus it was made fair seeming, in Fir`awn's eyes, the evil of his deeds, and he was hindered from the path; and the plot of Fir`awn led to nothing but loss and destruction) (40:36-37). Fir`awn built this tower, which was the highest structure ever seen on earth, because he wanted to show his people that Musa was lying when he claimed that there was a God other than Fir`awn. Fir`awn said:
وَإِنِّى لأَظُنُّهُ مِنَ الْكَذِبِينَ
(and verily, I think that he (Musa) is one of the liars.) meaning, `when he says that there is a lord other than me.' The issue was not whether Allah had sent Musa, because he did not acknowledge the existence of the Creator in the first place. On the contrary, he said:
وَمَا رَبُّ الْعَلَمِينَ
(And what is the Lord of Al-`Alamin) (26:23) and:
لَئِنِ اتَّخَذْتَ إِلَهَاً غَيْرِى لأَجْعَلَنَّكَ مِنَ الْمَسْجُونِينَ
(If you choose a god other than me, I will certainly put you among the prisoners.) (26:29) and he said:
يأَيُّهَا الْملأ مَا عَلِمْتُ لَكُمْ مِّنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرِى
(O chiefs! I know not that you have a god other than me.) This was the view of Ibn Jarir.
وَاسْتَكْبَرَ هُوَ وَجُنُودُهُ فِى الاٌّرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَظَنُّواْ أَنَّهُمْ إِلَيْنَا لاَ يُرْجَعُونَ
(And he and his armies were arrogant in the land, without right, and they thought that they would never return to Us.) means, they were arrogant oppressors who spread much mischief in the land, and they believed that there would be no Resurrection.
فَصَبَّ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّكَ سَوْطَ عَذَابٍ - إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَبِالْمِرْصَادِ
(So, your Lord poured on them different kinds of severe torment. Verily, your Lord is Ever Watchful (over them).) (89:13-14). Allah says here:
فَأَخَذْنَهُ وَجُنُودَهُ فَنَبَذْنَهُمْ فِى الْيَمِّ
(So, We seized him and his armies, and We threw them all into the sea.) meaning, `We drowned them in the sea in a single morning, and not one of them was left.'
فَانظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَقِبَةُ الظَّلِمِينَوَجَعَلْنَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَدْعُونَ إِلَى النَّارِ
(So, behold what was the end of the wrongdoers. And We made them leaders inviting to the Fire) for those who followed them and took the same path as they did, rejecting the Messengers and denying the Creator.
وَيَوْمَ الْقِيمَةِ لاَ يُنصَرُونَ
(and on the Day of Resurrection, they will not be helped.) their humiliation in this world is combined with and connected to their humiliation in the Hereafter, as Allah says:
أَهْلَكْنَهُمْ فَلاَ نَصِرَ لَهُمْ
(We have destroyed them. And there was none to help them) (47:13).
وَأَتْبَعْنَهُم فِى هَذِهِ الدُّنْيَا لَعْنَةً
(And We made a curse to follow them in this world,) Allah decreed that they and their king Fir`awn should be cursed by the believers among His servants who follow His Messengers, just as in this world they were cursed by the Prophets and their followers.
وَيَوْمَ القِيَمَةِ هُمْ مِّنَ الْمَقْبُوحِينَ
(and on the Day of Resurrection, they will be among disgraced.) Qatadah said, "This Ayah is like the Ayah,
وَأُتْبِعُواْ فِى هَذِهِ لَعْنَةً وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَمَةِ بِئْسَ الرِّفْدُ الْمَرْفُودُ
(They were pursued by a curse in this (life) and on the Day of Resurrection. Evil indeed is the gift given.) (11:99)."
Page 390
28:36
فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُم مُّوسَىٰ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا بَيِّنَٰتٖ قَالُواْ مَا هَٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحۡرٞ مُّفۡتَرٗى وَمَا سَمِعۡنَا بِهَٰذَا فِيٓ ءَابَآئِنَا ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ٣٦
But when Moses came to them with Our signs as clear evidences, they said, "This is not except invented magic, and we have not heard of this [religion] among our forefathers."
28:37
وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ رَبِّيٓ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن جَآءَ بِٱلۡهُدَىٰ مِنۡ عِندِهِۦ وَمَن تَكُونُ لَهُۥ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلدَّارِۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفۡلِحُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ ٣٧
And Moses said, "My Lord is more knowing [than we or you] of who has come with guidance from Him and to whom will be succession in the home.1 Indeed, wrongdoers do not succeed."
1 translator’s note
- i.e., in this world or in the Hereafter. ↩
28:38
وَقَالَ فِرۡعَوۡنُ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡمَلَأُ مَا عَلِمۡتُ لَكُم مِّنۡ إِلَٰهٍ غَيۡرِي فَأَوۡقِدۡ لِي يَٰهَٰمَٰنُ عَلَى ٱلطِّينِ فَٱجۡعَل لِّي صَرۡحٗا لَّعَلِّيٓ أَطَّلِعُ إِلَىٰٓ إِلَٰهِ مُوسَىٰ وَإِنِّي لَأَظُنُّهُۥ مِنَ ٱلۡكَٰذِبِينَ ٣٨
And Pharaoh said, "O eminent ones, I have not known you to have a god other than me. Then ignite for me, O Hāmān, [a fire] upon the clay1 and make for me a tower that I may look at the God of Moses. And indeed, I do think he is among the liars."
1 translator’s note
- From which bricks are made. ↩
28:39
وَٱسۡتَكۡبَرَ هُوَ وَجُنُودُهُۥ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ بِغَيۡرِ ٱلۡحَقِّ وَظَنُّوٓاْ أَنَّهُمۡ إِلَيۡنَا لَا يُرۡجَعُونَ ٣٩
And he was arrogant, he and his soldiers, in the land, without right, and they thought that they would not be returned to Us.
28:40
فَأَخَذۡنَٰهُ وَجُنُودَهُۥ فَنَبَذۡنَٰهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡيَمِّۖ فَٱنظُرۡ كَيۡفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ٤٠
So We took him and his soldiers and threw them into the sea.1 So see how was the end of the wrongdoers.
1 translator’s note
- Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) caused them to leave all their worldly wealth behind and enter the sea in pursuit of the Children of Israel. See 26:52-66. ↩
28:41
وَجَعَلۡنَٰهُمۡ أَئِمَّةٗ يَدۡعُونَ إِلَى ٱلنَّارِۖ وَيَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ لَا يُنصَرُونَ ٤١
And We made them leaders1 inviting to the Fire, and on the Day of Resurrection they will not be helped.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., examples or precedents, followed by subsequent tyrants. ↩
28:42
وَأَتۡبَعۡنَٰهُمۡ فِي هَٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا لَعۡنَةٗۖ وَيَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ هُم مِّنَ ٱلۡمَقۡبُوحِينَ ٤٢
And We caused to overtake them in this world a curse, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be of the despised.1
1 translator’s note
- Literally, "those made hideous," who will be far removed from all good and mercy. ↩
28:43
وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا مُوسَى ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَآ أَهۡلَكۡنَا ٱلۡقُرُونَ ٱلۡأُولَىٰ بَصَآئِرَ لِلنَّاسِ وَهُدٗى وَرَحۡمَةٗ لَّعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ ٤٣
And We gave Moses the Scripture, after We had destroyed the former generations, as enlightenment for the people and guidance and mercy that they might be reminded.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy