The story of the believer from
Pharaoh's family is a story of the struggle between truth and falsehood. It is
a story that remains unchanged throughout time, even if its characters and
events vary. Tyrants and despots in every era share the same characteristics;
their arrogance, pride, and oppression of those beneath them are constant.
Likewise, their end is always the same: their downfall, their destruction, and
the destruction of their homes. Falsehood has its day, and truth has its days.
Falsehood swells and appears, through its earthly means, to be all-powerful.
But the steadfast truth, which draws its strength from God Almighty, crushes
it, and it vanishes. Woe to those who follow falsehood, for they will face a
painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter.
Falsehood is like the foam, froth,
and debris that rises to the surface of a flood; it is visible on the surface,
but its appearance is temporary and soon disappears. Confirming the words of
God Almighty in His Holy Book: “He sends down water (rain) from the
sky, and the valleys flow according to their measure, but the flood bears away
the foam that mounts up to the surface, and (also) from that (ore) which they
heat in the fire in order to make ornaments or utensils, rises a foam like unto
it; thus does Allah (by parables) show forth truth and falsehood. Then, as for
the foam, it passes away as scum upon the banks, while that which is for the
good of mankind remains in the earth. Thus Allah sets forth parables (for the
truth and falsehood, i.e., belief and disbelief)” [Surat Ar-Ra'd: 17]. It remains on
the earth, meaning it endures and lasts, its blessings are constant, and its
bounty is unending.
The story of the believer from
Pharaoh's family depicts a scene from the struggle between truth and falsehood,
a lesson for those who have a heart or give ear while they are present. Truth
is represented by the believer from Pharaoh's family, the sincere man of strong
faith who calls to God Almighty with wisdom and good counsel. Falsehood is
represented by Pharaoh, his court, and those among his people who were
misguided. The following lines depict the struggle between truth and falsehood
so that the people of truth may be strengthened in their faith and so that the
people of falsehood may know the dire consequences of falsehood in this world
and the Hereafter.
The scenes of this story begin with
God informing us that the believer from Pharaoh's family concealed his faith
from Pharaoh. The commentators say, "He did not conceal his faith out of
fear; otherwise, he would not have revealed it at the most critical moment,
when: "Fir'aun (Pharaoh) said, 'Leave me to kill Musa (Moses), and let him
call his Lord (to stop me from killing him)! I fear that he may change your
religion, or that he may cause mischief to appear in the land!" [Surat Ghafir: 26] If he had
concealed his faith out of fear of Pharaoh, it would have been more appropriate
for him to continue concealing it. Pharaoh had gone so far as to threaten to
kill Moses, saying, "Leave me to kill Moses." The believer from
Pharaoh's family, and indeed every believer, knows with certainty that whoever
works and trades with God Almighty can never lose. God Almighty says, “Verily, those who
recite the Book of Allah (this Quran), and perform AsSalat (IqamatasSalat), and
spend (in charity) out of what We have provided for them, secretly and openly,
hope for a (sure) tradegain that will never perish.” [Surat Fatir: 29] And God
Almighty says, “Let those (believers) who sell the life of this world for the
Hereafter fight in the Cause of Allah, and whoso fights in the Cause of Allah
and is killed or gets victory, We shall bestow on him a great reward.” [Surat An-Nisa: 74] Whoever
fights against the law of God Almighty and turns people away from God’s path
and His straight way is in loss and ruin in this world and the Hereafter.
Confirming the words of God Almighty: “Verily, those who disbelieve spend
their wealth to hinder (men) from the Path of Allah, and so will they continue
to spend it; but in the end it will become an anguish for them. Then they will
be overcome. And those who disbelieve will be gathered unto Hell.” [Surat Al-Anfal: 36]
The story then shifts to another
scene, in which God depicts Pharaoh's plea to his advisors not to prevent him
from killing Moses (peace be upon him). God Almighty says, "Fir'aun (Pharaoh)
said, 'Leave me to kill Musa (Moses), and let him call his Lord (to stop me
from killing him)! I fear that he may change your religion, or that he may
cause mischief to appear in the land!" [Surat Ghafir: 26]. Was Pharaoh truly intent on killing
Moses? It appears from the verses that Pharaoh—may God curse him—was certain
that Moses, peace be upon him, was a prophet and that what he brought were
signs and not magic, as God Almighty says: “And they belied them (those Ayat)
wrongfully and arrogantly, though their ownselves were convinced thereof [i.e.
those (Ayat) are from Allah, and Musa (Moses) is the Messenger of Allah in
truth, but they disliked to obey Musa (Moses), and hated to believe in his
Message of Monotheism]. So see what was the end of the Mufsidun (disbelievers,
those disobedient to Allah, evil-doers, and liars.)” [Surat An-Naml: 14]. And Moses
said, "[Musa (Moses)] said, 'Verily, you know that these signs have been
sent down by none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth as clear
(evidences, i.e., proofs of Allah's Oneness and His Omnipotence, etc.). And I
think you are, indeed, O Fir'aun (Pharaoh), doomed to destruction (away from
all good)!" [Surat
Al-Isra: 102], meaning the nine miracles that clearly demonstrated the
truthfulness of Moses’ prophethood and the truth of his message. They denied
with their tongues that these signs were from God, yet in their hearts they
were certain of them, knowing that they were from God, the Lord of the heavens
and the earth, and that they were a testament to the prophethood of our master
Moses, peace be upon him, and proof of God's oneness in His Lordship and
Divinity. Their fate was that God drowned them in the sea. In that is a lesson
for those who reflect. And his saying, "Let him call upon his Lord,"
means that he—may God curse him—claimed that were it not for his concern for
the feelings of his people, he would have killed our master Moses, peace be
upon him, and he pretended that they were the ones who would protect him. Out
of arrogance and pride, this corrupt and wicked Pharaoh said, "Let our
master Moses ask..." He feared that his Lord would prevent him from
harming Moses. This was what Pharaoh displayed to his people, but what he
concealed within himself was fear and terror that if he were to kill Moses, God
would hasten the downfall of his kingdom and his destruction. And what about a
bloodthirsty tyrant like Pharaoh, who killed children because of a vision he
had that a boy would be born in his lifetime who would bring about the end of
his reign? Would he not kill the one he sensed would be the one to topple his
throne and destroy his kingdom? Pharaoh justified his killing of Moses by
claiming it would remove his evil from the land, saying, "I fear that he
will change your religion or cause corruption in the land." The most
astonishing thing about Pharaoh's statement is that the worst of creation would
advise people against following the best of creation. “Thus he
[Fir'aun (Pharaoh)] befooled and misled his people, and they obeyed him.
Verily, they were ever a people who were Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to
Allah)"
(Surat Az-Zukhruf 43:54). These disobedient people worshipped him and idols, as
evidenced by his statement, "and to abandon you and your gods" (Al-Araf 7:127). He told
them, "I fear that he will corrupt you." Your religion will be
corrupted by your call to his religion, or your worldly life will be ruined by
the trials and tribulations that arise because of him. This is always the way
of the people of falsehood; they portray the people of faith and commitment as
following their own path of righteousness, as being on the path of
civilization, light, and goodness, while claiming that these people want to
drag humanity back to the Dark Ages. This is how the people of falsehood
behave; they clothe falsehood in the garb of truth and truth in the garb of
falsehood.
When Pharaoh threatened to kill our
Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, he sought refuge and protection in God
Almighty. This is always the way of the people of truth when falsehood prevails
and becomes tyrannical. As the Holy Quran records, in the words of God
Almighty: “Musa (Moses) said: "Verily, I seek refuge in my Lord
and your Lord from every arrogant one who believes not in the Day of
Reckoning!" [Surat
Ghafir: 27]. And the believing man said, as the verses of the Holy Quran
mention, "And a believing man of Fir'aun's (Pharaoh) family, who hid his
faith, said, 'Would you kill a man because he says, "My Lord is
Allah," and he has come to you with clear signs (proofs) from your Lord?
And if he is a liar, upon him will be (the sin of) his lie; but if he is
telling the truth, then some of that (calamity) wherewith he threatens you will
befall you. " Verily, Allah guides not one who is a Musrif (a polytheist,
or a murderer who sheds blood without a right, or one who commits great sins,
oppressor, transgressor), a liar!” [Surat Ghafir: 28] Al-Zamakhshari said, in essence: Do you
commit the murder of an innocent soul, and you have no justification for it
whatsoever except the word of truth he uttered, which is his saying, "My
Lord is God"? How can a person be killed for saying, "My Lord is
God"? And several clear proofs have come to you from the One to whom
divinity is attributed. Did you not witness with your own eyes when he threw down
his staff, and behold, a snake moved about? And when he put his hand into his
pocket, then took it out, and it became white, radiating light, and when he put
it back into his pocket, and it returned to its former state? Then the believer
says, "This one who claims to be a prophet is either truthful or a
liar." That is, if he is lying about God, then God Almighty will take
vengeance on him, and we will not be affected by God's vengeance. Even if he
were truthful in saying that God Almighty sent him to bring you some of what he
promised, while in reality he brings them all that he promised them, this was
merely a form of diplomacy so as not to appear biased against them. He said,
"He will bring you some of what he promised you," meaning if you
confront him. If he were a transgressor and a liar, God would not have guided
him to clear proofs and supported him with miracles. Miracles are not the only
signs of prophethood; rather, truthfulness, trustworthiness, good conduct,
noble lineage, and other indicators of sincerity are also present. If God has
forsaken and destroyed him, then you have no need to kill him. God Almighty
does not guide those who are transgressors and liars. A transgressor is one who
persists in sin and commits many, and a liar is one who fabricates lies. Then he
reminds them that they are now visible on earth, but this visibility is
temporary, and that God's hand works in secret. Victory is God's promise to His
Messenger and those who believe, and destruction and ruin await those who wage
war against God and His Messenger. The Holy Quran records, on the tongue of the
believing man, the words of God. Almighty: “O my people! Yours is the kingdom
this day; you are uppermost in the land. But who will save us from the torment
of Allah, should it befall us?" Fir'aun (Pharaoh) said, "I show you
only that which I see (correct), and I guide you only to the path of right
policy!” [Surat
Ghafir: 29]. However, Pharaoh was blinded by worldly desires and their allure,
so he said, “I show you only that which I see (correct).” [Surat Ghafir: 29], meaning: I
tell you only what I have; I have no argument, no proof, no evidence, and no
way to counter an argument with another argument. “And I guide
you only to the path of right policy!” [Surat Ghafir: 29] He merely claims to be on the path of
truth and guidance and that he believes he is advising them accordingly. But
Pharaoh was never on the right path; rather, he was foolish, misguided, and
deluded. What kind of god is this who seeks advice from his servants among the
elite? “[Fir'aun (Pharaoh)] said to the chiefs around him:
"Verily! This is indeed a well-versed sorcerer. He wants to drive you out
of your land by his sorcery, so what is your counsel, and what do you
command?" 35 They said, "Put him off and his brother (for a while),
and send callers to the cities 36 to bring up to you every well-versed sorcerer
37” (Ash-Shu'ara: 34-37).
So the believing man reminded
Pharaoh and his people of the punishment that befell previous nations as a
result of their rejection of their prophets and their persistence in disbelief
and disobedience, as Allah Almighty says, "And he who
believed said, 'O my people! Verily, I fear for you a fate like that day (of
disaster) of the Confederates (of old)! 30 Like the fate of the people of Nuh (Noah), and 'Ad, and
Thamud, and those who came after them. And Allah wills no injustice for (His)
slaves. 31 And, O my
people! Verily! I fear for you the day when there will be mutual calling
(between the people of Hell and of Paradise)." 32. A day when
you will turn your backs and flee, having no protector from Allah, and whomever
Allah sends astray, for him there is no guide. 33” (Surat Ghafir 40:32-33). Then
He reminded them of His fear for them on the Day of Calling Out (the Day when
the people of Hell will call out to the people of Paradise, and the people of
Paradise will call out to the people of Hell), the Day when you will turn away
fleeing from the torment of Hell. And that will be your fate, as the canopy of
Hell will surround you. Then He drew attention to the strength of their
misguidance and the depth of their ignorance, saying, “A day when you
will turn your backs and flee, having no protector from Allah, and whomever
Allah sends astray, for him there is no guide” [Surat Ghafir: 33].
Then the believer from Pharaoh’s
family reminded his people of Joseph, peace be upon him and upon our Prophet,
saying, “And Joseph had already come to you before with clear proofs” [Surat
Ghafir: 34]. Ibn Kathir said, "They only obeyed him with such obedience
because of the mere promise of ministerial positions and worldly
prestige." Therefore, He said, “But you remained in doubt of that which he
brought to you, until when he died, you said [Ghafir 34]. That is, you
despaired and then said, hoping against hope, “'Never will Allah send a
messenger after him'” [Ghafir 34]. This was due to their disbelief and denial.
“Thus does Allah leave astray he who is a transgressor and skeptic” [Ghafir
34]. That is, this is the state of those whom Allah leaves astray because of
their transgressions and doubts.
Then Allah, the Exalted, clarified
that whoever argues against the verses of Allah and denies them without proof…
God detests them, and the believers detest them. And God seals the hearts of
those who argue, so they lie and argue falsely. And He seals every heart that
is arrogant towards the worship and oneness of God, as He says—and His word is
the truth: “Those who dispute about the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses,
lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah, without any authority that has
come to them, it is greatly hateful and disgusting to Allah and to those who
believe. Thus does Allah seal up the heart of every arrogant tyrant. (So they
cannot guide themselves to the Right Path)” [Surat Ghafir: 35]
And God Almighty says, "And Fir'aun (Pharaoh)
said, 'O Haman! Build me a tower that I may arrive at the ways" [Surat Ghafir: 36]. The ways
of the heavens, and I may look upon the Ilah (God) of Musa (Moses), but verily,
I think him to be a liar. "Thus it was made fair-seeming, in Fir'aun's (Pharaoh's)
eyes, the evil of his deeds, and he was hindered from the (Right) Path, and the
plot of Fir'aun (Pharaoh) led to nothing but loss and destruction (for him). (Surat Ghafir 36-37) That is,
Pharaoh wanted Haman to build him a high tower so he could ascend it and prove
to his people that there was no god above the heavens to be worshipped or that
there was no god who sent Moses. This is a kind of arrogance and pride, and the
world has no lord other than Pharaoh. And indeed, I think Moses was lying in his
claim, and likewise, polytheism and denial were made appealing to Pharaoh, and
he was turned away from the path of truth.
And God Almighty says, "And the man
who believed said, 'O my people! Follow me, and I will guide you to the way of
right conduct.’
38 "O my people! Truly, this life of the world is nothing
but a (quick passing) enjoyment, and verily, the Hereafter is the home that
will remain forever."
39 "Whosoever does an evil deed will not be requited except the like
thereof, and whosoever does a righteous deed, whether male or female, and is a
true believer (in the Oneness of Allah), such will enter Paradise, where they
will be provided therein (with all things in abundance) without limit. [Surat Ghafir: 38-40] He who
believed said, “Come, I will guide you to the right path.” Then he clarified
the path of guidance: that the pleasures of this world are fleeting, and that
the Hereafter is the true life, if only they knew. He explained that when a
person does good, he is rewarded accordingly, and that whoever does good will
enter Paradise and be provided for therein without measure, meaning without any
assessment or weighing of the deed, but rather with manifold rewards.
And God Almighty says, "And O my
people! How is it that I call you to salvation while you call me to the Fire!" 41 You invite
me to disbelieve in Allah (and in His Oneness) and to join partners in worship
with Him, of which I have no knowledge, and I invite you to the All-Mighty, the
Oft-Forgiving!
42 "No doubt you call me to (worship) one who cannot grant
(me) my request (or respond to my invocation) in this world or in the
Hereafter. And our return will be to Allah, and Al-Musrifun (i.e., polytheists
and arrogants, those who commit great sins, and the transgressors of Allah's
set limits)! They shall be the dwellers of the Fire! [Surat Ghafir: 41-43]. Ash-Shawkani
said: The believing man repeated his call to them to Allah and declared his
faith. Then he made a logical comparison between his call to them and their
call to him, saying, “I call you to salvation from the Fire and entry into
Paradise through faith in Allah and responding to His messengers, while you
call me to the Fire through what you want from me of polytheism. What you call
me to has no claim that necessitates divinity for it in this world or the
Hereafter, and it has no intercession. Our return and our destiny is to Allah,
first through death.” And on the Day of Resurrection, He will recompense
everyone according to what they deserve of good and evil. And those who are heedless
of God's commands. Then He said, "And you will remember what I am telling
you, and my affair I leave it to Allah. Verily, Allah is the All-Seer of (His)
slaves."
[Surat Ghafir: 44]. Meaning: On the Day of Resurrection, they will know the
truth of what the believer from Pharaoh's family told them, and they will
remember his advice, and they will regret it when regret is of no use. Then he
said, "And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice
him. Verily, Allah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allah has set a measure
for all things."
[Surat At-Talaq: 3], meaning: He is enough for him. And God Almighty says,
"Those (i.e., believers) unto whom the people (hypocrites) said,
'Verily, the people (pagans) have gathered against you (a great army);
therefore, fear them.'" But it (only) increased them in faith, and they
said, "Allah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of
affairs (for us). "173. So they returned with Grace and Bounty from Allah.
No harm touched them, and they followed the good pleasure of Allah. And Allah
is the Owner of Great Bounty 174.” [Surat Al Imran: 173-174]
Undoubtedly, they plotted against
him, even though the Quran did not reveal the nature of this plot. However,
Allah, the Exalted, clarified that He protected him from the evil consequences
of their plot. And God Almighty says, “So Allah saved him from the evils that
they plotted (against him), while an evil torment encompassed Fir'aun's
(Pharaoh) people.”
[Surat Ghafir: 45] means that when they intended to, they plotted against this
believing man, but God protected him from their plot and turned their evil
schemes back upon them. So God saved him in this world and the Hereafter, and
God destroyed Pharaoh and his people in this world and made them taste the
punishment in the intermediate state and the Hereafter, as He, the Exalted,
said: “The Fire; they are exposed to it, morning and afternoon” [Surat Ghafir: 46]. This is the
punishment of the intermediate state, because He said, "And on the Day
when the Hour will be established (it will be said to the angels): 'Cause
Fir'aun's (Pharaoh) people to enter the severest torment!'" [Surat Ghafir: 46]. They say: The
conjunction "wa" (and) indicates a difference between what precedes
it and what follows it. For example, the fire to which they are exposed morning
and evening is a punishment. Then He said, "And on the Day the Hour will
be established," thus lengthening this punishment until the Day of
Resurrection. "Admit the people of Pharaoh to the severest punishment."
I seek forgiveness from God and send
blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.
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