Moses then went forth bearing his Lord’s message. “When Moses came to them with Our clear signs”—which plainly demonstrated the truth of what he told them, without deficiency or obscurity—“they said,” unjustly, arrogantly, and stubbornly, “This is nothing but fabricated magic.” Pharaoh had likewise said, at the very moment when truth became manifest and prevailed over falsehood, falsehood vanished, and the leading men who understood the realities of matters submitted to the truth: “He is surely your master, the one who taught you this magic.” This was despite his being shrewd but not virtuous, and having attained such depths of cunning, deception, and scheming as Allah has related to us. He knew full well that “none but the Lord of the heavens and earth sent these down.” Yet wretchedness prevailed.
“We never heard of this among our earliest forefathers.” They were lying, for Allah had sent Joseph—peace be upon him—before Moses, as He Most High said: “Joseph had already come to you with clear proofs, but you continued to doubt what he brought you. Then, when he died, you said, ‘Allah will never send a messenger after him.’ Thus Allah leaves astray whoever is a transgressor and a doubter.”
“And Moses said,” when they claimed that what he had brought them was magic and misguidance while their own way was guidance: “My Lord knows best who has brought guidance from Him and who will have the final outcome of the abode.” That is: if confronting you and setting forth the clear signs proves fruitless, and you insist upon persisting in your error and obstinately clinging to your disbelief, then Allah Most High knows who is guided and who is not, and who will have the final outcome—us or you. “Indeed, the wrongdoers do not prosper.” Thus the final outcome, prosperity, and triumph belonged to Moses and his followers, while loss, an evil end, and destruction befell the others.
“And Pharaoh said,” daring to defy his Lord and deceiving his foolish, muddle-headed people: “O chiefs, I know of no god for you other than myself.” That is: I alone am your god and the one you worship. Had there been any god besides me, I would have known of him. Consider Pharaoh’s utter scrupulousness! He did not say, “You have no god other than me”; rather, he scrupulously said, “I know of no god for you other than myself.” This was because they regarded him as the learned and accomplished man whose every statement was true and whose every command they obeyed.
When he made this statement, which left open the possibility that there was another god, he sought to establish conclusively the denial in which he had left that possibility. He therefore said to Hāmān, “Kindle for me a fire upon the clay,” so that he might make bricks of fired clay for him. “Then build me a tower,” meaning a lofty structure, “that I may look upon the God of Moses, although I certainly think that he is one of the liars.” But we shall verify this supposition and show you that Moses is lying.
Consider this immense audacity toward Allah, a degree of audacity never attained by any other human being. He declared Moses a liar, claimed that he himself was a god, denied having any knowledge of the true God, and took measures by which he might gain access to the God of Moses. All of this was mere deception. Yet what is astonishing is the conduct of those chiefs who claimed to be the leading men of the kingdom and the administrators of its affairs: how could this man toy with their minds and make fools of their reason? This was because of their wickedness, which had become a firmly rooted quality within them.
Their religion became corrupt, and the corruption of their minds followed. We therefore ask You, O Allah, to keep us steadfast in faith, not to let our hearts deviate after You have guided us, and to grant us mercy from Yourself. You are indeed the Bestower.
Allah Most High said: “He and his hosts behaved arrogantly in the land without right.” They acted arrogantly toward Allah’s servants and subjected them to grievous torment. They also acted arrogantly toward Allah’s messengers and the signs they brought, rejecting those signs and claiming that their own way was loftier and better.
“They thought they would not be returned to Us.” For that reason (1), they acted so audaciously. Otherwise, had they known—or even supposed—that they would return to Allah, they would not have done what they did.
“So We seized him and his hosts,” when they persisted in their obstinacy and transgression, “and cast them into the sea. So see how the end of the wrongdoers was.” ⦗617⦘ It was the worst and most ruinous of ends: an end followed by continual punishment in this world, joined to punishment in the Hereafter.
“And We made them leaders calling to the Fire.” That is, We made Pharaoh and his chiefs leaders whom others imitate and follow toward the abode of disgrace and misery. “And on the Day of Resurrection they will not be helped” against Allah’s punishment. They will be utterly powerless to repel it from themselves, and apart from Allah they will have neither protector nor helper.
“And We made a curse pursue them in this world.” That is, to increase their punishment and disgrace, We caused a curse to pursue them in this world. They are cursed, and among people they are spoken of with opprobrium, loathing, and condemnation. This is plainly observable: they are the foremost leaders of those accursed in this world. “And on the Day of Resurrection they will be among the despised”—cast far away, with their deeds regarded as loathsome. They are those upon whom converge the abhorrence of Allah, His creation, and even themselves.
“We certainly gave Moses the Scripture”—namely, the Torah—“after We had destroyed the earlier generations,” the last of whom to undergo general destruction were Pharaoh and his hosts. This indicates that after the Torah was revealed, general destruction ceased and jihad against the disbelievers by the sword was prescribed.
“As insights for people.” That is, the Book of Allah which He revealed to Moses contains insights for people: matters by which they discern what benefits them and what harms them. The proof is thereby established against the sinner, while the believer benefits from it, so it becomes a mercy for him and guides him to the straight path. Hence He said: “And as guidance and mercy, so that they might take heed.”
When Allah related to His Messenger these accounts of matters unseen, He drew His servants’ attention to the fact that this was purely divine information and that the Messenger had no means of knowing it except through revelation. Therefore He said: