“When his Lord called to him in the sacred valley of Tuwā: ‘Go to Pharaoh, for he has indeed transgressed. Say to him, “Would you be willing to purify yourself, and let me guide you to your Lord so that you may fear Him?”’ Then he showed him the greatest sign, but he denied it and disobeyed. Then he turned away, striving against the truth. He gathered his forces and proclaimed, ‘I am your lord, the most high.’ So Allah seized him with exemplary punishment in the Hereafter and this world. Surely in that is a lesson for whoever fears Allah.”
“When his Lord called to him in the sacred valley of Tuwā”—the place where Allah spoke to him, graciously bestowed prophethood upon him, and singled him out for revelation and divine election (1)—He said to him: “Go to Pharaoh, for he has indeed transgressed.” That is, forbid him from his transgression, idolatry, and disobedience, using gentle words and a gracious manner of address, so that perhaps “he may take heed or become fearful.”
“Say” to him: “Would you be willing to purify yourself?” That is: Would you be willing to adopt a praiseworthy quality and noble virtue for which people of sound understanding vie—namely, to purify and cleanse your soul of the defilement of disbelief and transgression through faith and righteous deeds?
“And let me guide you to your Lord”—that is, let me direct you to Him and explain to you what earns His pleasure and what incurs His wrath—“so that you may fear” Allah once you have learned the straight path. Yet Pharaoh refused what Moses called him to.
“Then he showed him the greatest sign.” The expression refers generically to the greatest sign and therefore does not preclude there having been several signs: “He cast down his staff, and behold, it was a manifest serpent; and he drew forth his hand, and behold, it appeared white to the onlookers.”
“But he denied” the truth “and disobeyed” the command. “Then he turned away, striving”—that is, exerting himself to confront and wage war against the truth. “He gathered” his soldiers—that is, assembled them—“and proclaimed,” saying to them: “I am your lord, the most high.” They submitted to him and accepted his falsehood after he had manipulated them. “So Allah seized him with exemplary punishment in the Hereafter and this world.” That is, his punishment (2) became a sign and a deterrent, demonstrating the punishment of this world and the Hereafter. “Surely in that is a lesson for whoever fears Allah,” for it is those who fear Allah who benefit from signs and lessons. When such a person sees Pharaoh’s punishment, he realizes that Allah punishes in this world and the Hereafter everyone who grows arrogant, disobeys, and openly defies the Most High King. As for one from whose heart the fear of Allah has departed, even if every sign were to come to him, he would not believe [in it].