This is because, when a person reflects and comes to understand himself and others, he sees that each individual wants to be obeyed and to gain ascendancy as far as he can. Souls are filled with a love of supremacy and leadership to the extent within their reach. Thus, you find a person befriending whoever agrees with his desires and opposing whoever goes against them. What he truly worships is whatever he desires and wants. Allah Most High says:

“Have you seen the one who takes his own desire as his god? Will you then be a guardian over him?”

To him, people are classified as they are by the unbelieving rulers among the Turks and others: “yāl, yāghī,” meaning “my friend” and “my enemy.” Whoever conforms to their desires is an ally, even if he is an unbeliever; whoever does not is an enemy, even if he is among the God-fearing. Such was Pharaoh’s condition.

Each such person wants his commands obeyed as far as possible, but he lacks Pharaoh’s ability to claim divinity and deny the Creator. Although these people acknowledge the Creator, when someone calls them to worship Allah in a way that entails ceasing to obey them, they oppose him, just as Pharaoh opposed Moses, peace be upon him.

Many people have enough reason and faith not to seek such extremes. Rather, their souls seek what is within their reach. If someone is a Muslim who commands obedience, he seeks to be obeyed in pursuing his aims, even when these involve sin and disobedience to Allah. Someone who obeys him becomes dearer to him and more esteemed than someone who obeys Allah but goes against his desires. This is one aspect of the condition of Pharaoh and all others who denied the messengers.

If he is a scholar or a religious teacher, he loves those who esteem him rather than those who esteem his peer. He may even hate his peer out of envy and transgression, as the Jews did when Allah Most High sent someone calling to the same message preached by