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Meccan · Surah 28 of 114

Al-Qasas 28:38

The Stories · ayah 38 of 88

وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمَلَأُ مَا عَلِمْتُ لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرِى فَأَوْقِدْ لِى يَٰهَٰمَٰنُ عَلَى ٱلطِّينِ فَٱجْعَل لِّى صَرْحًۭا لَّعَلِّىٓ أَطَّلِعُ إِلَىٰٓ إِلَٰهِ مُوسَىٰ وَإِنِّى لَأَظُنُّهُۥ مِنَ ٱلْكَٰذِبِينَ

Waqala firAAawnu ya ayyuhaalmalao ma AAalimtu lakum min ilahin ghayreefaawqid lee ya hamanu AAala atteenifajAAal lee sarhan laAAallee attaliAAuila ilahi moosa wa-innee laathunnuhumina alkathibeen

"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 clay 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.""

Saheeh International translation

Recitation by Mishary Alafasy
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Other English translations

Abdel Haleem (Oxford)+

"Pharaoh said, ‘Counsellors, you have no other god that I know of except me. Haman, light me a fire to bake clay bricks, then build me a tall building so that I may climb up to Moses’ God: I am convinced that he is lying.’"

Pickthall (classic)+

"And Pharaoh said: O chiefs! I know not that ye have a god other than me, so kindle for me (a fire), O Haman, to bake the mud; and set up for me a lofty tower in order that I may survey the god of Moses; and lo! I deem him of the liars."

Yusuf Ali (classic)+

"Pharaoh said: "O Chiefs! no god do I know for you but myself: therefore, O Haman! light me a (kiln to bake bricks) out of clay, and build me a lofty palace, that I may mount up to the god of Moses: but as far as I am concerned, I think (Moses) is a liar!""

Tafsīr · classical commentary

Ibn Kathir

Abridged English, public domain

+

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 إِلَـهٍ 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 إِلَـهَاً غَيْرِى لأَجْعَلَنَّكَ مِنَ الْمَسْجُونِينَ

(If you choose a god other than me, I will certainly put you among the prisoners) (26:29).

فَأَوْقِدْ لِى يَهَـمَـنُ عَلَى الطِّينِ فَاجْعَل لِّى صَرْحاً لَّعَلِّى أَطَّلِعُ إِلَى إِلَـهِ 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 يهَـمَـنُ ابْنِ لِى صَرْحاً لَّعَـلِّى أَبْلُغُ الاٌّسْبَـبَ - أَسْبَـبَ السَّمَـوَتِ فَأَطَّلِعَ إِلَى إِلَـهِ مُوسَى وَإِنِّى لاّظُنُّهُ كَـذِباً وَكَـذَلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِفِرْعَوْنَ سُوءُ عَمَلِهِ وَصُدَّ عَنِ السَّبِيلِ وَمَا كَـيْدُ 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 الْكَـذِبِينَ

(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 الْعَـلَمِينَ

(And what is the Lord of Al-`Alamin) (26:23) and:

لَئِنِ اتَّخَذْتَ إِلَـهَاً 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 إِلَـهٍ 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:

فَأَخَذْنَـهُ وَجُنُودَهُ فَنَبَذْنَـهُمْ 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 عَـقِبَةُ الظَّـلِمِينَوَجَعَلْنَـهُمْ 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 الْقِيـمَةِ 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:

أَهْلَكْنَـهُمْ فَلاَ نَـصِرَ لَهُمْ

(We have destroyed them. And there was none to help them) (47:13).

وَأَتْبَعْنَـهُم 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 القِيَـمَةِ هُمْ مِّنَ الْمَقْبُوحِينَ

(and on the Day of Resurrection, they will be among disgraced.) Qatadah said, "This Ayah is like the Ayah,

وَأُتْبِعُواْ فِى هَـذِهِ لَعْنَةً وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ 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)."

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Tafsir Saʿdi

English translation, public domain

+
Фараон продолжал противиться Господу, вводя в заблуждение свой глупый и безрассудный народ. Он провозгласил себя господом богом, сказав, что если бы существовали иные боги, то он знал бы об этом. Народ испытывал перед ним почтенный страх и не возражал ему даже тогда, когда он провозглашал себя единственным богом. Все это свидетельствует о том, что египтяне считали его ученым человеком. Они верили всему, что он говорил, и выполняли все, что он велел. Однако на этот раз он сказал им, что не знает о существовании других богов. Для того чтобы люди не усомнились в его правдивости, он решил опровергнуть существование иных богов, сказав своему помощнику Хаману: «Построй для меня высокую башню из глиняных кирпичей, чтобы мы выяснили истину и изобличили ложь Мусы». Какая дерзость! Какое неверие! Ни один человек не осмеливался столь дерзко противиться Аллаху! Фараон нарек пророка лжецом, провозгласил себя богом, объявил о том, что не ведает о существовании истинного Господа Бога, и даже захотел подняться к Богу, в которого верил Муса. Он поступал так только для того, чтобы завоевать доверие своей свиты. И удивительно, что знатные вельможи, которые считались старейшинами и вождями египетского народа, были всего лишь игрушкой в руках одного человека. Он заправлял их умами и совершенно не считался с ними, но они соглашались с этим, потому что нечестие было их неотъемлемым качеством. Еще раньше они отреклись от правой веры, и это привело к разложению их душ и умов. Господи, помоги нам стойко придерживаться правого пути! Не вводи нас в заблуждение после того, как Ты одарил нас верой! Одари нас Своей милостью, ибо Ты - Дарующий!

Maʿārif al-Qur'ān

Mufti Shafi Usmani, English

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Commentary

فَأَوْقِدْ لِي يَا هَامَانُ عَلَى الطِّينِ (So kindle for me, 0 Haman, a fire on the clay (to bake bricks) - 28:38). When the Pharaoh planned to build a very tall palace for himself, he asked his minister Haman to get the bricks baked properly first, because half baked bricks could not take the load of a tall building. Some people have observed that the Pharaoh was the first one to have tough bricks baked for the buildings, as no one had used them before. Historical narrations have recorded that Haman had collected fifty thousand masons for building this palace. Skilled labour, such as carpenters and blacksmith, were additional. This palace was built so tall that there was no parallel to it in the world. When it was completed, Allah Ta` ala commanded Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) to knock it down. He struck only one blow to it and it tumbled down in three pieces, killing thousands of soldiers of the Pharaoh's army. (Qurtubi)

Tafsīr sourced from quran.com's open API. These are classical commentaries; for personal rulings consult a qualified scholar.

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