وَنَادَىٰ فِرْعَوْنُ فِى قَوْمِهِۦ قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ أَلَيْسَ لِى مُلْكُ مِصْرَ وَهَـٰذِهِ ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِىٓ ۖ أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ 51
Translations
And Pharaoh called out among his people; he said, "O my people, does not the kingdom of Egypt belong to me, and these rivers flowing beneath me; then do you not see?
Transliteration
Wa nada Fir'awnu fi qawmihi qala ya qawmi alaysa li mulku Misra wa hadhihi al-anharu tajri min tahti afala tubsirun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Pharaoh arrogantly called upon his people, boasting of his absolute sovereignty over Egypt and the rivers (the Nile) that flowed beneath his dominion, challenging them to deny his supreme power and authority. This statement exemplifies Pharaoh's spiritual blindness and heedlessness—he attributed his worldly dominion entirely to himself while remaining oblivious to Allah's true ownership and control, a theme emphasized by classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir as the epitome of disbelief rooted in arrogance.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the Meccan narrative of Surah Az-Zukhruf, which recounts the story of Pharaoh and Moses to warn the Quraysh of similar arrogance and rejection of Allah's signs. The context highlights how those with material power and abundance often become heedless of their Lord, using their worldly possessions as evidence of their greatness rather than recognizing them as divine blessings.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly references this specific statement, the theme relates to the hadith in Sahih Bukhari where the Prophet (peace be upon him) warned against arrogance, stating that 'no one will enter Paradise who has an atom's weight of arrogance in his heart.' This connects to Pharaoh's prideful proclamation.
Themes
Key Lesson
Material wealth and political power are tests from Allah that often lead to arrogance and spiritual ruin when one forgets the true Source of all blessings; believers must remain humble and grateful, recognizing that all worldly dominion ultimately belongs to Allah alone, not to any human ruler.
Related Ayahs
قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أُوتِيتُهُۥ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ عِندِىٓ ۚ أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَدْ أَهْلَكَ مِن قَبْلِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلْقُرُونِ مَنْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ قُوَّةً وَأَكْثَرُ جَمْعًا ۚ وَلَا يُسْـَٔلُ عَن ذُنُوبِهِمُ ٱلْمُجْرِمُونَ
He said, "I was only given it because of knowledge I have." Did he not know that Allāh had destroyed before him of generations those who were greater than him in power and greater in accumulation [of wealth]? But the criminals, about their sins, will not be asked.
وَتَتَّخِذُونَ مَصَانِعَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَخْلُدُونَ
And take for yourselves constructions [i.e., palaces and fortresses] that you might abide eternally?
أَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِهِۦ ۚ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ طَاغُونَ
Did they suggest it to them? Rather, they [themselves] are a transgressing people.
أَمْ أَنَا۠ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ هَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى هُوَ مَهِينٌ وَلَا يَكَادُ يُبِينُ
Or am I [not] better than this one [i.e., Moses] who is insignificant and hardly makes himself clear?