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.