أَمْ أَنَا۠ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ هَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى هُوَ مَهِينٌ وَلَا يَكَادُ يُبِينُ 52
Translations
Or am I [not] better than this one [i.e., Moses] who is insignificant and hardly makes himself clear?
Transliteration
Am ana khayrun min hatha alladhi huwa maheen wa la yakadu yubeen
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah quotes Pharaoh's arrogant boast wherein he claims superiority over Prophet Moses, describing Moses as despicable and barely able to speak clearly (referring to Moses's speech impediment). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi note that this reflects Pharaoh's rejection of the divine message through mockery of the messenger's physical limitations. The ayah illustrates how those with power and wealth often use worldly advantages to dismiss divine guidance, exemplifying the spiritual blindness that accompanies arrogance.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the account of Pharaoh and Moses in Surah Az-Zukhruf, a Meccan surah addressing the disbelievers of Mecca who similarly rejected the Prophet Muhammad. The broader context shows Pharaoh's escalating rejection of Moses's message, and the surah uses this historical example as a warning to the Quraysh about the consequences of arrogance and rejection of prophetic guidance.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned Moses's speech impediment in various hadiths, affirming that despite this physical limitation, Moses was one of the greatest messengers. See Sahih Bukhari (3415) and related accounts in Sahih Muslim discussing the virtues of the five greatest messengers.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that material power, wealth, and physical perfection are not measures of truth or spiritual worth; true greatness lies in submission to Allah's will. Believers should remain humble regardless of worldly advantages and recognize that messengers may be tested with physical limitations, yet their message from Allah remains valid and binding.
Related Ayahs
أَفَرَءَيْتَ ٱلَّذِى تَوَلَّىٰ
Have you seen the one who turned away
قَالَ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَلَّا تَسْجُدَ إِذْ أَمَرْتُكَ ۖ قَالَ أَنَا۠ خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِى مِن نَّارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُۥ مِن طِينٍ
[Allāh] said, "What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?" [Satan] said, "I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay [i.e., earth]."
فَصَبَّ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّكَ سَوْطَ عَذَابٍ
So your Lord poured upon them a scourge of punishment.
وَقَـٰرُونَ وَفِرْعَوْنَ وَهَـٰمَـٰنَ ۖ وَلَقَدْ جَآءَهُم مُّوسَىٰ بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ فَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ سَـٰبِقِينَ
And [We destroyed] Qārūn and Pharaoh and Hāmān. And Moses had already come to them with clear evidences, and they were arrogant in the land, but they were not outrunners [of Our punishment].