أَسْبَـٰبَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ فَأَطَّلِعَ إِلَىٰٓ إِلَـٰهِ مُوسَىٰ وَإِنِّى لَأَظُنُّهُۥ كَـٰذِبًا ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِفِرْعَوْنَ سُوٓءُ عَمَلِهِۦ وَصُدَّ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ ۚ وَمَا كَيْدُ فِرْعَوْنَ إِلَّا فِى تَبَابٍ 37
Translations
The ways into the heavens - so that I may look at the deity of Moses; but indeed, I think he is a liar." And thus was made attractive to Pharaoh the evil of his deed, and he was averted from the [right] way. And the plan of Pharaoh was not except in ruin.
Transliteration
Asbāba as-samāwāti fa-attali'a ilā ilāhi Mūsā wa-innī la-azunnuhu kādhiban; wa-kadhālika zuyyina li-Fir'awna sū'u 'amalih wa-sudda 'an as-sabīl; wa-mā kaydu Fir'awna illā fī tababī
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes Pharaoh's arrogant plot to build towers to reach the heavens in order to investigate the God of Moses, claiming he suspects Moses of lying. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that Allah decorated Pharaoh's evil deeds for him, causing him to be deceived by his own grandeur and turned away from the path of truth. The verse concludes that Pharaoh's schemes and plots ultimately lead only to destruction (tababī - ruin and perdition), emphasizing the inevitable failure of those who reject Allah's guidance.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Ghafir (a Meccan surah), which addresses the rejection of truth and the fate of those who deny Allah's signs. The context involves Pharaoh's arrogance and his rejection of Moses's message, illustrating the broader theme of how disbelief hardens the heart and leads to spiritual blindness. This is part of the narrative discussing Pharaoh's tyranny and ultimate downfall.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The most miserable person is he whose deeds are evil' (related thematically in various hadith collections). Additionally, hadiths discussing the dangers of arrogance and rejection of truth appear in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, such as the hadith about how Allah does not look at the arrogant.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that material power and worldly achievements can become a veil that blinds one from truth if the heart is hardened in disbelief. For believers, it serves as a reminder that all schemes and plots of those who oppose Allah's message are ultimately futile, and that true success lies in submitting to divine guidance rather than following arrogance and pride.