وَأَضَلَّ فِرْعَوْنُ قَوْمَهُۥ وَمَا هَدَىٰ 79
Translations
And Pharaoh led his people astray and did not guide [them].
Transliteration
Wa adalla fir'awnu qawmahu wa ma hada
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah states that Pharaoh led his people astray and did not guide them aright. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain that Pharaoh, despite his power and authority, actively misguided his people away from the truth and divine guidance, preventing them from following the straight path shown to them by Prophet Musa. The phrase 'wa ma hada' (and he did not guide) emphasizes his willful rejection and prevention of guidance, making him responsible not only for his own misguidance but for the spiritual destruction of those who followed him.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the narrative of Surah Taha which recounts the story of Musa and Pharaoh, specifically following the account of the parting of the sea (ayah 78). It contextualizes Pharaoh's character and his role in leading the Egyptians away from monotheism, serving as a cautionary example of tyrannical leadership that prioritizes worldly power over spiritual truth.
Related Hadiths
The theme of misguided leadership is reflected in the hadith: 'Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock' (Sahih Bukhari 893), which emphasizes the accountability of leaders. Additionally, the concept of deliberate misguidance relates to the Quranic principle in 2:26 about those whom Allah allows to go astray.
Themes
Key Lesson
Leaders bear tremendous responsibility not only for their own spiritual state but for the guidance or misguidance of those under their authority; this ayah warns us to be cautious of following leaders who prioritize worldly power over truth and to seek guidance directly from Allah's message rather than blindly following human authority.