The Holy Quran, like a radiant lamp, illuminates the path of guidance for mankind and, through the narration of the histories of former peoples, offers profound lessons for salvation. Verses 90 to 92 of Surah Yunus unveil the reality of divine justice, the consequences of arrogance and pride, and the importance of humility and modesty by recounting the fate of Pharaoh and the Children of Israel. These verses invite humans to reflect on their own conduct and avoid self-exaltation. In this treatise, relying on the content of the lecture and exegetical analyses, these verses are systematically examined and their messages are portrayed in a clear and eloquent manner. The aim is to provide a deep understanding of Quranic concepts and their connection to human life, so that, like a mirror, it may reveal the path to felicity for the reader.
وَجَاوَزْنَا بِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْبَحْرَ فَأَتْبَعَهُمْ فِرْعَوْنُ وَجُنُودُهُ بَغْيًا وَعَدْوًا ۖ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا أَدْرَكَهُ الْغَرَقُ قَالَ آمَنتُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا الَّذِي آمَنَتْ بِهِ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ
آلْآنَ وَقَدْ عَصَيْتَ قَبْلُ وَكُنتَ مِنَ الْمُفْسِدِينَ
فَالْيَوْمَ نُنَجِّيكَ بِبَدَنِكَ لِتَكُونَ لِمَنْ خَلْفَكَ آيَةً ۖ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ النَّاسِ عَنْ آيَاتِنَا لَغَافِلُونَ
Translation: And We caused the Children of Israel to pass through the sea, and Pharaoh and his soldiers pursued them in tyranny and enmity until drowning overtook him. He said, I believe that there is no deity except He in whom the Children of Israel have believed, and I am of the Muslims.
Now? Indeed, you disobeyed before and were among the corrupters.
So today We save you with your body that you may be a sign to those who come after you. And indeed, many among the people are heedless of Our signs.
These verses recount a pivotal moment in the story of the Children of Israel and Pharaoh. God caused the Children of Israel to cross the parted sea, yet Pharaoh, trapped in the whirlpool of tyranny and arrogance, pursued them until he was drowned. His declaration of faith at the moment of death was as futile as foam on water, for it was rooted in compulsion rather than sincerity.
The Holy Quran, unlike human behaviour which sometimes favours strength and power, speaks of divine justice. Humans, like leaves in the wind, sometimes bend before the oppressors and trample upon the weak. However, God, like a steadfast rock, judges solely based on truth and justice. Pharaoh, who called himself the Most High Lord, was punished eternally not because of his apparent power but due to his oppression and corruption.
Pharaoh, by proclaiming I am your Most High Lord (Surah An-Naziat, verse 24), considered himself superior to all. This arrogance, like a lethal poison, led him to destruction. This claim is not only a sign of pride but also indicates a profound misguidance that prevents a person from prostrating before the truth. In the lecture, this trait is generalized to all forms of self-exaltation from an individual who oppresses their family members at home to a ruler who subjugates a nation under tyranny.
This generalisation acts like a mirror, compelling each person to reflect upon their own behaviour. Are we also, in pursuit of power and superiority, stepping towards Pharaoh-like arrogance? Or, like the divine prophets, do we seek the path of felicity through humility and modesty?
At the moment when the waves of death engulfed Pharaoh, he professed faith, but this faith was like a flower in a storm, lacking roots. The Holy Quran reveals the futility of this compulsory faith through the phrase Now? Indeed, you disobeyed before and were among the corrupters. (Surah Yunus, verse 91). This forced faith, born from fear of death, lacks sincerity and spiritual value.
The lecture clarifies this concept with a vivid metaphor: a person who bows before the powerful and humiliates the weak is, in reality, oblivious to the divine truth. This negligence acts as a dark veil depriving the person of the light of guidance.
فَالْيَوْمَ نُنَجِّيكَ بِبَدَنِكَ لِتَكُونَ لِمَنْ خَلْفَكَ آيَةً ۖ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ النَّاسِ عَنْ آيَاتِنَا لَغَافِلُونَ
Translation: So today We save you with your body that you may be a sign to those who come after you. And indeed, many among the people are heedless of Our signs.
The preservation of Pharaohs body does not signify his deliverance from punishment but serves as a lesson for posterity. This divine act is like a tableau illustrating the impermanence of apparent power and the consequences of arrogance. The lecture emphasises that many people, trapped in heedlessness, do not learn from these signs and pursue the path of Pharaoh in their quest for power and wealth.
The lecture calls on humans to embrace humility and avoid pride. Unlike Pharaoh, who perished by claiming divinity, the divine prophets such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus (peace be upon them) attained felicity through humility and servitude to God. One must ask oneself: Do I follow the path of Pharaoh or the conduct of the Prophets?
The desire for power and tyranny is like a fire that burns a person from within. The lecture, using a humorous metaphor, describes those who consider themselves superior by sitting on a seat of power even if that seat is insignificant. This self-exaltation stems from human nature which, if left unchecked, leads to misguidance and ruin.
Humans, like travellers on the path of life, sometimes fall into the snare of pride. Religious knowledge, by emphasising humility, encourages self-assessment and avoidance of oppressive titles and acts. Claims such as the most learned scholar or the desire to dominate others are signs of Pharaoh-like traits that must be shunned.
The lecture concludes with the supplication O God, grant us a blessed end. This prayer, like a cool breeze, soothes the heart and calls a person to trust and seek guidance from God. Humans are helpless and can only be freed from the snare of pride and arrogance through divine assistance.
This section, emphasising the importance of prayer and trust, guides humans towards a deeper relationship with God. Pharaoh, by virtue of arrogance and self-exaltation, was deprived of this relationship, whereas the faithful human attains felicity through humility and prayer.
Verses 90 to 92 of Surah Yunus, like a clear mirror, depict the fate of Pharaoh and its lessons. Pharaoh, trapped in the snare of arrogance and oppression, suffered loss in this world and the hereafter, and his body was preserved as a sign for posterity. These verses invite humans to reflect on their own behaviour, to avoid Pharaoh-like arrogance, and to incline towards humility and modesty. Divine justice, which judges based on truth and wisdom, serves as a warning to all who pursue power and superiority. Prayer and reliance on God, like a light in the darkness, show the way to deliverance from misguidance and attainment of felicity. This treatise, by linking Quranic concepts with life lessons, endeavours to provide a clear path for reflection and action before the reader.
Under the supervision of Sadegh Khademi
