The story of Pharaoh and the Children of Israel in the Holy Quran is like a mirror that reflects the truth of arrogance, pride, and heedlessness of the divine signs. This narrative, culminating in verses 90 to 92 of Surah Yunus, not only reveals the fate of Pharaoh as a sign for posterity but also invites human beings to self-reflection and reconsideration of their spiritual priorities. This treatise, relying on Quranic verses and profound analyses, examines the concepts of humility, faith, and ultimate felicity, extracting lessons from the steadfastness of earth in contrast to the fleeting nature of fire. The objective of this work is to present a comprehensive perspective on these verses and connect them to contemporary human life, thereby opening a path towards happiness and avoidance of loss.
The Holy Quran in verses 90 to 92 of Surah Yunus recounts a decisive moment in the story of Pharaoh and the Children of Israel as follows:
And We carried the Children of Israel across the sea, and Pharaoh and his soldiers pursued them in tyranny and enmity until, when drowning overtook him, he said: I believe that there is no deity except Him in whom the Children of Israel have believed, and I am of the Muslims.
Now? And you had disobeyed before and were of the corrupters.
So today We will 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.
We caused the Children of Israel to cross the sea, then Pharaoh and his hosts pursued them out of oppression and enmity until drowning overtook him. He said: I believe that there is no deity except the One in whom the Children of Israel believed, and I am among the Muslims.
Now? Whereas you disobeyed before and were among the corrupters!
Therefore, today We save you with your body so that you may be a sign for those after you, and indeed many of the people are heedless of Our signs.
Pharaoh, at the moment when the waves of death enveloped him, claimed faith by stating, I believe that there is no deity except the One in whom the Children of Israel have believed, and I am among the Muslims. However, this faith was not sincere but born out of fear and desperation. Rather than true belief in the One God, he referred to the deity worshipped by the Children of Israel, which itself indicates his inability to escape his egocentrism. The divine response, Now? And you had disobeyed before and were among the corrupters, invalidates this faith because Pharaohs history of disobedience and corruption precluded acceptance of his repentance. This concept aligns with another Quranic verse: And repentance is not [accepted] of those who continue to do evil deeds until, when death comes to one of them... (An-Nisa: 18), which dismisses repentance at the moment of death.
Arrogance and pride acted as a formidable barrier that obstructed guidance for Pharaoh and Satan. Pharaoh, with the claim I am your Most High Lord (An-Nazi'at: 24) and Satan, with the statement I am better than him (Sad: 12), considered themselves superior to divine truth. This pride prevented them from prostrating before God and accepting the truth, leading to their destruction. Even at the moment of drowning, Pharaoh referred not to God but to the Children of Israel, a sign of his incapacity to overcome ego. The Holy Quran regards pride as a fundamental obstacle to guidance: Indeed, those near your Lord do not arrogantly exult in worship of Him (Al-Araf: 206).
Pride, like a consuming fire, reduces all goodness and happiness within a human being to ashes. Pharaoh and Satan, by their claims of superiority, turned away from truth and became eternally miserable. Contemporary humans, if engulfed by arrogance, become heedless of divine signs and transform Gods blessings into loss. The Holy Quran warns: And indeed many of the people are heedless of Our signs (Yunus: 92). Such heedlessness results from attachment to materialism, power, and egocentrism, which distracts humans from the remembrance of God.
Earth, like a compassionate mother, symbolises humility and perseverance, whereas fire, like a rebellious storm, represents pride and instability. Earth, composed of straw and clay, builds structures that endure for centuries, but fire, though blazing and
