This treatise aims to examine and analyse the Quranic verses concerning the encounter of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) with Pharaoh and his people. These verses, found across various Surahs of the Noble Quran including Taha, Ash-Shuara, An-Naziat, and Az-Zukhruf, present a lucid depiction of the struggle between truth and falsehood, faith and disbelief, intellect and ignorance. This study, adopting a scholarly and specialised approach, endeavours to elucidate the profound meanings of the verses, analyse Pharaohs behaviour as a symbol of arrogance, and explore the sagacious responses of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him). The objective is to derive lessons for recognising the truth and discerning right from wrong without deviating from the original content or omitting any detail.
The Quranic verses in Surah Taha narrate the confrontation of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) with Pharaoh, wherein the Almighty commanded him to proceed to Pharaoh and his people to convey the Divine message. This section analyses the miracles of Moses, Pharaohs reaction, and the consequences of this encounter.
Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) manifested two astonishing miracles: one reflecting the glory (jall) of God and the other representing His beauty (jaml). The first miracle was the transformation of his staff into a mighty serpent that, like a roaring storm, instilled fear in hearts. The second was the white hand (yad bay), which, like a radiant light, attracted hearts towards the truth. These two miracles served as the wings of flight, simultaneously demonstrating Divine power and its gentleness and beauty.
فَأَلْقَى عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ ثُعْبَانٌ مُبِينٌ. وَنَزَعَ يَدَهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ بَيْضَاءُ لِلنَّاظِرِينَ.
Then he cast down his staff, and behold, it was a manifest serpent. And he drew out his hand, and behold, it was white for the onlookers.
(Surah Ash-Shuara, Verses 3233)
These verses manifest the infinite power of God displayed through Moses (peace be upon him). The staff transformed into a serpent symbolised Divine majesty and authority, whereas the white hand depicted the mercy and beauty of the Lord. These two miracles confronted Pharaoh with two opposing forces: the terror inspired by Divine might and the attraction drawing his heart towards truth.
The miracles of Moses (peace be upon him) were not only signs of Divine power but also acted as a mirror revealing Pharaohs true essence before his eyes; yet, he refused to accept the truth.
Pharaoh, who considered himself a superior deity, responded to Moses miracles with denial and labelled them as sorcery. Through this accusation, he sought to distort the truth and prevent the people from accepting Moses message.
قَالُوا إِنْ هَذَانِ لَسَاحِرَانِ يُرِيدَانِ أَنْ يُخْرِجَاكُمْ مِنْ أَرْضِكُمْ بِسِحْرِهِمَا وَيَذْهَبَا بِطَرِيقَتِكُمُ الْمُثْلَى.
They said, These two are magicians who want to expel you from your land by their magic and overthrow your best way.
(Surah Taha, Verse 63)
By alleging that Moses and Aaron were magicians, Pharaoh not only evaded accepting the truth but also tried to incite the people against them. This tactic revealed Pharaohs inner weakness and his fear of losing power.
The miracles of Moses (peace be upon him), like a shining light, illuminated the path of truth, yet Pharaoh, trapped in the darkness of arrogance, turned away from this light of truth. This section demonstrated that truth, with its clear signs, always confronts falsehood; however, accepting it requires a pure heart and sound intellect.
This section connects to the previous one in that, following the presentation of miracles, a direct dialogue occurred between Moses (peace be upon him) and Pharaoh. This dialogue represents the clash between intellect and ignorance, faith and disbelief, truth and egotism.
Pharaoh, who regarded himself as the supreme deity, reacted to Moses prophetic claim with a mocking question: What is the Lord of the worlds? This question was not born of ignorance but arrogance and denial.
قَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ وَمَا رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ. قَالَ رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُوقِنِينَ.
Pharaoh said, And what is the Lord of the worlds? He said, The Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, if you should be certain.
(Surah Ash-Shuara, Verses 2324)
Moses (peace be upon him), with clear and firm responses, introduced the Lord as the Creator of the heavens and the earth. These answers, rooted in reason and wisdom, confronted Pharaoh with sound logic, but he arrogantly accused Moses of madness.
Pharaoh, by claiming divinity, positioned himself against the Lord of the worlds, yet the wise responses of Moses (peace be upon him) exposed the futility of this claim.
Frustrated by Moses logic, Pharaoh resorted to political tactics. By deflecting, he called Moses miracles sorcery and sought, through slander and threats, to alienate the people from him. This policy, rooted in arrogance and egotism, reflected Pharaohs internal weakness.
قَالَ لَئِنِ اتَّخَذْتَ إِلَهًا غَيْرِي لَأَجْعَلَنَّكَ مِنَ الْمَسْجُونِينَ.
He said, If you take a god other than me, I will surely imprison you.
(Surah Ash-Shuara, Verse 29)
This threat revealed Pharaohs fear of losing his authority. Through this ploy, he attempted to prevent the people from accepting the truth by instilling fear.
The dialogue between Moses (peace be upon him) and Pharaoh was like a battle between light and darkness. Moses unveiled the truth with wisdom and logic, while Pharaoh, with arrogance and threats, refused to accept it. This section demonstrated that truth endures even in the face of arrogance.
This section continues the encounter of Moses (peace be upon him) with Pharaoh and his sorcerers, where Pharaoh gathered the magicians to nullify Moses miracles.
Pharaoh, terrified by Moses miracles, assembled the magicians from across Egypt to overpower Moses by their sorcery. However, Moses Divine miracle invalidated their magic, leading them to prostrate and believe in the Lord of Moses and Aaron.
فَأُلْقِيَ السَّحَرَةُ سُجَّدًا قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ هَارُونَ وَمُوسَى.
Then the magicians fell down in prostration. They said, We believe in the Lord of Aaron and Moses.
(Surah Taha, Verse 70)
This faith, rooted in recognising the truth, demonstrated the power of Divine miracles, which even those skilled in sorcery could not resist but submit to.
The faith of the sorcerers signifies the superiority of truth over falsehood, as they acknowledged the distinction between magic and miracle and accepted the truth.
Enraged by the sorcerers faith, Pharaoh accused them of colluding with Moses and threatened to cut off their hands and feet on opposite sides and crucify them on palm trunks to deter their belief.
قَالَ آمَنْتُمْ لَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ آذَنَ لَكُمْ إِنَّهُ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ الَّذِي عَلَّمَكُمُ السِّحْرَ فَلَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ مِنْ خِلَافٍ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ فِي جُذُوعِ النَّخْلِ.
He said, Have you believed in him before I gave you permission? Indeed, he is your chief who taught you magic. So I will cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides and will crucify you on the trunks of palm trees.
(Surah Taha, Verse 71)
Nevertheless, the sorcerers, having realised the truth, stood firm against Pharaohs threats and maintained their faith.
The confrontation of Moses (peace be upon him) with the sorcerers exemplified the triumph of truth over falsehood. The sorcerers, having embraced faith through knowledge of the truth, demonstrated that learned faith endures even in the face of threats.
This section offers a final analysis of Pharaohs behaviour, his arrogance, and ultimately his downfall. The connection to previous sections lies in Pharaohs persistent denial of the truth despite witnessing miracles.
Pharaoh, incapable of accepting the truth, resorted to mocking Moses and, through deflection, attempted to discredit him in the eyes of the people.
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسَى بِآيَاتِنَا إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَئِهِ فَقَالَ إِنِّي رَسُولُ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ. فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ بِآيَاتِنَا إِذَا هُمْ مِنْهَا يَضْحَكُونَ.
And We certainly sent Moses with Our signs to Pharaoh and his establishment, and he said, Indeed, I am the messenger of the Lord of the worlds. But when he brought them Our signs, behold, they laughed at them.
(Surah Az-Zukhruf, Verses 4647)
Pharaohs mockery, rooted in ignorance and arrogance, reflected his internal weakness.
