How Fir`awn mocked the Lord of Musa
Ayahs Covered
سُورَةُ غَافِرٍ
Ghafir (The Forgiver)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
2 ayahs
وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ يَٰهَٰمَٰنُ ٱبْنِ لِى صَرْحًۭا لَّعَلِّىٓ أَبْلُغُ ٱلْأَسْبَٰبَ
And Pharaoh said, "O Haman, construct for me a tower that I might reach the ways -
أَسْبَٰبَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ فَأَطَّلِعَ إِلَىٰٓ إِلَٰهِ مُوسَىٰ وَإِنِّى لَأَظُنُّهُۥ كَٰذِبًۭا ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِفِرْعَوْنَ سُوٓءُ عَمَلِهِۦ وَصُدَّ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ ۚ وَمَا كَيْدُ فِرْعَوْنَ إِلَّا فِى تَبَابٍۢ
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.
Common Words
32 total31 unique1 repeated
فرعون2x
وقال1x
يهمن1x
ٱبن1x
لى1x
صرحا1x
لعلى1x
أبلغ1x
ٱلأسبب1x
أسبب1x
ٱلسموت1x
فأطلع1x
إلى1x
إله1x
موسى1x
وإنى1x
لأظنه1x
كذبا1x
وكذلك1x
زين1x
Other Scholars on These Ayahs
And Pharaoh said ‘O Hāmān! Build for me a tower a lofty edifice that perhaps I may reach the routes —
the routes of the heavens — the paths that lead to it and look upon read indicative fa-attali‘u as a supplement to ablughu ‘I may reach’; or read subjunctive fa-attali‘a as the response to ibni lī ‘bu...
Ibn Kathir Commentary
Related Tafsir
How Fir`awn mocked the Lord of Musa
Allah tells us of the arrogant and hostile defiance of Fir`awn and his rejection of Musa, when he commanded his minister Haman to build him a tower, i.e., a tall, high, strong fortress. He built it of bricks made from baked clay, as Allah says:
فَأَوْقِدْ لِى يَهَـمَـنُ عَلَى الطِّينِ فَاجْعَل لِّى صَرْحاً
(So kindle for me (a fire), O Haman, to bake (bricks out of) clay, and set up for me a lofty tower) (28:38).
لَّعَـلِّى أَبْلُغُ الاٌّسْبَـبَأَسْبَـبَ السَّمَـوَتِ
(that I may arrive at the ways -- the ways of the heavens,) Sa`id bin Jubayr and Abu Salih said, "The gates of the heavens." Or it was said, the ways of the heavens.
فَأَطَّلِعَ إِلَى إِلَـهِ مُوسَى وَإِنِّى لاّظُنُّهُ كَـذِباً
(and I may look upon the God of Musa, but verily, I think him to be a liar.) Because of his disbelief and defiance, he did not believe that Allah had sent Musa to him. Allah says:
وَكَـذَلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِفِرْعَوْنَ سُوءُ عَمَلِهِ وَصُدَّ عَنِ السَّبِيلِ
(Thus it was made fair seeming, in Fir`awn's eyes, the evil of his deeds, and he was hindered from the path;) means, this act of his building the tower, by means of which he wanted to deceive his people and make them think that he could prove that Musa was lying. Allah says:
وَمَا كَـيْدُ فِرْعَوْنَ إِلاَّ فِى تَبَابٍ
(and the plot of Fir`awn led to nothing but loss and destruction.) Ibn `Abbas and Mujahid said, "Meaning nothing but ruin."