We continue with the story of the believer in Pharaoh’s household and how he defended Moses and argued to allow him the freedom to advocate God’s message. He warns his people that God will abandon those who continue to doubt His message after seeing clear evidence of its truth, letting them go astray. He then tells them plainly that those who continue to dispute God’s revelation, without justification or evidence, will be loathed by God and the believers. Pharaoh and his people did this in a very deplorable way. He also condemns arrogance and warns against God’s punishment to those who continue to behave arrogantly and resort to high-handedness. “Those who dispute God’s revelations, with no authority granted to them, commit something that is exceedingly loathsome in the sight of God and of those who believe. In this way God sets a seal on the heart of every arrogant tyrant.” These words, from a believer among Pharaoh’s household, are almost identical to those at the outset of the surah speaking of how God dislikes those who dispute His revelations without any proof in support of what they say. The result is that God lets them go astray until there is no room in their hearts for the light of guidance.
Despite such solid arguments from the believer, Pharaoh persisted in his erring ways, adamant in his rejection of the truth. However, he sought to pretend that he wanted to find out whether what Moses said was true. It appears then that the believer’s argument was so convincing and hard-hitting that Pharaoh and his courtiers could not totally ignore it. Therefore, Pharaoh tried to find a way out: “Pharaoh said: ‘Haman! Build me a lofty tower that I may attain the right means; the means of approach to the heavens, so that I may have a look at the God of Moses. I am convinced that he is lying.’ Thus, goodly seemed to Pharaoh the evil of his deed, and he was barred from the right path. Pharaoh’s scheming led only to ruin.”
Thus, Pharaoh instructed Haman, his minister, to build him a very high tower so that he might climb and look into the heavens searching for Moses’ God. He also added: ‘I am convinced he is lying.’ Pharaoh resorted to this maneuvering so that he did not have to face the truth which would compel him to acknowledge God’s oneness. Such acknowledgement would lose him his throne and dispel the legends upon which his kingdom was based. It is improbable that such was Pharaoh’s understanding, or that he seriously wanted to look for Moses’ God in this stupid, physical way. In fact, Pharaoh would have attained a high standard of education and knowledge. Therefore, his words really betray his ridicule on the one hand and trickery on the other. He wanted to deceive people into thinking that he was fair-minded, willing to test Moses’ claims. Or perhaps this maneuver was meant as a retreat in the face of the strong logic advanced by the believer. Whatever is the truth behind his actions, all these possibilities indicate that he persisted in his erring ways, arrogantly denying the truth. “Thus, goodly seemed to Pharaoh the evil of his deed, and he was barred from the right path.” He deserved to be so barred, having chosen to persist with falsehood and deviancy. The surah’s comment makes clear that such scheming can only lead to failure and utter loss. “Pharaoh’s scheming led only to ruin.”
Faced with such thoughtless and devious maneuvering, the believer makes his final say clear, free of ambiguity. He calls on his people to follow him in pursuing the right course leading to God. He emphasizes to them that this present life is worthless, while the life to come provides pure bliss. He warns them against the punishment of the hereafter, exposing the hollow and false nature of idolatrous beliefs. His argument stresses the same facts established at the beginning of the surah. The believer restates them here as he confronts Pharaoh and his noblemen. He calls on them: “My people! Follow me: I shall guide you to the path of rectitude.” Only a few moments earlier, it was Pharaoh who said: “I am guiding you to none other than the path of rectitude.” This means that the believer was making a clear challenge, stating the word of truth, fearing nothing that the tyrant Pharaoh, or his two ministers, Haman and Korah, could do to him. He tells them of the nature of this present life: “My people! This worldly life is but a brief enjoyment.” It cannot continue. It will soon disappear; “whereas the life to come is the lasting home.” It is the one to be preferred.
