Article appeared Friday, July 2nd, 2010 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (137) yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

What type of person was Pharaoh – the person who Moses had to deal with? The Creator
enlightens us in the Qur’an:
“…We sent Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh and his chiefs with Our Signs…they were
arrogant: they were a people in sin.” [10.75]

What was Pharaoh’s treatment of the Children of Israel?

“…they set you hard tasks and punishments slaughtered your sons and let your womenfolk
live; therein was a tremendous trial from your Lord.” [2.49]

Who sent Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh?

“So go forth both of you to Pharaoh and say: `We have been sent by the Lord and Cherisher
of the Worlds;” [26.16]

In what manner did Pharaoh respond?

“Pharaoh said: "And what is the ‘Lord and Cherisher of the Worlds?’” [26.23]

To help Pharaoh and all others understand, Moses responded with qualities of the Creator:
“(Moses) said: "The Lord and Cherisher of the heavens and the earth and all between if you
want to be quite sure."” [26.24]

“(Moses) said: "Your Lord and the Lord of your fathers from the beginning!"” [26.26]

“(Moses) said: "Lord of the East and the West and all between! If you only had sense!"”
[26.28]

However, did Pharaoh’s arrogance permit him to understand? Pharaoh was blinded by his own
arrogance:
“(Pharaoh) said: "If you do put forward any god other than me I will certainly put thee in
prison!"” [26.29]

Did the Creator, the Lord of the current world and the Lord of the Hereafter [34.1] send a stranger to
Pharaoh? Was the character and person of Moses unknown to Pharaoh?
“(Pharaoh) said: "Did we not cherish you as a child among us and did you not stay in our
midst many years of your life?” [26.18]

Let us pause for a moment and analyze the exchange between Pharaoh and Moses. What is
Pharaoh implying in Verse 26.18? Without trying to understand, Pharaoh accuses Moses and
threatens to put him in prison, i.e. how dare Moses speak of anyone else as cherisher, when Moses
was raised in Pharaoh’s own household??

What lesson did the Creator teach in response to this arrogance?

“And remember We divided the sea for you and saved you and drowned Pharaoh's people
within your very sight.” [2.50]

“"This day shall We save you in your body that you may be a Sign to those who come after
you! But verily many among mankind are heedless of Our Signs!"” [10.92]

“But Allah did punish him (Pharaoh and made an) example of him in the Hereafter as in this
life. Verily in this is an instructive warning for whosoever fears the Creator.” [79.25 – 79.26]

More than 3000 years on, the preserved mummy of the Pharaoh can be found in Cairo Museum {1}.
The Creator asks mankind to reflect on the facts and consider its implication in our own personal
lives. What would be the questions for reflection?
 • What was the relationship between Pharaoh and Moses? Someone very near and dear to
him informed Pharaoh about the Creator!
• Who organized Moses to be raised in Pharaoh’s own household? So a believer was raised in
the house of a disbeliever?
• Who gave the power to Pharaoh to rule the land? Was it the Creator or was it Pharaoh
himself?

What should have been Pharaoh’s response to the honor given to him by the Creator? Does not the
Creator deserve to be honored and thanked in return? Rather, should one become arrogant and
self-righteous? However, sadly, as pointed out by Thomas Carlyle (1795 – 1881), a Scottish
Historian and Essayist,
“No sadder proof can be given by a man of his own littleness than disbelief in great men.” {2}

Who is the Lord of Moses? Through what qualities did Moses introduce Him? What qualities of the
Creator do the ‘Book of Names’ or Book of Exodus of the Bible extol? One often argues about the
name one should call the Creator, however, as Allah points out:
“Say: "Call upon Allah or call upon Rahman (Most Gracious): by whatever name you call
upon Him (it is well): for to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names (or qualities)…"” [7.110]

Instead of honoring and adoring the Creator, should one be attaching sons, daughters, images, or
other imaginary deities to the Creator?
“Say: "O you men! If you are in doubt as to my religion (behold!) I worship not what you
worship other than Allah But I worship Allah Who will take your souls (at death): I am
commanded to be (in the ranks) of the Believers.” [10.104]

Who should be feared more, created things or the Creator? When the Creator showed His Signs
through Moses:
“But none believed in Moses except some children of his People because of the fear of
Pharaoh and his chiefs lest they should persecute them;…” [10.83]

Come let us all pray:

“They said: "In Allah do we put our trust. Our Lord! Make us not a trial for those who practice
oppression;” [10.85]

The job of all prophets sent by the Creator was simply to warn mankind of the accountability on the
Day of Judgment:
“The LORD Almighty says, "The Day of Judgment is coming, burning like a furnace. The
arrogant and the wicked will be burned up like straw on that Day. They will be consumed like
a tree - roots and all.” [Verse 4.1, Malachi (NLT)]

3.10 “Those who reject faith neither their possessions nor their (numerous) progeny
will avail them aught against Allah: they are themselves but fuel for the fire.”

3.11 “(Their plight will be) no better than that of the people of Pharaoh and their
predecessors: they denied Our Signs and Allah called them to account for their sins.
For Allah is strict in punishment.”

3.12 “Say to those who reject Faith: "Soon will you be vanquished and gathered
together in hell an evil bed indeed (to lie on)!”
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{Notes}:
{1} Bucaille, M. (1990). Mummies of the Pharaohs: Modern Medical Investigations. St. Martin's
Press. Inc., New York. ISBN: 0-312-05131-X
{2} http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/disbelief/2.html