Surah an-Naml (The Ant ) 27 : 14

Explanatory Note

The same was true of the Quraysh elders. They were certain of the truth of the Qur’ān, but they persisted in denying it and rejecting the Prophet’s call to believe in God alone. They wanted to continue with their false beliefs because of the privileges and gains they felt would be threatened if they were to abandon their religion. They realized that such gains and privileges depended totally on their false beliefs and that Islam was sure to do away with them. They felt their position to be very shaky, compared with the clear truth of Islam. Such is the truth. Its rejecters do not deny it out of ignorance. They deny it because they know it to be the truth and realize that it threatens their interests and privileges. Hence, they deliberately reject it. “Consider, then, what happened in the end to the evil-doers.” (Verse 14) The end Pharaoh met is well known, and the Qur’ān tells us about it in other sūrahs. Here we have only this brief reference to it, as it may cause avowed opponents of the truth to reflect on the lessons of the past. It may, perchance, alert them to take heed before they too suffer a similar fate.