Editing Screen: Surah Ghafir 40 : 26

Editing: Ghafir

Description <p><strong>Explanatory Note</strong></p> <p>Pharaoh himself seems to take a different point of view, or to have an additional measure which he mentioned during consultations on what tactics he would employ against Moses and his message. Essentially, he wanted to do away with Moses and rid himself of the whole problem:<br /> <strong>Pharaoh said: Leave it to me to kill Moses, and let him invoke his Lord.' I fear that he will change your religion and cause corruption to spread in the land.</strong><br /> His words, cleave it to me to kill Moses,' suggest that his view was not immediately accepted. Reservations might have been expressed, such as someone suggesting that killing Moses would not end the problem.</p> <p>On the contrary, it might inspire the masses to consider him a hero or a martyr, which could in turn generate enthusiasm towards him and his new faith, particularly after the sorcerers, who were supposed to expose his myth, declared their acceptance of his faith. One or other of Pharaoh's advisers might also have feared that Moses' God might avenge his killing and inflict punishment on his killers. This was a distinct possibility since idolaters believed in multiple deities and could imagine that Moses had a God who would punish his killers. This possibility explains Pharaoh's statement, `let him invoke his Lord! Pharaoh might have meant this as a rejoinder to the objection. On the other hand, his wild remark might have merely been to show that he did not care about the consequences. His carelessness was suitably punished in the end, as we shall presently learn.</p> <p><br /> It is useful to reflect a little on Pharaoh's argument in support of his declared intention to kill Moses: <strong>"Iftar that he will change your religion and cause corruption to spread in the land."</strong> Could there be anything more laughable than Pharaoh, the idolater, saying this of Moses, God's messenger? Yet, is it not the same statement every tyrant repeats about everyone who advocates the truth and seeks to reform people's beliefs? Is it not the word of ugly falsehood about splendid truth? What trickery seeking to shake people's faith! It is indeed the same logic repeated whenever falsehood is confronted by the truth, tyranny by justice and unfaith by faith, anywhere in the world.<br />  </p>

Please read the Guidelines before submitting an entry to the Qur'an Wiki. You can also watch the video 'Guidelines for Submitting Entries'