According to the Qur’anic Ayaat, Moses and Pharaoh had a conversation in Pharaoh’s assembly, in the presence of the nobility of his people, and the conversation was as follows:
- Pharaoh asked Moses, peace be upon him, to introduce to him the Lord of the Worlds, so he said to Moses: Who is He? What kind of a creature is He? Moses replied: He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Creator of what is between them, and the Owner of all of that. If you and those around you were certain that every creature has a creator who created him, which is a fact that no reasonable man can deny.
He mentioned another clearer and more impressive definition: Pharaoh asked, “Who then is the Lord of you two, O Moses?” He answered, “Our Lord is the One Who has given everything its ˹distinctive˺ form, then guided ˹it˺.” (Ta-Ha 20: 49-50) This means, Our Lord is He Who created all things and gave each one its own unique personality, manifesting by the perfect quality of His work – Glory be to Him, such as the big, small, or middle size of the creature’s body and its features. “then guided ˹it˺” to the benefits for which it was created and to avoid the harmful things to it. In fact, Allah the Almighty made the inanimate animal able to know what benefits it. So, He Who created the creatures gave them a good character that no reason can suggest a better stature of them, and He guided them to their interests.
He is the Lord, and this is the truth, and thus denying Him means denying the definitely undeniable truth, and doing so is arrogance, and lying. Denying His Existence is impossible, and this is why Pharaoh could not belie the definite evidence of Allah’s Existence. Hence, he changed the topic of his conversation with Moses, peace be upon him.
- When Pharaoh saw that there was no room for denial of Moses’s evidence, he moved to another matter and asked Moses: “And what about previous peoples?” He meant, “How about the previous nations? They preceded us to denial, disbelief, injustice, and stubbornness and they were our example to follow.
It was as if Pharaoh wanted to embarrass Moses by saying that those nations deviated from the Right Path, and that would help him put a barrier between Moses and those who were listening to him. Moses said: Allah the Almighty has counted their good and bad deeds for them and wrote them in the Preserved Tablet, so nothing is hidden from Him, and He, Glorified be He, forgets nothing.
The meaning of this answer: The previous peoples did deeds, and they will be called into account for them, and “that was a nation who has passed away. They shall receive the reward of what they earned and you of what you earn.” Accordingly, there is no point in asking about them. If the proof you listened to is convincing, then follow it, but if you have doubts about it or you consider it ambiguous, you should present your own proof.
- After that, Pharaoh began using sarcasm, so he said to those around him among the men of his nation and the nobles of his people, “Did you hear ˹what he said˺?” as if Moses said something strange or unacceptable, and Moses knew the intention of such a question, so he added, “˹He is˺ your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers.” i.e.: Your Creator and the Creator of your forefathers, and thus everyone is submitted to him and is subject to His judgment and Behavior. Those early ones passed away, if someone other than Allah were a lord and creator, he would keep them alive, because man by nature does not like to dispense with his forefathers.
What Pharaoh meant from his saying: “Did you hear ˹what he said˺?” was to mock Moses, and to address their sub-consciousness that this speech is not worthy of listening to due to the many errors it contains.
- Pharaoh got angry with Moses, peace be upon him, so he moved from talking to him to accusing him of insanity. He said: “Your messenger, who has been sent to you, must be insane.” Moses replied: “˹He is˺ the Lord of the east and west, and everything in between”, meaning the Lord of the entire universe: “if only you had any sense.” as if he were saying: If Pharaoh was in control of the Egyptian kingdom, then Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, controls the entire universe; the sun rises and sets due to Allah’s Will since He is its Creator and Guide.
- Pharaoh became outrageous about Moses’s proofs, and he knew that people would be affected by his words, so he threatened him with imprisonment, “If you take any other god besides me”, I will imprison you deep underground with the prisoners.”
(Pharaoh said, “If you have come with a sign, then bring it if what you say is true.” So Moses threw down his staff and—behold!—it became a real snake. Then he drew his hand ˹out of his collar˺ and it was ˹shining˺ white for all to see. The chiefs of Pharaoh’s people said, “He is indeed a skilled magician, who seeks to drive you from your land.” ˹So Pharaoh asked,˺ “What do you propose?”They replied, “Let him and his brother wait and send mobilizers to all cities to bring you every clever magician.” The magicians came to Pharaoh, saying, “Shall we receive a ˹suitable˺ reward if we prevail?” He replied, “Yes, and you will certainly be among those closest to me.”) (Al-A’raf 7: 106-114)
(Pharaoh demanded, “Bring me every skilled magician.”) (Yunus 10: 79)
When the magicians came, they asked Pharaoh, “Shall we have a ˹suitable˺ reward if we prevail?” He replied, “Yes, and you will then certainly be among those closest to me.” (Ash-Shu’ara 26:41-42)
دار حوار بين موسى وفرعون في مجلس فرعون بحضور أشراف قومه كما هو مفهوم من الآيات القرآنية، وكان الحوار كما يلي
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طلب فرعون من موسى-عليه السلام- أن يعرفه برب العالمين، فقال لموسى: من أيّ شيء هو؟ أو من أي جنس من أجناس المخلوقات؟ فأجابه موسى: بأنه خالق السماوات والأرض، وخالق ما بينهما، ومالك ذلك كله، إن كنت ومن حولك موقنين بأن لكل مخلوق خالق خلقه-وذلك أمر لا تنكره العقول.
وذكر له تعريف آخر أشد وضوحًا وأعظم أثرًا: “قَالَ فَمَنْ رَبُّكُمَا يَا مُوسَى * قَالَ رَبُّنَا الَّذِي أَعْطَى كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدَى”.(طه 20: 49-50) أي: ربنا الذي خلق جميع المخلوقات، وأعطى كل مخلوق خلقه اللائق به، الدال على حسن صنعه-سبحانه وتعالى-، من كبر الجسم وصغره وتوسطه، وجميع صفاته، “ثُمَّ هَدَى” كل مخلوق إلى ما خلقه له، وإلى ما يحقق مصالحه، وهذه مشاهدة في جميع المخلوقات إذ كل مخلوق تجده يسعى لما خلق له من المنافع، ودفع المضار، حتى إن الله تعالى أعطى الحيوان البهيم من العقل، ما يتمكن به على ذلك، فالذي خلق المخلوقات، وأعطاها خلقها الحسن، الذي لا تقترح العقول فوق حسنه، وهداها لمصالحها،
هو الرب على الحقيقة، فإنكاره إنكار لأعظم الأشياء وجودا، وهو مكابرة ومجاهرة بالكذب، فلو قدر أن الإنسان، أنكر من الأمور المعلومة ما أنكر، كان إنكاره لرب العالمين أكبر من ذلك، ولهذا لما لم يمكن فرعون، أن يعاند هذا الدليل القاطع، عدل إلى الحديث عن موضوع آخر.
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لما رأى فرعون أنه لا محل للإنكار عن برهان موسى تحول في النقاش إلى زاوية أخرى، فقال لموسى: “فَمَا بَالُ الْقُرُونِ الأولَى” أي: ما شأنهم، وما خبرهم؟ وكيف وصلت بهم الحال وقد سبقونا إلى الإنكار والكفر، والظلم، والعناد، ولنا فيهم أسوة؟
وكأن فرعون يريد إحراج موسى ليقول إنهم كانوا على ضلال فيجعل بين موسى وبين المستمعين له حاجزًا. فقال موسى: قد أحصى الله عليهم أعمالهم خيرها وشرها وكتبها عنده في اللوح المحفوظ فلا يغيب عنه شيء ولا ينسى سبحانه شيء.
ومقصود هذا الجواب: أن القرون الأولى عملوا أعمالاً وسيلقون جزاءهم عند ربهم، فلا معنى للسؤال عنهم، فتلك أمة قد خلت لها ما كسبت ولكم ما كسبتم، فإن كان الدليل الذي سمعته مقنعًا فاتبعه، وإن كنت قد شككت فيه أو رأيته غير مستقيم فقابل الحجة بالحجة.
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ابتدأ فرعون بعد ذلك باستعمال أسلوب السخرية، فقال لمن حوله من رجال دولته وأشراف قومه: “ألا تستمعون”، وكأنَّ ما قاله موسى أمر عجب، أو مستنكر، فعرف موسى ذلك، فقال: “ربكم ورب آبائكم الأولين“ أي: خالقكم وخالق آبائكم الأولين، فالكل مربوب له خاضع لحكمه وتصرفه، وذلك أن أولئك الأولون قد رحلوا ولو كان غير الله ربًّا خالقًا لأبقاهم على قيد الحياة؛ لأن الإنسان بطبيعته لا يحب الاستغناء عن آبائه.
ومراد فرعون من قوله: “ألا تستمعون” إظهار السخرية من موسى، ومخاطبة العقل الباطن بأن هذا الكلام لا يستحق الاستماع إليه من فرط ما فيه من غلط.
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غضب فرعون من موسى عليه السلام فانتقل من الحوار إلى الاتهام بالجنون، فقال: “إن رسولكم الذي أرسل إليكم لمجنون”، فرد موسى: “رب المشرق والمغرب وما بينهما”، أي رب الكون كله: “إن كنتم تعقلون”، وكأنه يقول: إذا كان فرعون يتحكم بالمملكة المصرية، فإن الله -عز وجل- يتحكم بالكون كله، فالشمس شروقها وغروبها بإذن الله سبحانه لأنه هو خالقها ومسيرها.
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ازداد غضب فرعون من حجج موسى وعلم أن الناس سيتأثرون بكلامه فقام بتهديده بالسجن، “قال لئن اتخذت إلهاً غيري“: أي رباً سواي لأسجنك وأجعلك في قعر تحت الأرض مع المسجونين.
( قَالَ إِن كُنتَ جِئْتَ بِآيَةٍ فَأْتِ بِهَا إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ ﴿١٠٦﴾ فَأَلْقَىٰ عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ ثُعْبَانٌ مُّبِينٌ ﴿١٠٧﴾ وَنَزَعَ يَدَهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ بَيْضَاءُ لِلنَّاظِرِينَ ﴿١٠٨﴾ قَالَ الْمَلَأُ مِن قَوْمِ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَسَاحِرٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿١٠٩﴾ يُرِيدُ أَن يُخْرِجَكُم مِّنْ أَرْضِكُمْ ۖ فَمَاذَا تَأْمُرُونَ ﴿١١٠﴾ قَالُوا أَرْجِهْ وَأَخَاهُ وَأَرْسِلْ فِي الْمَدَائِنِ حَاشِرِينَ ﴿١١١﴾ يَأْتُوكَ بِكُلِّ سَاحِرٍ عَلِيمٍ ﴿١١٢﴾ وَجَاءَ السَّحَرَةُ فِرْعَوْنَ قَالُوا إِنَّ لَنَا لَأَجْرًا إِن كُنَّا نَحْنُ الْغَالِبِينَ ﴿١١٣﴾ قَالَ نَعَمْ وَإِنَّكُمْ لَمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ)
الأعراف 7 : 106-114
(وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ ائْتُونِي بِكُلِّ سَاحِرٍ عَلِيم)
يونس 10 :79
(فَلَمَّا جَاءَ السَّحَرَةُ قَالُوا لِفِرْعَوْنَ أَئِنَّ لَنَا لَأَجْرًا إِن كُنَّا نَحْنُ الْغَالِبِينَ ﴿٤١﴾ قَالَ نَعَمْ وَإِنَّكُمْ إِذًا لَّمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ ﴿٤٢ )
الشعراء 26: 41-42