What Was the Conversation Between Moses (PBUH) and Pharaoh, and What Was Its Outcome?
يحدثنا القرآن عن حوار دار بين نبي الله موسى-عليه السلام- وبين فرعون بحضرة الملأ. فما الحوار الذي دار بينهما، وما نتيجة ذلك الحوار؟
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? Of what kind of creature is He? Moses answered that 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 are certain that every creature has a creator who created it, which is something no mind denies.
He mentioned another definition, clearer and more impressive: (“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. That is: our Lord is He Who created all creatures and gave every creature the form that befits it, which shows the excellence of His making, Glorified and Exalted is He, whether its body is large, small or in between, and all its features. “Then guided ˹it˺”: He guided every creature to what He created it for and to what secures its interests. This can be seen in all creatures, for you find every creature striving for the benefits it was created for and warding off harm, so much so that Allah the Almighty gave even the dumb animal enough sense to do so. He Who created the creatures, gave them their fine form, beyond whose beauty minds cannot propose anything better, and guided them to their interests, is the Lord in truth. Denying Him is denying the greatest of all existing things; it is obstinacy and open lying. Whatever known matters a person might deny, his denial of the Lord of the Worlds would be greater than that. This is why, when Pharaoh could not resist this decisive proof, he turned to another subject.
When Pharaoh saw that there was no room to deny Moses’s proof, he turned the discussion to another angle and said to Moses, “And what about previous peoples?”, that is: what was their state and their story? How did they end up, when they preceded us in denial, disbelief, injustice and stubbornness, and we follow their example? It was as if Pharaoh wanted to embarrass Moses into saying that they had been astray, so as to put a barrier between Moses and those listening to him. Moses said: Allah has counted their deeds, good and bad, and recorded them with Him in the Preserved Tablet, so nothing escapes Him, and He, Glorified is He, forgets nothing. The point of this answer is that the earlier generations did their deeds and will meet their recompense with their Lord, so there is no point in asking about them: that was a nation that has passed; it will have what it earned, and you will have what you earned. If the proof you heard is convincing, then follow it, and if you doubt it or think it unsound, then answer proof with proof.
After that, Pharaoh began to use sarcasm, saying to those around him, the men of his state and the nobles of his people, “Did you hear ˹what he said˺?”, as if what Moses had said were something strange or objectionable. Moses understood this, so he said, “˹He is˺ your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers,” that is: your Creator and the Creator of your forefathers, so all are under His lordship, subject to His judgment and His disposal. Those forefathers have passed away, and if anyone other than Allah were a lord and creator, he would have kept them alive, because by nature a person does not want to lose his forefathers. What Pharaoh meant by “Did you hear ˹what he said˺?” was to show his mockery of Moses and to tell the subconscious mind that this speech did not deserve to be heard, so full of error was it.
Pharaoh grew angry with Moses, peace be upon him, and moved from dialogue to accusing him of insanity, saying, “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,” that is, the Lord of the whole universe, “if only you had any sense,” as if to say: if Pharaoh controls the Egyptian kingdom, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, controls the whole universe; the sun rises and sets by Allah’s leave, for He is its Creator and the One Who makes it run.
Pharaoh’s anger at Moses’s arguments grew, and he knew that people would be affected by his words, so he threatened him with prison: “If you take any other god besides me,” meaning any lord other than me, I will imprison you and put you in a pit 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: 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 خالقا خلقه، وذلك أمر لا تنكره العقول.
وذكر له تعريفًا آخر أشد وضوحًا وأعظم أثرًا: (قَالَ فَمَن رَّبُّكُمَا يَا مُوسَىٰ ﴿٤٩﴾ قَالَ رَبُّنَا الَّذِي أَعْطَىٰ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدَىٰ) 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 هَدَىٰ” كل مخلوق إلى ما خلقه له، وإلى ما يحقق مصالحه، وهذه مشاهدة في جميع المخلوقات، إذ كل مخلوق تجده يسعى لما خُلق 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 قُدّر 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.
لما رأى فرعون أنه لا محل للإنكار عن برهان موسى تحول في النقاش إلى زاوية أخرى، فقال لموسى: “فَمَا بَالُ الْقُرُونِ الْأُولَىٰ”، 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 شيئا. ومقصود هذا الجواب: أن القرون الأولى عملوا أعمالًا 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.
ابتدأ فرعون بعد ذلك باستعمال أسلوب السخرية، فقال لمن حوله من رجال دولته وأشراف قومه: “أَلَا تَسْتَمِعُونَ”، وكأنَّ ما قاله موسى أمر عجب أو مستنكر، فعرف موسى ذلك، فقال: “رَبُّكُمْ وَرَبُّ آبَائِكُمُ الْأَوَّلِينَ”، أي: خالقكم وخالق آبائكم الأولين، فالكل مربوب له خاضع لحكمه وتصرفه، وذلك أن أولئك الأولين قد رحلوا، ولو كان غير الله ربًّا خالقًا لأبقاهم على قيد الحياة؛ لأن الإنسان بطبيعته لا يحب الاستغناء عن آبائه. ومراد فرعون من قوله: “أَلَا تَسْتَمِعُونَ” إظهار السخرية من موسى، ومخاطبة العقل الباطن بأن هذا الكلام لا يستحق الاستماع إليه من فرط ما فيه من غلط.
غضب فرعون من موسى عليه السلام فانتقل من الحوار إلى الاتهام بالجنون، فقال: “إِنَّ رَسُولَكُمُ الَّذِي أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ لَمَجْنُونٌ”، فرد موسى: “رَبُّ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا”، أي رب الكون كله، “إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ”، وكأنه يقول: إذا كان فرعون يتحكم بالمملكة المصرية، فإن الله عز وجل يتحكم بالكون كله، فالشمس شروقها وغروبها بإذن الله سبحانه لأنه هو خالقها ومسيّرها.
ازداد غضب فرعون من حجج موسى وعلم أن الناس سيتأثرون بكلامه، فقام بتهديده بالسجن: “قَالَ لَئِنِ اتَّخَذْتَ إِلَـٰهًا غَيْرِي”، أي ربًّا 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 عَلِيمٍ) يونس 10: 79
(فَلَمَّا جَاءَ السَّحَرَةُ قَالُوا لِفِرْعَوْنَ أَئِنَّ لَنَا لَأَجْرًا إِن كُنَّا نَحْنُ الْغَالِبِينَ ﴿٤١﴾ قَالَ نَعَمْ وَإِنَّكُمْ إِذًا لَّمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ) الشعراء 26: 41-42
1. “Who Is the Lord of the Worlds?” Answered Through Creation Itself | “ما رب العالمين؟” جوابٌ من واقع الخلق نفسه
Pharaoh opens by demanding a definition of the Lord of the Worlds, and Musa answers first with the fact of creation itself, the Creator of the heavens, the earth, and everything between them (Ash-Shu’ara 26:24); the answer then joins to it his reply recorded in Ta-Ha 20:50: the One who gave every single thing its own distinctive form and then guided it. This second answer moves from an abstract claim to something observable in every living creature, leaving Pharaoh unable to counter it directly.
يفتتح فرعون بمطالبة موسى بتعريف رب العالمين، فيجيب موسى أولا بواقع الخلق نفسه، خالق السماوات والأرض وما بينهما (الشعراء 26: 24)، ثم يضم الجواب إلى ذلك رده المذكور في طه 20: 50: الذي أعطى كل شيء خلقه ثم هدى. وتنتقل هذه الإجابة الثانية من ادعاء مجرد إلى شيء يمكن ملاحظته في كل مخلوق حي، تاركة فرعون عاجزا عن الرد المباشر عليها.
2. Changing the Subject Once the Argument Could Not Be Answered | تغيير الموضوع بعد استحالة الرد على الحجة
Unable to refute Musa’s proof, Pharaoh pivots entirely, asking about earlier generations instead, an apparent attempt to embarrass Musa into criticizing ancestors people respected. Musa’s answer sidesteps the trap cleanly: their deeds are already recorded with Allah, so nothing is hidden or forgotten, meaning the subject offers Pharaoh no real escape from the original argument.
وإذ يعجز عن دحض حجة موسى، يحول فرعون الموضوع بالكامل، سائلا عن الأجيال السابقة، في محاولة ظاهرة لإحراج موسى ليَنتقد أسلافا يحترمهم الناس. ويتجنب رد موسى الفخ بمهارة: أعمالهم محصاة عند الله بالفعل، فلا يغيب عنه شيء ولا ينسى، أي أن الموضوع لا يقدم لفرعون أي مهرب حقيقي من الحجة الأصلية.
3. Turning to the Crowd With Mockery | التحول إلى مخاطبة الجمهور بالسخرية
Rather than continuing to engage Musa’s reasoning, Pharaoh turns to his own court and asks, “Did you hear?”, playing to the audience’s assumptions instead of the substance of what was said. Musa’s follow-up, naming Allah as the Lord of their forefathers too, closes off the very appeal to ancestry Pharaoh had just tried to exploit.
وبدلا من مواصلة مناقشة حجة موسى، يتوجه فرعون إلى بلاطه سائلا: “ألا تستمعون؟”، مخاطبا افتراضات الجمهور لا جوهر ما قيل. ويغلق رد موسى التالي، تسمية الله ربا لآبائهم الأولين أيضا، الباب أمام التوسل بالأسلاف نفسه الذي حاول فرعون للتو استغلاله.
4. From Argument to Insult: “Your Messenger Is Insane” | من الحجة إلى الإهانة: “إن رسولكم لمجنون”
With no rational counter left, Pharaoh abandons argument altogether and accuses Musa of madness. Musa’s reply does not lower itself to the insult; it widens the scope entirely, naming Allah as Lord of the east, the west, and everything between, an answer whose cosmic scale makes Pharaoh’s accusation look small by comparison.
ودون أي رد عقلي متبقٍ، يتخلى فرعون عن الحجة تماما ويتهم موسى بالجنون. ولا ينزل رد موسى إلى مستوى الإهانة؛ بل يوسع النطاق بالكامل، مسميا الله ربا للمشرق والمغرب وما بينهما، وهي إجابة يجعل اتساعها الكوني اتهام فرعون يبدو صغيرا بالمقارنة.
5. From Insult to Threat: Imprisonment | من الإهانة إلى التهديد بالسجن
Having exhausted argument and mockery, Pharaoh escalates to raw threat, promising to imprison Musa if he takes any god besides Pharaoh himself. This progression, reasoned challenge, evasive deflection, mockery, insult, then threat of force, traces exactly how someone unable to answer a true claim resorts to power once persuasion fails.
وبعد استنفاد الحجة والسخرية، يصعّد فرعون إلى تهديد صريح، واعدا بسجن موسى إن اتخذ إلها غير فرعون نفسه. ويرسم هذا التصاعد، تحدٍّ عقلاني، ثم مراوغة، ثم سخرية، ثم إهانة، ثم تهديد بالقوة، بدقة كيف يلجأ من يعجز عن الرد على حجة حقيقية إلى القوة حين يفشل الإقناع.
6. A Demanded Sign and a Court’s Political Fear | آيةٌ مطلوبة وخوفٌ سياسي من البلاط
Pharaoh finally demands proof, and Musa produces the same two signs given to him in the sacred valley of Tuwa, the staff and the radiant hand. Rather than engaging the miracle itself, Pharaoh’s chiefs immediately reframe it in political terms, calling Musa a skilled magician who intends to drive them from their own land, a fear that leads directly to summoning magicians from every city to confront him; how the contest with the magicians ended is told separately.
يطالب فرعون أخيرا بدليل، فيقدم موسى الآيتين نفسيهما اللتين أُعطيهما في الوادي المقدس طوى، العصا واليد المضيئة. وبدلا من التعامل مع المعجزة نفسها، يعيد أشراف فرعون تأطيرها فورا بمصطلحات سياسية، واصفين موسى بساحر ماهر يريد إخراجهم من أرضهم، وهو خوف يقود مباشرة إلى استدعاء السحرة من كل مدينة لمواجهته.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What did Pharaoh first ask Moses in their public conversation?
Who the Lord of the Worlds was, and what kind of being He was.
How did Pharaoh react when he could not refute Moses’s answer?
He changed the subject, then mocked Moses before his court, then accused him of insanity, and finally threatened him with imprisonment.
What did Moses answer when accused of insanity?
That Allah is the Lord of the east and the west and everything between them.
What did Pharaoh finally demand from Moses?
A sign proving his claim, which Moses provided by throwing down his staff and showing his radiant hand.
How did Pharaoh’s court respond to the sign?
They called Moses a skilled magician seeking to drive them from their land, and advised summoning magicians from every city to confront him.