Why Did Allah Almighty Send Moses (PBUH) to Pharaoh as His First Mission?
لماذا أرسل الله تعالى موسى عليه السلام إلى فرعون كأول مهمة له؟
Pharaoh was a disbeliever and he told people that he was their lord. He transgressed and oppressed the Children of Israel. He killed their sons and kept the women alive. Allah the Almighty willed that Moses PBUH go to Pharaoh to call him to Allah the Almighty.
(Pharaoh declared, “O chiefs! I know of no other god for you but myself. So bake bricks out of clay for me, O Haman, and build a high tower so I may look at the God of Moses, although I am sure he is a liar.”) Al-Qasas 28:38
(Pharaoh ordered, “O Haman! Build me a high tower so I may reach the pathways leading up to the heavens and look for the God of Moses, although I am sure he is a liar.”) Ghafer 40:36-37
(And Pharaoh called out to his people, boasting, “O my people! Am I not sovereign over Egypt as well as ˹all˺ these streams flowing at my feet? Can you not see? Am I not better than this nobody who can hardly express himself? Why then have no golden bracelets ˹of kingship˺ been granted to him or angels come with him as escorts!” And so he fooled his people, and they obeyed him. They were truly a rebellious people.) Az-Zukhruf 43:51-54
كان فرعون كافرًا وكان يقول للناس إنه ربهم الأعلى. وكان يعذب بني إسرائيل ويقتل أبناءهم ويبقي النساء. فكان الله تعالى يريد أن يذهب موسى عليه السلام ليعظه.
(وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ مَا عَلِمْتُ لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيْرِي فَأَوْقِدْ لِي يَا هَامَانُ عَلَى الطِّينِ فَاجْعَل لِّي صَرْحًا لَّعَلِّي أَطَّلِعُ إِلَىٰ إِلَـٰهِ مُوسَىٰ وَإِنِّي لَأَظُنُّهُ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ) القصص 28: 38
(وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ يَا هَامَانُ ابْنِ لِي صَرْحًا لَّعَلِّي أَبْلُغُ الْأَسْبَابَ أَسْبَابَ السَّمَاوَاتِ فَأَطَّلِعَ إِلَىٰ إِلَـٰهِ مُوسَىٰ وَإِنِّي لَأَظُنُّهُ كَاذِبًا) غافر 40: 36-37
(وَنَادَىٰ فِرْعَوْنُ فِي قَوْمِهِ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَلَيْسَ لِي مُلْكُ مِصْرَ وَهَـٰذِهِ الْأَنْهَارُ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِي أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ أَمْ أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِّنْ هَـٰذَا الَّذِي هُوَ مَهِينٌ وَلَا يَكَادُ يُبِينُ فَلَوْلَا أُلْقِيَ عَلَيْهِ أَسْوِرَةٌ مِّن ذَهَبٍ أَوْ جَاءَ مَعَهُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ مُقْتَرِنِينَ فَاسْتَخَفَّ قَوْمَهُ فَأَطَاعُوهُ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَوْمًا فَاسِقِينَ) الزخرف 43: 51-54
1. A Ruler Who Declared Himself God | حاكمٌ أعلن نفسه إلهًا
Pharaoh’s own words in Surah Al-Qasas 28:38, “I know of no other god for you but myself,” state the core problem directly: this was not merely political tyranny but an explicit claim to divinity. This single claim is the root reason Musa’s mission targeted Pharaoh specifically, rather than simply reforming his policies.
تُعلن كلمات فرعون نفسه في القصص 28: 38، “ما علمت لكم من إله غيري”، المشكلة الجوهرية مباشرة: لم يكن هذا مجرد استبداد سياسي، بل ادعاء صريح بالألوهية. وهذا الادعاء الواحد هو السبب الجذري الذي جعل رسالة موسى تستهدف فرعون تحديدا، لا مجرد إصلاح سياساته.
2. Persecution as the Practical Cost of That Claim | الاضطهاد ثمنٌ عملي لهذا الادعاء
Pharaoh’s self-deification was not an abstract belief; it produced real oppression, the killing of Israelite sons and enslavement of their daughters. This persecution Musa himself was born into is presented here as the direct consequence of a ruler who recognized no authority above his own.
لم يكن تأليه فرعون لنفسه عقيدة مجردة؛ بل أنتج اضطهادا حقيقيا، قتل أبناء بني إسرائيل واستعباد بناتهم. ويُقدَّم هذا الاضطهاد الذي وُلد موسى نفسه فيه هنا نتيجة مباشرة لحاكم لم يعترف بأي سلطة فوق سلطته.
3. A Tower Built to “See” Musa’s God | صرحٌ يُبنى ليرى إله موسى
Two separate surahs, Al-Qasas and Ghafer, record Pharaoh ordering Haman to build a tall tower specifically to look for Musa’s God, treating a spiritual claim as something that could be physically observed from a height. Its repetition across two surahs signals how significant this episode was as a demonstration of Pharaoh’s willful, almost literal-minded rejection of the message.
تسجل سورتان منفصلتان، القصص وغافر، أمر فرعون لهامان ببناء صرح عالٍ تحديدا للبحث عن إله موسى، معاملا ادعاء روحيا بوصفه شيئا يمكن رصده فعليا من ارتفاع. ويشير تكرار هذا عبر سورتين إلى مدى دلالة هذه الحادثة بوصفها إظهارا لرفض فرعون المتعمد، شبه الحرفي، للرسالة.
4. Judging Truth by Wealth and Appearance | الحكم على الحق بالمال والمظهر
Addressing his own people, Pharaoh points to his kingdom and rivers as proof of his superiority, then mocks Musa as “this nobody who can hardly express himself,” questioning why he had not arrived wearing golden bracelets or escorted by angels. Pharaoh dismisses the message by measuring the messenger’s outward status rather than engaging with what was actually being said. Qarun, whose wealth the Quran describes in 28:76, is named with Pharaoh and Haman among those Musa was sent to (40:23-24), as explained in who Qarun was.
وهو يخاطب قومه، يشير فرعون إلى ملكه وأنهاره دليلا على تفوقه، ثم يسخر من موسى بأنه “هذا الذي هو مهين ولا يكاد يبين”، متسائلا لماذا لم يأتِ بأساور ذهبية أو ملائكة مرافقين. ويرفض فرعون الرسالة بقياس مكانة الرسول الظاهرة لا بالتعامل مع ما يُقال فعلا.
5. A People Fooled Into Obedience | قومٌ خُدعوا فأطاعوا
Surah Az-Zukhruf 43:54 closes with its own verdict: Pharaoh fooled his people, and they obeyed him, and they are described as a rebellious people. This line places responsibility not on Pharaoh alone but on a population that accepted his self-serving arguments without question, precisely the pattern of unchecked authority Musa’s mission was sent to confront.
تختتم الزخرف 43: 54 بحكمها الخاص: استخف فرعون بقومه فأطاعوه، ووُصفوا بأنهم كانوا قوما فاسقين. وتضع هذه العبارة المسؤولية لا على فرعون وحده بل على شعب قبل حججه الخادمة لمصلحته دون تساؤل، وهو بالضبط نمط السلطة غير المكبوحة التي أُرسلت رسالة موسى لمواجهتها.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Why did Allah send Moses to Pharaoh specifically?
Because Pharaoh had declared himself the only god his people knew and was persecuting the Children of Israel.
What did Pharaoh order Haman to build, and why?
A high tower, so he could physically look for the God of Musa, whom he claimed was a liar.
How did Pharaoh mock Moses before his people?
He called him “this nobody who can hardly express himself” and questioned why he lacked golden bracelets or an angelic escort.
What did Pharaoh use to argue for his own superiority?
His kingdom over Egypt and the rivers flowing beneath him.
Who does the Quran hold responsible besides Pharaoh?
His own people, described as rebellious for allowing themselves to be fooled and obeying him.