References :Almond continued, "Moses and Aaron left, and Pharaoh returned to his palace. He entered to his palace. He was completely stupefied when he faced the miracles. When Moses went out of his presence, his emotions changed from amazement and fear to violent rage. He quarreled with his ministers and men, reviled them bitterly for no reason, and commanded them to get out of his presence. When he was left alone, he tried to think more calmly. He drank several cups of wine, but his anger did not abate.
Then he summoned all the ministers, leaders, and responsible men for a serious meeting. Pharaoh entered the meeting with a rigid face. It was obvious that he would never surrender easily. He had established a kingdom on the basis of his being a god worshipped by the Egyptian people. Now Moses came to destroy what he had built. Moses said that there was no Lord other than Allah in existence. This meant that Pharaoh was a liar. Pharaoh opened the session by throwing a sudden question at Haman, "Am I a liar, O Haman?" Haman fell to his knees in amazement and asked: "Who dared to accuse Pharaoh of lying?" Pharaoh said: "Has Moses not said that there is a Lord in the heaven?" Haman answered: "Moses is lying." Turning his face to the other side, Pharaoh asserted impatiently, "I know he is a liar." Then he looked towards Haman and cried, And Pharaoh said, "O Haman, construct for me a tower that I might reach the ways - the ways into the heavens - so that I may look at the deity of Moses; but indeed, I think he is a liar." And thus was made attractive to Pharaoh the evil of his deed, and he was averted from the right way. And the plan of Pharaoh was not except in ruin.
Pharaoh issued his royal command to erect a lofty tower, its height to reach the heavens. Pharaoh's command depended fundamentally upon Egyptian civilization and its fondness for building what Pharaoh wanted. However, he ignored the rules of engineering. In spite of this, Haman assented in hypocritically, knowing that it was impossible to erect such a tower. He said that he would issue a command to build it immediately. "However, your majesty, let me object to Pharaoh for the first time. You will never find anyone in the heavens. There is no god but you."Pharaoh listened to a settled fact. Then he declared, "O eminent ones, I have not known you to have a god other than me. Then ignite for me, O Haman, a fire upon the clay and make for me a tower that I may look at the Rabb of Moses. And indeed, I do think he is among the liars."
In the meeting, Pharaoh summoned those responsible for the army, the police and, what we call today his director of intelligence. He also summoned the ministers, princes, and priests. He called whoever had a powerful effect on the direction of events. Pharaoh asked his director of intelligence, "What do people say?" He said, "My men have spread among them that Moses won the contest because of a plot and that a major magician had joined with him in this plan. The plot had been disclosed, and we believe an unknown authority financed it." Pharaoh asked his director of police, "What about the magicians' corpses?" He said, "My men hung them in public squares and markets to terrify the people. We will spread a rumor that Pharaoh will kill whoever had anything to do with the plot." Then Pharaoh asked the commander of the army, "What does the army say?" He said, "The army hopes that commands will be issued to move in whatever direction Pharaoh desires." Pharaoh said, "The role of the army has not come yet. Its role will come."
Pharaoh fell silent. Haman, the Prime Minister, moved and raised his hand to speak. Pharaoh permitted him and Haman asked, "Will we leave Moses and his people to corrupt the rest of the people on the earth so that they leave your worship?" Pharaoh said, "You read my thoughts, O Haman. We will kill their sons, rape their women, and conquer them." He issued commands, and Pharaoh's men rushed to slay the sons, rape the women, and imprison whomever objected to these acts.
Moses stood watching what was happening. He could not interfere, nor did he have the power to forbid these acts. All he could do was to advise his people to be patient. He ordered them to ask Allah the Almighty for a calamity on the Egyptians. He pointed out to them the model of the Egyptian magicians who endured for Allah's sake without complaint. He helped them to understand that Pharaoh's soldiers behaved on earth as if they were its private owners. Pharaoh's terrorism infused the the Israelites with a spirit of defeat.
It appeared that Pharaoh would never believe in Moses's message, nor would he stop the torture of the children of Israel. Therefore, Moses and Aaron prayed to their Rabb, "Our Rabb, indeed You have given Pharaoh and his establishment splendor and wealth in the worldly life, our Rabb, that they may lead men astray from Your way. Our Rabb, obliterate their wealth and harden their hearts so that they will not believe until they see the painful punishment." Allah said, "Your supplication has been answered. So remain on a right course and follow not the way of those who do not know."
Allah decided to put an end to Pharaoh's crimes after He had given him several chances. Allah commanded Moses to depart, ""Travel by night with My servants; indeed, you will be pursued." Moses said to the Israelites concerning what Allah had commanded him, "Borrow from them goods, jewelry, and clothing, and I will give their possessions as booty to you together with their destruction." Allah ordered him to carry Joseph with him in order to bury him in the Land of Canaan. So Moses asked about anyone who might know the place of Joseph's grave but found only an old Israelite woman who said. "O Prophet of Allah! I know his place. If you take me out with you and do not leave me behind in the land of Egypt, I will lead you to it." Moses said: "I will do so." He had promised the Israelites that he would set out with them when dawn broke, but he prayed to his Rabb to delay his departure so that he might finish the matter of Joseph. He did so, and the old woman went out with Moses until she showed it to him, in a section of the Nile, within the water. Moses drew him out in a coffin of marble and carried him with him.
In the darkness of night, Moses led his people towards the Red Sea, and in the morning they reached the beach. By then, Pharaoh was aware of their departure, so he mobilized a huge army to pursue them. He said, "Indeed, those are but a small band, and indeed, they are enraging us, and indeed, we are a cautious society." Pharaoh went out in search of Moses with seventy thousand black horses, aside from the gray ones among his troops.
Moses went out until the sea was before him and there was no way out. Pharaoh came up with his troops behind them. And when the two companies saw one another, the companions of Moses said, "Indeed, we are to be overtaken!" Moses said, "No! Indeed, with me is my Rabb; He will guide me." Then Allah inspired Moses, "Strike the sea with your staff, and he struck it. Within the staff was Allah's power, which He had given to Moses. The sea parted, and each part was as a mountain vast - that is, like the mountain on an elevated part of the earth. Allah was saying to Moses, "Strike for them a dry path in the sea, fear not being overtaken, neither be afraid." When the sea came to rest for him with a straight dry path, Moses set out upon it with the Israelites, while Pharaoh followed him with his troops.
He was on a stallion of his horses and came closer until he was at the edge of the sea, unflinching about his situation while the horse feared to advance. Then Gabriel appeared to him on a female horse in heat. He brought her near Pharaoh 's stallion, and he smelled her. When he smelled her, Gabriel made her advance, and the stallion advanced with Pharaoh on his back. When Pharaoh 's troops saw that Pharaoh had entered the sea, they entered with him, while Gabriel went ahead of them all, They were following Pharaoh, and Michael was on a horse behind the people, urging them on, saying, "Catch up with your companion!" When Gabriel went out of the sea, with no one ahead of him and Michael remained standing on the other side with no one behind him, the sea closed over them. no survivors, including the Prime Minster, Haman. As for Pharaoh, he cried out when he saw what he did of Allah's power and authority and recognized his humiliation. His soul forsook him, and he called out, "There is no god but the God in Whom the Children of Israel believe , and I am one of those who surrenders."
Now? And he had disobeyed Him before and were of the corrupters? Allah will not hear him again, ever. After all, Gabriel was stuffing slimy mud into Pharaoh's mouth for fear that mercy would come over him.
Almond then said, "O my brothers and sisters, Pharaoh had silenced the mouth of those who echoed the voice of truth, so at the end of his life, his mouth was covered in mud so that his mouth could not speak the truth. Allah the Most High has determined that Pharaoh is part of the Hell's inhabitants to feel a very painful punishment. Boiling water on his head. Then it was said to him as a form of contempt and humiliation on him, because he was a despicable and insulted person, 'Taste! Indeed, you are the honored, the noble!'
The battle between Moses and Pharaoh, was the battle between truth and falsehood, and is one of the greatest battles ever. On the one side there was arrogance and pride, tyranny and injustice, brute strength and the humilration of selfishness and disgrace and on the other side was an oppressed people, worship of Allah, patience and the victory of the steadfastness and the strange success of the poor ones. And Allah knows best."
"And Moses said, 'O my people, if you have believed in Allah, then rely upon Him, if you should be Muslims.' So they said, 'Upon Allah do we rely. Our Lord, make us not [objects of] trial for the wrongdoing people'." - [QS.10:84-85]
- The History of al-Tabari, The Children of Israel, Volume III, Translated by William M. Brinner, SUNY Press.
- Ibn Kathir, Stories of The Prophets, Darussalam
- Maulana Hifzur Rahman Soeharwy, Qasasul Ambiyaa, Idara Impex
