A secret believer from Pharaoh’s family said, ‘How can you kill a man just for saying, “My Lord is God”? He has brought you clear signs from your Lord- if he is a liar, on his own head be it- and if he is truthful, then at least some of what he has threatened will happen to you. God does not guide any rebellious, outrageous liar.

My people, as masters in the land you have the power today, but who will help us against God’s might if it comes upon us?’ But Pharaoh said, ‘I have told you what I think; I am guiding you along the right path.’

The believer said, ‘My people, I fear your fate will be the fate of those others who opposed [their prophets]:

the fate of the people of Noah, Ad, Thamud, and those who came after them- God never wills injustice on His creatures.

My people, I fear for you on the Day you will cry out to one another,

the Day you will turn tail and flee with no one to defend you from God! Whoever God leaves to stray will have no one to guide him.

Joseph came to you before with clear signs, but you never ceased to doubt the message he brought you. When he died, you said, “God will not send another messenger.”’ In this way God leaves the doubting rebels to stray-

those who dispute God’s messages, with no authority given to them, are doing something that is loathed by God and by those who believe. In this way God seals up the heart of every arrogant tyrant.

Pharaoh said, ‘Haman, build me a tall tower so that I may reach the ropes that lead

to the heavens to look for this God of Moses. I am convinced that he is lying.’ In this way the evil of Pharaoh’s deed was made alluring to him and he was barred from the right path- his scheming led only to ruin.

وَقَالَ رَجُلࣱ مُّؤْمِنࣱ مِّنْ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَكْتُمُ إِيمَٰنَهُۥٓ أَتَقْتُلُونَ رَجُلًا أَن يَقُولَ رَبِّيَ ٱللَّهُ وَقَدْ جَآءَكُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِ مِن رَّبِّكُمْۖ وَإِن يَكُ كَٰذِبࣰا فَعَلَيْهِ كَذِبُهُۥۖ وَإِن يَكُ صَادِقࣰا يُصِبْكُم بَعْضُ ٱلَّذِي يَعِدُكُمْۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي مَنْ هُوَ مُسْرِفࣱ كَذَّابࣱ

يَٰقَوْمِ لَكُمُ ٱلْمُلْكُ ٱلْيَوْمَ ظَٰهِرِينَ فِي ٱلْأَرْضِ فَمَن يَنصُرُنَا مِنۢ بَأْسِ ٱللَّهِ إِن جَآءَنَاۚ قَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ مَآ أُرِيكُمْ إِلَّا مَآ أَرَىٰ وَمَآ أَهْدِيكُمْ إِلَّا سَبِيلَ ٱلرَّشَادِ

وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِيٓ ءَامَنَ يَٰقَوْمِ إِنِّيٓ أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُم مِّثْلَ يَوْمِ ٱلْأَحْزَابِ

مِثْلَ دَأْبِ قَوْمِ نُوحࣲ وَعَادࣲ وَثَمُودَ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْۚ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ يُرِيدُ ظُلْمࣰا لِّلْعِبَادِ

وَيَٰقَوْمِ إِنِّيٓ أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلتَّنَادِ

يَوْمَ تُوَلُّونَ مُدْبِرِينَ مَا لَكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ مِنْ عَاصِمࣲۗ وَمَن يُضْلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِنْ هَادࣲ

وَلَقَدْ جَآءَكُمْ يُوسُفُ مِن قَبْلُ بِٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِ فَمَا زِلْتُمْ فِي شَكࣲّ مِّمَّا جَآءَكُم بِهِۦۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا هَلَكَ قُلْتُمْ لَن يَبْعَثَ ٱللَّهُ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ رَسُولࣰاۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَنْ هُوَ مُسْرِفࣱ مُّرْتَابٌ

ٱلَّذِينَ يُجَٰدِلُونَ فِيٓ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ سُلْطَٰنٍ أَتَىٰهُمْۖ كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَعِندَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَطْبَعُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ قَلْبِ مُتَكَبِّرࣲ جَبَّارࣲ

وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ يَٰهَٰمَٰنُ ٱبْنِ لِي صَرْحࣰا لَّعَلِّيٓ أَبْلُغُ ٱلْأَسْبَٰبَ

أَسْبَٰبَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ فَأَطَّلِعَ إِلَىٰٓ إِلَٰهِ مُوسَىٰ وَإِنِّي لَأَظُنُّهُۥ كَٰذِبࣰاۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِفِرْعَوْنَ سُوٓءُ عَمَلِهِۦ وَصُدَّ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِۚ وَمَا كَيْدُ فِرْعَوْنَ إِلَّا فِي تَبَابࣲ

The believer said, ‘My people, follow me! I will guide you to the right path.

My people, the life of this world is only a brief enjoyment; it is the Hereafter that is the lasting home.

Whoever does evil will be repaid with its like; whoever does good and believes, be it a man or a woman, will enter Paradise and be provided for without measure.

My people, why do I call you to salvation when you call me to the Fire?

وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِيٓ ءَامَنَ يَٰقَوْمِ ٱتَّبِعُونِ أَهْدِكُمْ سَبِيلَ ٱلرَّشَادِ

يَٰقَوْمِ إِنَّمَا هَٰذِهِ ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا مَتَٰعࣱ وَإِنَّ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ هِيَ دَارُ ٱلْقَرَارِ

مَنْ عَمِلَ سَيِّئَةࣰ فَلَا يُجْزَىٰٓ إِلَّا مِثْلَهَاۖ وَمَنْ عَمِلَ صَٰلِحࣰا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنࣱ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ يَدْخُلُونَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ يُرْزَقُونَ فِيهَا بِغَيْرِ حِسَابࣲ

۞ وَيَٰقَوْمِ مَا لِيٓ أَدْعُوكُمْ إِلَى ٱلنَّجَوٰةِ وَتَدْعُونَنِيٓ إِلَى ٱلنَّارِ

You call me to disbelieve in God and to associate with Him things of which I have no knowledge; I call you to the Mighty, the Forgiving One.

There is no doubt that what you call me to serve is not fit to be invoked either in this world or the Hereafter: our return is to God alone, and it will be the rebels who will inhabit the Fire.

[One Day] you will remember what I am saying to you now, so I commit my case to God: God is well aware of His servants.’

تَدْعُونَنِي لِأَكْفُرَ بِٱللَّهِ وَأُشْرِكَ بِهِۦ مَا لَيْسَ لِي بِهِۦ عِلْمࣱ وَأَنَا۠ أَدْعُوكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْغَفَّٰرِ

لَا جَرَمَ أَنَّمَا تَدْعُونَنِيٓ إِلَيْهِ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَعْوَةࣱ فِي ٱلدُّنْيَا وَلَا فِي ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَأَنَّ مَرَدَّنَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَأَنَّ ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ هُمْ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ

فَسَتَذْكُرُونَ مَآ أَقُولُ لَكُمْۚ وَأُفَوِّضُ أَمْرِيٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بَصِيرُۢ بِٱلْعِبَادِ

So God saved him from the harm they planned. A terrible punishment engulfed Pharaoh’s people;

they will be brought before the Fire morning and evening. On the Day the Hour comes, it will be said, ‘Throw Pharaoh’s people into the worst torment.’

In the Fire they will quarrel with one another: the weak will say to the haughty, ‘We were your followers, so can you now relieve us from some share of the Fire?’

but they will say, ‘We are all in this together. God has judged between His creatures.’

Those in the Fire will say to the keepers of Hell, ‘Ask your Lord to lessen our suffering for one day,’

but they will say, ‘Did your messengers not come to you with clear evidence of the truth?’ They will say, ‘Yes they did,’ and the keeper will say, ‘You can plead, then, but the pleas of disbelievers will always be in vain.’

فَوَقَىٰهُ ٱللَّهُ سَيِّـَٔاتِ مَا مَكَرُوا۟ۖ وَحَاقَ بِـَٔالِ فِرْعَوْنَ سُوٓءُ ٱلْعَذَابِ

ٱلنَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوࣰّا وَعَشِيࣰّاۚ وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ ٱلسَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُوٓا۟ ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ ٱلْعَذَابِ

وَإِذْ يَتَحَآجُّونَ فِي ٱلنَّارِ فَيَقُولُ ٱلضُّعَفَٰٓؤُا۟ لِلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوٓا۟ إِنَّا كُنَّا لَكُمْ تَبَعࣰا فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّغْنُونَ عَنَّا نَصِيبࣰا مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ

قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوٓا۟ إِنَّا كُلࣱّ فِيهَآ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَدْ حَكَمَ بَيْنَ ٱلْعِبَادِ

وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِي ٱلنَّارِ لِخَزَنَةِ جَهَنَّمَ ٱدْعُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ يُخَفِّفْ عَنَّا يَوْمࣰا مِّنَ ٱلْعَذَابِ

قَالُوٓا۟ أَوَلَمْ تَكُ تَأْتِيكُمْ رُسُلُكُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِۖ قَالُوا۟ بَلَىٰۚ قَالُوا۟ فَٱدْعُوا۟ۗ وَمَا دُعَٰٓؤُا۟ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَٰلٍ