Sūratu’l-Mu’min [The Believer]:(40:26).Part2

وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ ذَرُونِي أَقْتُلْ مُوسَىٰ وَلْيَدْعُ رَبَّهُ ۖ إِنِّي أَخَافُ أَن يُبَدِّلَ دِينَكُمْ أَوْ أَن يُظْهِرَ فِي الْأَرْضِ الْفَسَادَ

The Pharaoh said (to his chiefs): “Let me kill Moses, and let him call upon his Lord! I fear lest he alter your religion (replacing it with his), or lest he provoke disorder in the land.”(Al-Mu’min 40:26)

The Qur’ān assigns more room to that believing man than even some of the Prophets. He began with a democratic attitude in the face of the Pharaoh’s show of democracy, and said:

“Would you kill a man only because he declares, ‘My Lord is God!” (Al-Mu’min 40:28).

He asked them whether they had no respect for others’ beliefs and thoughts, and with a gradually higher tone he declared his belief in the Hereafter, saying:

“O my people! I do indeed fear for you the Day of the Summons (the Day when people will vainly be calling out to one another for help and cursing one another in distress)—the Day when you will (strive in vain desperation to) turn and flee (from the Fire), having none to protect you from (the punishment of) God. Whomever God leads astray, there is no guide” (Al-Mu’min 40:32–33).

In the face of his convincing speeches, the Pharaoh felt more helpless and sought refuge in new demagogies: 

“I would show you only what I see, and I guide you only to the right way” (Al-Mu’min 40:29). He attempted to seem as an advocate of the truth.

While the Pharaoh was advancing to the point of failure, Prophet Moses was very calm and at rest. He paid no heed to the threats of the Pharaoh. Hence, he delivered his reply promptly, saying:

“Indeed, I seek refuge in my Lord, Who is your Lord as well, from every haughty one who disbelieves in the Day of Reckoning” (Al-Mu’min 40:27). Thus, while Moses expressed his trust in God, he reminded people, once more, that God is the only Lord of everyone.

In short, there are two scenes during one of which the Pharaoh’s threats, apprehensions, and uneasiness in awareness of his logical, intellectual, and emotional inconsistencies causes him to appeal to his people to support him and to attempt to make use of their religious beliefs. He accuses Moses of making mischief while he is one who always causes corruption and makes mischief and claims that Moses will change others’ religion while he himself does not show the least respect for Moses’ and his people’s religion. The other scene shows Prophet Moses, upon him be peace, with his solemnity, self-possession, reliance on nobody but God, and his reproach of the Pharaoh for haughtiness and arrogance to his face.

To sum up, the whole description can be summed up as the struggle of the people or followers of God and the followers of Satan.