Page 106 - The importance of conscience in the Qur'an

104 The Importance of Conscience in the Qur'an

and spurned them. He said, 'Have you come
to us to expel us from our land by means of
your magic, Musa?' (Surah Ta Ha: 56-57)
In our day, too, there are many people who do not refer
to their conscience to grasp the eternal power of Allah, and
grow arrogant by displaying the character of Pharaoh. These
people do not necessarily have to rule a country, or be at the
head of a dictatorship like Pharaoh. The examples quoted here
are some of the insincere questions Pharaoh asked to try to
mock and deny the power and oneness of Allah. In modern day
societies, such questions are frequently voiced, though with
different words. Briefly, every age sees the same disbelieving
philosophy insisting on employing wickedness and deviousness.
However, it should not be forgotten that Allah made Pharaoh's
end an example to people by drowning him and all the forces
behind him. Those who display the character of Pharaoh will
one day also face the wrath of Allah.

His distorted thoughts about Allah
As far as we learn from the Qur'an, Pharaoh did not have
an atheist creed in the fullest sense. His claim that he was a god
was intended for the people he reigned and this claim implied
that he was the one to be obeyed and submitted to
unconditionally across the land.
In other words, like many disbelievers, he too knew about
the existence of Allah but failed to comprehend His true might.
Intoxicated with the worldly position he held, he thought of
Allah as a god ruling not on the earth but in the heavens and he
saw himself as the 'lord' of Egypt, over which he reigned. A
typical attitude of many pagan religions is that the 'gods'
existed in another realm and did not concern themselves with