Page 107 - The importance of conscience in the Qur'an

Examples of Those Who Were Astray 105

life on earth. In line with this belief, Pharaoh utters the
scornful words:
Pharaoh said, 'Council, I do not know of any
other god for you apart from Me. Haman,
kindle a fire for me over the clay and build me
a lofty tower so that perhaps I may be able to
climb up to Musa's god! I consider him a
blatant liar.' (Surat al-Qasas: 38)
It is possible to see the deviant logic of Pharaoh still in
evidence today. Because of their distorted and inadequate
education, many people think that God is 'up in the sky'. This is
a result of conditioning from an early age, where they are
accustomed to seeing paintings supposedly depicting God and
heaven. Many have been misguided into believing that God
created the whole universe and all life within it and then left it
to its own devices. They think that He does not interfere with
worldly affairs. This nonsensical belief is due to man's not
allowing himself to reflect deeply and listen to his conscience,
and not allowing himself to accept his Lord Who has bestowed
endless favours upon him. Allah is All-Powerful; His being
encompasses the heavens and the earth; He is the Lord of them
and everything in between.

Pharaoh's hypocrisy and untrustworthiness
Pharaoh and his associates were condemned to suffer
various long-lasting torments, such as plagues and sicknesses,
because of their disbelief. When they could not stand any more,
they turned to Prophet Musa, although this was hard on their
pride and arrogance. They promised him that they would
believe if he removed the torments from them:
Whenever the plague came down on them