Page 56 - The Arrogance of Satan

54
THE ARROGANCE OF SATAN

you did and were ungrateful." He (Musa) said, "At the
time I did it I was one of the misguided." (Surat ash-
Shu' ara' : 16-20)

In the verses above, a different form of Pharaoh' s
arrogance is made apparent. When summoned to comply
with Allah' s commands, he immediately resorted to foolish
methods. Verbal abuse was one such ruse. By referring to
Musa (as) that he had been brought up in the palace, Pharaoh
attempted to remind him of the loyalty he owed him.
Furthermore, he tried to coerce him by mention of the
Egyptian man he unintentionally killed when he has been
ignorant of the religion. In this way, he foolishly intended to
abase Musa (as) and to exalt himself before him and his
people.

Pharaoh' s Attempt to Kill Musa (as)
Out of Arrogance:

Pharaoh said, "Let me kill Musa and let him call upon
his Lord! I am afraid that he may change your religion
and bring about corruption in the land." Musa said, "I
seek refuge in my Lord and your Lord from every proud
man who does not have faith in the Day of Reckoning."
(Surah Ghafir: 26-27)

Pharaoh was so arrogant that, only in murdering Musa
(as) would he find relief. This belligerent attitude of his was
also a revolt against Allah. Aware of Musa' s finer qualities,
he felt jealous of him, and saw killing him as the only way to
maintain his authority over the people of Egypt. When faced
with Pharaoh' s insolence, Musa (as) maintained a
composure that was truly exemplary, continually seeking
refuge in Allah.