The Arrogance of Fir`awn and His ultimate Destiny

Allah tells:

وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ ...

Fir`awn said:

Allah tells us of Fir`awn's disbelief and wrongdoing, and how he falsely claimed divinity for his evil self, may Allah curse him.

فَاسْتَخَفَّ قَوْمَهُ فَأَطَاعُوهُ

Thus he fooled his people, and they obeyed him. (43:54)

He called on his people to recognize his divinity, and they responded, because of their weak and foolish minds.

So, he said:

... يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ مَا عَلِمْتُ لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرِي ...

O chiefs! I know not that you have a god other than me.

Allah tells us about Fir`awn:

فَحَشَرَ فَنَادَى

فَقَالَ أَنَاْ رَبُّكُمُ الاٌّعْلَى

فَأَخَذَهُ اللَّهُ نَكَالَ الاٌّخِرَةِ وَالاٍّوْلَى

إِنَّ فِى ذَلِكَ لَعِبْرَةً لِّمَن يَخْشَى

Then he gathered (his people) and cried aloud, saying: "I am your lord, most high.''

So Allah, seized him with punishment for his last and first transgression. Verily, in this is an instructive admonition for whosoever fears Allah. (79:23-26)

meaning: he brought his people together and called to them in a loud voice, shouting that, and they responded to him obediently. So Allah took revenge on him, and made him a lesson to others in this world and the Hereafter. He even confronted Musa with that, and said:

لَئِنِ اتَّخَذْتَ إِلَـهَاً غَيْرِى لأَجْعَلَنَّكَ مِنَ الْمَسْجُونِينَ

If you choose a god other than me, I will certainly put you among the prisoners. (26:29)

... فَأَوْقِدْ لِي يَا هَامَانُ عَلَى الطِّينِ فَاجْعَل لِّي صَرْحًا لَّعَلِّي أَطَّلِعُ إِلَى إِلَهِ مُوسَى ...

So kindle for me (a fire), O Haman, to bake (bricks out of) clay, and set up for me a Sarh in order that I may look at the God of Musa;

He commanded his minister and adviser Haman to bake bricks for him, i.e., to make bricks in order to build a Sarh, a exalted towering palace.

This is like the Ayah,

وَقَالَ فَرْعَوْنُ يهَـمَـنُ ابْنِ لِى صَرْحاً لَّعَـلِّى أَبْلُغُ الاٌّسْبَـبَ

أَسْبَـبَ السَّمَـوَتِ فَأَطَّلِعَ إِلَى إِلَـهِ مُوسَى وَإِنِّى لاّظُنُّهُ كَـذِباً وَكَـذَلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِفِرْعَوْنَ سُوءُ عَمَلِهِ وَصُدَّ عَنِ السَّبِيلِ وَمَا كَـيْدُ فِرْعَوْنَ إِلاَّ فِى تَبَابٍ

And Fir`awn said: "O Haman! Build me a Sarh that I may arrive at the ways -- the ways of the heavens, and I may look upon the God of Musa, but verily, I think him to be a liar.''

Thus it was made fair seeming, in Fir`awn's eyes, the evil of his deeds, and he was hindered from the path; and the plot of Fir`awn led to nothing but loss and destruction. (40:36-37)

Fir`awn built this tower, which was the highest structure ever seen on earth, because he wanted to show his people that Musa was lying when he claimed that there was a God other than Fir`awn.

Fir`awn said:

... وَإِنِّي لَأَظُنُّهُ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ ﴿٣٨﴾

and verily, I think that he (Musa) is one of the liars.

meaning, `when he says that there is a lord other than me.'

The issue was not whether Allah had sent Musa, because he did not acknowledge the existence of the Creator in the first place. On the contrary, he said: وَمَا رَبُّ الْعَـلَمِينَ (And what is the Lord of Al-`Alamin) (26:23) and: لَئِنِ اتَّخَذْتَ إِلَـهَاً غَيْرِى لأَجْعَلَنَّكَ مِنَ الْمَسْجُونِينَ (If you choose a god other than me, I will certainly put you among the prisoners). (26:29) and he said: يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ مَا عَلِمْتُ لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرِي (O chiefs! I know not that you have a god other than me).

This was the view of Ibn Jarir.