Surah Al-Mu’min, Footnote No. 45

That is, he has shown you such clear signs by which it has become plain as daylight that he is a messenger sent by your Lord. The believer from Pharaoh’s household was referring to those signs whose details have already been given earlier (Tafhim al-Qur’an, Volume 2, pp. 65–68, 69, 72–73, 647–648; Volume 3, pp. 100–107, 487–493, 560).

Surah Al-Mu’min, Footnote No. 46

That is, even if, despite such clear signs, you consider him a liar, it is still more fitting for you to leave him be, since the other — and quite strong — possibility is that he is telling the truth, and by laying hands on him you would bring Allah’s punishment upon yourselves. So even if you think him a liar, do not interfere with him: if he is lying in Allah’s name, Allah Himself will deal with him. Moses himself had earlier said something quite similar to Pharaoh: “And if you do not believe me, then leave me alone” (Ad-Dukhan 44:21) — “if you will not accept what I say, then leave me to my own affair.”

It should be kept in mind here that the believer from Pharaoh’s household did not openly reveal at the start of his speech that he had come to believe in Moses; rather, he initially spoke as though he too were one of Pharaoh’s own party, pleading purely for the good of his people. But when Pharaoh and his courtiers showed no sign of coming to the right path, he finally disclosed the secret of his faith, as becomes evident from his speech in the fifth section.

Surah Al-Mu’min, Footnote No. 47

Two meanings are possible for this phrase, and the believer from Pharaoh’s household probably deliberately chose this ambiguous wording because he did not yet wish to openly reveal his own views. One meaning is: uprightness of character and a vice like lying and fabrication cannot coexist in one and the same person. You can see plainly for yourselves that Moses is a man of the purest character and the highest moral standing. How, then, can it fit into your minds that, on one hand, he could be so great a liar as to make a baseless claim of prophethood in Allah’s name, while, on the other hand, Allah has granted him such elevated moral qualities? The second meaning is: if you go to excess in seeking to take Moses’ life, and act upon your impure schemes by leveling false accusations against him, then know that Allah will never show you a path to success.

Surah Al-Mu’min, Footnote No. 48

That is: why do you invite Allah’s wrath upon yourselves by being ungrateful for this blessing of dominance and power that He has given you?

Surah Al-Mu’min, Footnote No. 49

This reply of Pharaoh’s suggests that he had not yet discovered the secret that this nobleman of his court had come to believe in his heart; this is why he did not express any displeasure at the man’s words, though he made clear that, even after hearing his views, he was not prepared to change his mind.

Surah Al-Mu’min, Footnote No. 50

That is, Allah bears no enmity toward His servants that He should destroy them without reason; rather, He sends punishment upon them only when they exceed all limits, and at that point sending punishment upon them is precisely what justice demands.

Surah Al-Mu’min, Footnote No. 51

That is: the state of your misguidance, compounded by obstinacy, is such that before Moses, Joseph came to your land — a man whom you yourselves acknowledge to have possessed the highest moral character, and whom you also admit correctly interpreted the king’s dream and thereby saved you from the devastation of the terrible seven-year famine that struck in his time; and your whole nation likewise acknowledges that the land of Egypt has never seen an era of greater justice and blessing than his reign. Yet, knowing and acknowledging all his virtues, you did not believe in him during his lifetime, and once he died, you said, “Now where could such a man ever be born again?” In other words, even while acknowledging his virtues, you turned that very acknowledgment into a standing excuse for denying every prophet who came after him. This means that, in any case, you are simply not willing to accept guidance.

Surah Al-Mu’min, Footnote No. 52

It appears that these next few phrases have been added by Allah Himself as an elaboration and explanation of the statement of the believer from Pharaoh’s household.

Surah Al-Mu’min, Footnote No. 53

That is, Allah casts into misguidance only those in whom these three qualities are found. First, that they exceed all bounds in their evil deeds, and become so addicted to sin and wickedness that they are not prepared to accept any call to moral reform. Second, that their permanent attitude toward the prophets is one of doubt — however clear the signs a prophet of Allah may bring them, they doubt his very prophethood, and always view with suspicion the truths he presents concerning the Oneness of God and the Hereafter. Third, that instead of reflecting reasonably upon the verses of Allah’s Book, they try to counter them with crooked argumentation, arguments founded neither on any rational proof nor on the authority of any revealed scripture, but from beginning to end resting solely on stubbornness and obstinacy. When these three faults arise in a group, Allah casts it into the pit of misguidance, from which no power on earth can extract it.

Surah Al-Mu’min, Footnote No. 54

That is, no heart is sealed without reason. This seal of damnation is placed only upon the heart in which the spirit of arrogance and tyranny has become fully entrenched. Arrogance means a person’s false sense of self-importance, on the basis of which he considers bowing his head before the truth to be beneath his dignity. Tyranny means oppression of Allah’s creatures, in order to secure free rein for which a person flees from accepting the restrictions of the Divine Law.

Surah Al-Mu’min, Footnote No. 55

While the believer from Pharaoh’s household was still speaking, Pharaoh, turning to address his minister Haman, speaks in such a manner as to suggest that he considers the believer’s words unworthy of any attention — so, with an arrogant air, turning away from him, he says to Haman: build me a lofty structure, so that I may see for myself where this God is that Moses keeps talking about. (For explanation, see Tafhim al-Qur’an, Volume 3, pp. 636–638.)