وَمَهَّدتُّ لَهُۥ تَمْهِيدًا 14
Translations
And spread [everything] before him, easing [his life].
Transliteration
wa-mahhadtu lahu tamhīdā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to Allah's preparation and facilitation of the path for Firaun (Pharaoh) toward his destruction and downfall. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret this as Allah granting Firaun prolonged life, wealth, and power, which paradoxically became the means of his arrogance and eventual punishment. The verse illustrates the divine principle that Allah sometimes grants apparent blessings to those destined for destruction, allowing them to manifest their true nature and seal their fate through their own choices.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Muddaththir's discussion of Firaun's rejection of Prophet Musa and his people's enslavement. The surah emphasizes the consequences of arrogance and rejection of divine guidance. The broader narrative describes how Allah's apparent 'preparation' or 'smoothing of the path' for Firaun was actually part of divine justice, allowing his transgression to reach its fullest expression before punishment.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly quotes this ayah, Sahih Bukhari contains numerous ahadith on Firaun's arrogance and destruction (e.g., stories of Musa and Firaun), and Sunan Ibn Majah includes traditions on how Allah tests people through wealth and power, related to this theme of preparation leading to downfall.
Themes
Key Lesson
The ayah teaches that apparent worldly success and ease should not be mistaken for divine favor, and that those who persist in arrogance and rejection of truth are often given more rope with which to bind themselves. Modern readers should reflect on how obsession with material accumulation and power, without spiritual grounding, inevitably leads to spiritual ruin and divine consequences.