أَمْ أَنَا۠ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ هَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى هُوَ مَهِينٌ وَلَا يَكَادُ يُبِينُ 52
Translations
Or am I [not] better than this one [i.e., Moses] who is insignificant and hardly makes himself clear?
Transliteration
Am ana khayrun min hatha alladhi huwa maheen wa la yakadu yubeen
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah quotes Pharaoh's arrogant boast wherein he claims superiority over Prophet Moses, describing Moses as despicable and barely able to speak clearly (referring to Moses's speech impediment). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi note that this reflects Pharaoh's rejection of the divine message through mockery of the messenger's physical limitations. The ayah illustrates how those with power and wealth often use worldly advantages to dismiss divine guidance, exemplifying the spiritual blindness that accompanies arrogance.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the account of Pharaoh and Moses in Surah Az-Zukhruf, a Meccan surah addressing the disbelievers of Mecca who similarly rejected the Prophet Muhammad. The broader context shows Pharaoh's escalating rejection of Moses's message, and the surah uses this historical example as a warning to the Quraysh about the consequences of arrogance and rejection of prophetic guidance.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned Moses's speech impediment in various hadiths, affirming that despite this physical limitation, Moses was one of the greatest messengers. See Sahih Bukhari (3415) and related accounts in Sahih Muslim discussing the virtues of the five greatest messengers.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that material power, wealth, and physical perfection are not measures of truth or spiritual worth; true greatness lies in submission to Allah's will. Believers should remain humble regardless of worldly advantages and recognize that messengers may be tested with physical limitations, yet their message from Allah remains valid and binding.
Related Ayahs
قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِن كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ وَكَفَرْتُم بِهِۦ وَشَهِدَ شَاهِدٌ مِّنۢ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ عَلَىٰ مِثْلِهِۦ فَـَٔامَنَ وَٱسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
Say, "Have you considered: if it [i.e., the Qur’ān] was from Allāh, and you disbelieved in it while a witness from the Children of Israel has testified to something similar and believed while you were arrogant...?" Indeed, Allāh does not guide the wrongdoing people.
فَقَالُوٓا۟ أَبَشَرًا مِّنَّا وَٰحِدًا نَّتَّبِعُهُۥٓ إِنَّآ إِذًا لَّفِى ضَلَـٰلٍ وَسُعُرٍ
And said, "Is it one human being among us that we should follow? Indeed, we would then be in error and madness.
وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ يَـٰهَـٰمَـٰنُ ٱبْنِ لِى صَرْحًا لَّعَلِّىٓ أَبْلُغُ ٱلْأَسْبَـٰبَ
And Pharaoh said, "O Hāmān, construct for me a tower that I might reach the ways -
ٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ يَعْرِفُونَهُۥ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ ۖ وَإِنَّ فَرِيقًا مِّنْهُمْ لَيَكْتُمُونَ ٱلْحَقَّ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ
Those to whom We gave the Scripture know him [i.e., Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)] as they know their own sons. But indeed, a party of them conceal the truth while they know [it].