وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ يَـٰهَـٰمَـٰنُ ٱبْنِ لِى صَرْحًا لَّعَلِّىٓ أَبْلُغُ ٱلْأَسْبَـٰبَ 36
Translations
And Pharaoh said, "O Hāmān, construct for me a tower that I might reach the ways -
Transliteration
Wa qala fir'awnu ya Hamanu ibni li sarhan la'alli ablughu al-asbab
Tafsir (Explanation)
Pharaoh commands his minister Haman to construct a tall tower, hoping to reach the heavens and thereby ascend to the God of Moses to prove him a liar. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir note this reflects Pharaoh's arrogance and spiritual blindness—his literal interpretation of 'reaching God' demonstrates his fundamental misunderstanding of divine transcendence and his desperate attempt to discredit monotheism through an impossible physical feat.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the narrative of Pharaoh's rejection of Prophet Moses in Surah Ghafir, a Meccan chapter revealed to strengthen the Prophet Muhammad and believers against Meccan opposition. The broader context shows Pharaoh's escalating attempts to suppress Moses's message, illustrating how tyrants resort to futile grandeur projects when confronted with truth.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly addresses this ayah, Hadith Qudsi relates to divine transcendence: 'My earth and heavens do not contain Me, but the soft heart of My believing servant contains Me' (Musnad Ahmad), thematically contrasting with Pharaoh's materialistic conception of reaching the Divine.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that no amount of worldly power, wealth, or technological achievement can substitute for spiritual humility and sincere belief; those who reject divine guidance often turn to grandiose but hollow projects that distract from their own spiritual emptiness.
Related Ayahs
وَقَالَ ٱلْمَلَأُ مِن قَوْمِ فِرْعَوْنَ أَتَذَرُ مُوسَىٰ وَقَوْمَهُۥ لِيُفْسِدُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَيَذَرَكَ وَءَالِهَتَكَ ۚ قَالَ سَنُقَتِّلُ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ وَنَسْتَحْىِۦ نِسَآءَهُمْ وَإِنَّا فَوْقَهُمْ قَـٰهِرُونَ
And the eminent among the people of Pharaoh said, "Will you leave Moses and his people to cause corruption in the land and abandon you and your gods?" [Pharaoh] said, "We will kill their sons and keep their women alive; and indeed, we are subjugators over them."
كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ لِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا عَنِيدًا
No! Indeed, he has been toward Our verses obstinate.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا وَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ عَنْهَا لَا تُفَتَّحُ لَهُمْ أَبْوَٰبُ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَلَا يَدْخُلُونَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ حَتَّىٰ يَلِجَ ٱلْجَمَلُ فِى سَمِّ ٱلْخِيَاطِ ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ
Indeed, those who deny Our verses and are arrogant toward them - the gates of Heaven will not be opened for them, nor will they enter Paradise until a camel enters into the eye of a needle [i.e., never]. And thus do We recompense the criminals.
فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْحَقُّ مِنْ عِندِنَا قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَسِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ
So when there came to them the truth from Us, they said, "Indeed, this is obvious magic."