إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَإِي۟هِۦ فَٱتَّبَعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَ فِرْعَوْنَ ۖ وَمَآ أَمْرُ فِرْعَوْنَ بِرَشِيدٍ 97
Translations
To Pharaoh and his establishment, but they followed the command of Pharaoh, and the command of Pharaoh was not [at all] discerning.
Transliteration
Ila Fir'awna wa mala'ihi fa-ttaba'u amra Fir'awna wa ma amru Fir'awna bi-rashid
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes how Pharaoh's chiefs and nobles blindly followed his commands without question, demonstrating the spiritual blindness of those who reject divine guidance. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that Pharaoh's leadership was fundamentally misguided (ghayr rashid), leading his followers away from truth and toward destruction. The ayah serves as a warning against blind obedience to unjust authority and highlights how tyrannical rulers seduce their followers into misguidance.
Revelation Context
This verse appears in the context of Surah Hud's discussion of Pharaoh's rejection of Prophet Moses. The broader narrative illustrates the consequences of rejecting divine messengers and the corruption that spreads when people follow leaders based on worldly power rather than divine guidance. This thematic section emphasizes the inevitable downfall of those who oppose Allah's messengers.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best of leaders are those whom you love and who love you, and you pray for them and they pray for you. The worst of leaders are those whom you hate and who hate you, and you curse them and they curse you.' (Sahih Muslim 1855). This relates to the danger of corrupt leadership exemplified by Pharaoh.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers must exercise critical thinking and moral discernment rather than blindly following leaders, regardless of their power or position, and should always prioritize divine truth over worldly authority. The ayah reminds us that following an unjust leader leads to collective ruin, making it incumbent upon both leaders to govern justly and followers to refuse participation in tyranny.
Related Ayahs
وَيَـٰقَوْمِ مَن يَنصُرُنِى مِنَ ٱللَّهِ إِن طَرَدتُّهُمْ ۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ
And O my people, who would protect me from Allāh if I drove them away? Then will you not be reminded?
وَهِىَ تَجْرِى بِهِمْ فِى مَوْجٍ كَٱلْجِبَالِ وَنَادَىٰ نُوحٌ ٱبْنَهُۥ وَكَانَ فِى مَعْزِلٍ يَـٰبُنَىَّ ٱرْكَب مَّعَنَا وَلَا تَكُن مَّعَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
And it sailed with them through waves like mountains, and Noah called to his son who was apart [from them], "O my son, come aboard with us and be not with the disbelievers."
قَالَتْ يَـٰوَيْلَتَىٰٓ ءَأَلِدُ وَأَنَا۠ عَجُوزٌ وَهَـٰذَا بَعْلِى شَيْخًا ۖ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَشَىْءٌ عَجِيبٌ
She said, "Woe to me! Shall I give birth while I am an old woman and this, my husband, is an old man? Indeed, this is an amazing thing!"
قَالُوا۟ يَـٰصَـٰلِحُ قَدْ كُنتَ فِينَا مَرْجُوًّا قَبْلَ هَـٰذَآ ۖ أَتَنْهَىٰنَآ أَن نَّعْبُدَ مَا يَعْبُدُ ءَابَآؤُنَا وَإِنَّنَا لَفِى شَكٍّ مِّمَّا تَدْعُونَآ إِلَيْهِ مُرِيبٍ
They said, "O Ṣāliḥ, you were among us a man of promise before this. Do you forbid us to worship what our fathers worshipped? And indeed we are, about that to which you invite us, in disquieting doubt."