Intermediate
Stories
Surah: Ash-Shu'ara (24)
Pharaoh Said What Is the Lord of All Worlds — Arrogant Denial and the Conclusive Argument
رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَآ
— الشعراء الآية 24
Verse: "Pharaoh said: What is the Lord of all worlds? Moses said: Lord of the heavens and earth and all between them." (26:23-24) — Pharaoh claimed lordship — "I am your highest lord" — then asked dismissively: "What is the Lord of all worlds?" Moses' responses: Lord of the heavens and earth and all between; Lord of your fathers of old; Lord of East and West — he surrounded Pharaoh with the entire universe. Pharaoh then turned to his court: "Don't you hear?" — appealing to the audience because he lost the argument. One who fails in argument turns to authority. Lesson: in arguments with deniers — cite the universe — because the universe is a witness that Pharaoh cannot bribe.
Source: Ibn Kathir (6/130); Al-Sadi
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Why did Pharaoh turn to his court after Moses responded to him?
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