سُوْرَةُ الشُّعَرَآءِ
Surah Ash-Shu'araa (26) — Ayah 29
قَالَ لَئِنِ ٱتَّخَذْتَ إِلَـٰهًا غَيْرِى لَأَجْعَلَنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلْمَسْجُونِينَ ﴿29﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
[Fir‘aun (Pharaoh)] said: "If you choose an ilâh (god) other than me, I will certainly put you among the prisoners."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَالَ
qāla
He said
لَئِنِ
la-ini
If
ٱتَّخَذْتَ
ittakhadhta
you take
إِلَـٰهًا
ilāhan
a god
غَيْرِى
ghayrī
other than me
لَأَجْعَلَنَّكَ
la-ajʿalannaka
I will surely make you
مِنَ
mina
among
ٱلْمَسْجُونِينَ
l-masjūnīna
those imprisoned
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
Pharaoh said, "Look! If you take any god other than me, I will surely put you in prison [22]."
[22]
What Was the Nature of Pharaoh’s Claim to Divinity?
All the polytheists or claimants to divinity who have passed in the world have accepted that Allah Almighty alone is the Creator and Owner of this universe. The same was the case with Pharaoh; his claim to divinity was only in the sense that he did not acknowledge any higher authority interfering in his political power. In other words, he accepted that Allah Almighty is the Creator and Owner of this entire universe, but he did not accept His legal or political sovereignty. He considered his own law to be the supreme law in his kingdom, and he had set his subjects on the same path. The demand that Musa (peace be upon him) made of him was a direct attack on his legal and political authority. Therefore, he declared Musa (peace be upon him) and his brother to be rebels against the government and threatened that if they did not desist from their demand, he would imprison them under the country’s law for the crime of rebellion.
[22]
What Was the Nature of Pharaoh’s Claim to Divinity?
All the polytheists or claimants to divinity who have passed in the world have accepted that Allah Almighty alone is the Creator and Owner of this universe. The same was the case with Pharaoh; his claim to divinity was only in the sense that he did not acknowledge any higher authority interfering in his political power. In other words, he accepted that Allah Almighty is the Creator and Owner of this entire universe, but he did not accept His legal or political sovereignty. He considered his own law to be the supreme law in his kingdom, and he had set his subjects on the same path. The demand that Musa (peace be upon him) made of him was a direct attack on his legal and political authority. Therefore, he declared Musa (peace be upon him) and his brother to be rebels against the government and threatened that if they did not desist from their demand, he would imprison them under the country’s law for the crime of rebellion.
