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Ghafir (The Forgiver)

Verse 37of 85

أَسْبَٰبَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ فَأَطَّلِعَ إِلَىٰٓ إِلَٰهِ مُوسَىٰ وَإِنِّى لَأَظُنُّهُۥ كَٰذِبًۭا ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِفِرْعَوْنَ سُوٓءُ عَمَلِهِۦ وَصُدَّ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ ۚ وَمَا كَيْدُ فِرْعَوْنَ إِلَّا فِى تَبَابٍۢ﴿٣٧

Translation (Sahih International)

The ways into the heavens - so that I may look at the deity of Moses; but indeed, I think he is a liar." And thus was made attractive to Pharaoh the evil of his deed, and he was averted from the [right] way. And the plan of Pharaoh was not except in ruin.

Word-by-word meaning

أَسْبَـٰبَasbāba(The) ways
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِl-samāwāti(to) the heavens
فَأَطَّلِعَfa-aṭṭaliʿaso I may look
إِلَىٰٓilāat
إِلَـٰهِilāhi(the) God
مُوسَىٰmūsā(of) Musa
وَإِنِّىwa-innīand indeed, I
لَأَظُنُّهُۥla-aẓunnuhu[I] surely think him
كَـٰذِبًۭا ۚkādhiban(to be) a liar
وَكَذَٰلِكَwakadhālikaAnd thus
زُيِّنَzuyyinawas made fair-seeming
لِفِرْعَوْنَlifir'ʿawnato Firaun
سُوٓءُsūu(the) evil
عَمَلِهِۦʿamalihi(of) his deed
وَصُدَّwaṣuddaand he was averted
عَنِʿanifrom
ٱلسَّبِيلِ ۚl-sabīlithe way
وَمَاwamāAnd not
كَيْدُkaydu(was the) plot
فِرْعَوْنَfir'ʿawna(of) Firaun
إِلَّاillāexcept
فِىin
تَبَابٍۢtabābinruin

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

How Fir`awn mocked the Lord of MusaAllah tells us of the arrogant and hostile defiance of Fir`awn and his rejection of Musa, when he commanded his minister Haman to build him a tower, i.e., a tall, high, strong fortress. He built it of bricks made from baked clay, as Allah says:فَأَوْقِدْ لِى يَهَـمَـنُ عَلَى الطِّينِ فَاجْعَل لِّى صَرْحاً(So kindle for me (a fire), O Haman, to bake (bricks out of) clay, and set up for me a lofty tower) (28:38).

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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