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Surah 23. Al-Muminun
Ayah 45 - 49
45 ثُمَّ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسَىٰ وَأَخَاهُ هَـٰرُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا وَسُلْطَـٰنٍ مُّبِينٍ
46 إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَإِي۟هِۦ فَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ وَكَانُوا۟ قَوْمًا عَالِينَ
47 فَقَالُوٓا۟ أَنُؤْمِنُ لِبَشَرَيْنِ مِثْلِنَا وَقَوْمُهُمَا لَنَا عَـٰبِدُونَ
48 فَكَذَّبُوهُمَا فَكَانُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلْمُهْلَكِينَ
49 وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ
[45-49] Then We sent Moses and his brother Aaron with Our Signs and a clear Authority39 to Pharaoh and his nobles. But they received them with arrogance, for they were very haughty people.40 They said, "What! should we believe in these two men who are human beings like ourselves40a and whose people are our bondsmen?"41 So they treated them as impostors and incurred destruction.42 As regards Moses, We gave him the Book so that the people might be guided by it.
39The use of "a clear Authority" along with "Our Signs" may either mean that the "Signs" were a clear proof that they were Messengers of Allah, or the "Signs" may refer to all other miracles of Prophet Moses than the "staff', which may stand here for a clear Authority, because the miracles shown by means of it were a clear proof that the two brothers had been sent by Allah.
40The words in the Text may either mean: (1) They were highly arrogant and tyrannous people, or (2) They showed haughtiness and self conceit.
40aFor explanation, see E.N. 26.
41Abid is worshiper. According to the Arabic usage, to be a "worshiper" and a "bondsman" are almost synonymous. Therefore when the Prophets invited their people to worship Allah alone, they wanted them to worship and serve and obey none but Allah, and that is the real significance of the word " `ibadat". For further explanation, see E.N. 50 of AI-Kahf (XVIII).
42For fuller details of the story of Prophet Moses and Pharaoh, see Al-Baqarah (II): 49-50, Al-A`araf (VII): 103-136, Yunus (X): 75-92, Hud (Xl): 9699, Bani Isra'il (XVII): 101-104, Ta Ha (XX): 9-80 along with the relevant E. N.'s.