Article appeared Friday, March 20th, 2020 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (614) yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

We often find arrogance and insolence being displayed. Can one also be arrogant and
insolent towards God? But wait, before that should we find out what exactly is arrogance
and insolence? Looking up the Cambridge Dictionary {1, 2} we find the following
meaning for each:
“arrogance = unpleasantly proud and behaving as if you are
more important than, or know more than, other people” {1}
“insolence = rude behavior that does not show respect” {2}

Do human beings display arrogance and insolence towards each other? Can/should
arrogance and insolent behavior be demonstrated towards God? That is, can people
behave as if they are more important than God, or know more than Him? Equally, should
rude behavior and demonstration of disrespect toward God be tolerated? Recently
recorded history {3, 4} and Holy Scriptures bear witness to how God destroyed former
people/cities who demonstrated repeated arrogance and insolence towards Him. Two
questions arise from such destruction. First, why did God arrange for history of
destroyed towns/villages to be documented for us? Is it to act as a stern warning?
Second, should we examine our own attitude towards God, or let history repeat itself
bringing on our own destruction? Should it be difficult for God to destroy us? In how
many ways {5, 6} can He bring about our end?

Before we look at a story from the Holy Scriptures, let us first situate arrogance and
insolence towards God. Before examining what God has done, let us focus on the facts
of our own existence. We can do this with a few questions: before our consciousness
was born, did we exist? If at a point in time we were nothing, how did we suddenly come
into existence? Could we have created ourselves? If not, a most powerful force or Being
must have brought us into existence from nothing. This Being must have superior
intelligence, as He has also been able to create knowledge from nothing and give it to
us. He has given each of us an individual personality and a free will so that we can
uniquely respond to Him. He has not only created the beauty we see in nature, but also
created the ability to appreciate beauty. We can only be in awe of what kind of Being He
is.

So, should one be arrogant and insolent towards the Being who has afforded existence?
He has also given us the ability to be humbly submissive or alternatively be arrogant and
insolent. Now back to God – how would our Creator look upon arrogance or insolence?
To evaluate the consequences let us examine the history of Pharaoh {7} and Moses
from the Holy Scripture, the Qur’an. Is there anything we can learn from the fate of
Pharaoh in the story related to Moses?
“And he (Pharaoh) was arrogant and insolent in the land beyond reason, he and
his hosts (supporters): they thought that they would not have to return to Us! So
We seized him and his hosts and We flung them into the sea: now behold what
was the End of those who did wrong!” [28.39 – 28.40]

In what way was Pharaoh arrogant?

“Pharaoh said, "O Chiefs! No god do I know for you but myself…” [28.38]
How did God respond?

28.41 “And We made them (but) leaders inviting to the Fire; and on the Day
of Judgment no help shall they find.”
What is the Fire? How can Pharaoh and his ministers become leaders who invite to the
Fire? Not only did God end the earthly life of Pharaoh and those who supported him
abruptly, He will directly put them in the Fire of Hell on the Day of Judgment, i.e., He will
show no mercy. The fate of any who follow the ways of Pharaoh, i.e., feel or declare,
either verbally or through day-to-day actions that they are most powerful will be the
same!

28.42 “In this world We made a Curse to follow them: and on the Day of
Judgment they will be among the loathed (and despised).”
Many submitted to Pharaoh, treated him like a god; all these people suffered during his
reign. On the Day of Judgment they will also be in trouble. They will curse Pharaoh when
they realize what is going on, on the Day of Judgment.

28.43 “We did reveal to Moses the Book after We had destroyed the earlier
generations (to give) Insight to men and Guidance and Mercy that they
might receive admonition.”
Holy scripture revealed to Moses (pbuh) not only strictly warns why Pharaoh, his
supporters and previous generations were destroyed, it guides humanity on who God is,
how He tests them and is most Merciful to those who approach Him with humility and
adoration.

28.44 “You were not on the Western Side when We decreed the
commission to Moses nor were you a witness (of those events).”
The history of Prophet Moses, which Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had no way of
knowing, is being divinely revealed as a warning for those who will listen and
understand.

28.45 “But We raised up (new) generations and long were the ages that
passed over them; but you were not a dweller among the people of Madyan
rehearsing Our Signs to them; but it is We Who send apostles (with
inspiration).”
After escaping from Pharaoh’s city, Moses spent many years with the people of Madyan
where God had previously sent Prophet Shuiab {8}. It is likely that Moses’ father-in-law
who lived in Madyan shared the stories of Prophet Shuaib and the previously destroyed
generations – thus the Signs of God would have been rehearsed to Moses before he
became a prophet.

28.46 “Nor were you at the side of (the Mountain of) Tur when We called (to
Moses) yet (are you sent) as a Mercy from your Lord to give warning to a
people to whom no warner had come before you: in order that they may
receive admonition.”
There is no other way, other than Revelation, that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) could be
informed about Prophet Moses – there were no prophets (except Adnan) in the long list
of ancestors who descended from Ismail {8}.
28.47 “If (We had) not (sent you to the Quraish) in case a calamity should
seize them for (the deeds) that their hands have sent forth they might say,
"Our Lord! Why did You not send us an apostle? We should then have
followed the Signs and been amongst those who believe!"”
Now the same admonition or stern warning is being relayed through the Qur’an. Will we
understand and take heed?
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{Notes}:
{1} https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/arrogant
{2} https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/insolence
{3} https://historycollection.co/four-natural-disasters-wiped-entire-cities-civilizations/
{4} https://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/24/world/cities-destroyed-by-natural-disasters/index.html
{5} https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/3/150303-pharaoh-senebkay-forensic-skeleton-abydos-egypt-archaeology/
{6} https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2020/3/18/21184992/coronavirus-covid-19-flu-comparison-chart
{7} http://www.islamicity.com/Science/quranandscience/destruction/GeneratedFiles/Fir146awnWhoWasDrowned.htm
{8} https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Family_Tree_of_Prophets.png