At-Tahrim (The Prohibition)

11. And Allah has set forth an example for those who believe: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said: “My Lord! Build for me a home with You in Paradise and save me from Pharaoh and his deeds and save me from the wrong doing people.

Two examples of evil women, namely the wives of Prophets Noah (as) and Lot (as), were presented in the preceding blessed Verses and two examples of good women, namely Pharaoh’s wife and Mary (as), are introduced in the blessed Verses 11 and 12.

It is reported that the name of Pharaoh’s wife was Àsiya and the name of her father was Muzahim. It is said that upon witnessing Prophet Moses’ (as) miracle wrought before the sorcerers, the depth of her heart was lightened by the light of faith and immediately believed in Moses (as) but she concealed her faith.

However, belief in and love for God Almighty may not be concealed forever. Upon being apprised of her belief in Allah, Pharaoh warned her against it many a time and insisted that she should desist from believing in God Almighty, but the woman persevered in her faith and did not yield to his will.

Finally, Pharaoh ordered that her limbs be tied with nails and leave her under the scorching sun and lay a huge stone on her breast.

In her last moments, she invoked to God Almighty

“My Lord! Build for me a home with You in Paradise and save me from Pharaoh and his deeds and save me from the wrong doing people.”

God Almighty answered the supplications of the sincerely sacrificing believing woman and made her the companion of the best women of the world like Mary (as).

It would be of interest to know that by her words, Pharaoh’s wife belittled the great palace of her husband and regarded it as nothing against the home located in the proximity of Allah’s Graciousness and answers to the insistent entreaties of those who provided her with admonitions saying that all those marvelous privileges were available to her as the queen of Egypt and warned her against losing them consequent to her belief in a Shepherd like Moses (as).

Thus, she utters her disgust at Pharaoh and his crimes and wrong doings.

By saying:

“My Lord! Build for me a home with You in Paradise and save me from Pharaoh and his deeds and save me from the wrong doing people,”

she reveals her disgust at the impure environment and her alienation from their crimes.

The last three sentences uttered by this cognizant and sacrificing woman are so well-measured that they may serve as inspirations for all the believing men and women in the world. Such utterances impede all those who find pretexts like the pressures of the environment and spouse from turning away from obedience to God Almighty and fearing Him.

The glory and splendor of the Pharaonic court were unsurpassed at the time and the pressures and tortures inflicted upon the victims at the behest of the criminal Pharaoh were unrivaled.

Nonetheless, such glory, splendor, pressures, and tortures could not make the believing woman yield to disbelief but she persevered on treading the path leading to Divine Satisfaction and sacrificed her life in the Cause of the true Beloved.

It is worthy of note that she invoked God Almighty to build a home for her in Paradise close to Him. Being in Paradise reflects the physical dimension and being with God Almighty is indicative of the spiritual dimension and she expressed both in one brief utterance.