الاعتبار بالتاريخ، المهدي

[1] History shows that very often the ruin and destruction of peoples has been due to their oppression and open wickedness and profligacy. Consequently, communities which had extended their sway over all the corners of the populated world and had flown their flags in the East and West of the globe disappeared from the surface of the earth like a wrong word, on disclosure of their vicious actions and evil doings. Amalekites: ancient nomadic tribe, or collection of tribes, described in the Old Testament as relentless enemies of Israel, even though they were closely related to Ephraim, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Their name derives from Amalek, who is celebrated in Arabian tradition but cannot be identified. The district over which they ranged was south of Judah and probably extended into northern Arabia. The Amalekites harrassed the Hebrews during their exodus out of Egypt and attacked them at Rephidim (near Mt. Sinai), where they were defeated by Joshua. They also filled out the ranks of the nomadic raiders defeated by Gideon and were condemned to annihilation by Samuel. The Amelekites, whose final defeat occurred in the time of Hezekiah, were the object of a perpetual curse. (The New Encyclopaedia Britannica [Micropaedia], vol. I, p. 288, ed. 1973-1974; also see [for further reference] The Encyclopaedia Americana, [International Edition] vol. I, p. 651, ed. 1975).

[3] The people of the cities of ar-Rass: In the same way the people of ar-Rass were killed and destroyed for disregarding the preaching and call of a prophet, and for revolt and disobedience. About them the Qur’ān says: And the (tribes of) ‘Ād and Thamūd and the inhabitants of ar-Rass, and generations between them, in great number. And unto each of them We did give examples and every one (of them) We did destroy with utter extermination. (25:38,39) Belied (also) those before them the people of Noah and the dwellers of ar-Rass and Thamūd; And ‘Ād and Pharaoh, and the brethren of Lot; And the dwellers of the Wood and the people of Tubba‘; all belied the apostles, so was proved true My promise (of the doom) (50:12—14)

[2] Pharoah: Hebrew form of the Egyptian per-‘o (“the great house”), signifying the royal palace, an epithet applied in the New Kingdom and after, as a title of respect, to the Egyptian king himself. In the 22nd dynasty the title was added to the king’s personal name. In official documents the full titulary of the Egyptian king contained five names. The first and oldest identified him as the incarnation of the falcon god, Horus; it was often written inside a square called serekh, depicting the facade of the archaic palace. The second name, “two ladies,” placed him under the protection of Nekhbet and Buto, the vulture and uraeus (snake) goddesses of Upper and Lower Egypt; the third, “golden Horns,” signified perhaps originally “Horns victorious over his enemies.” The last two names, written within a ring, or cartouche, are generally referred to as the praenomen and nomen, and were the ones most commonly used; the praenomen, preceded by the hieroglyph meaning “King of Upper and Lower Egypt,” usually contained a reference to the king’s unique relationship with the sun god, Re, while the fifth, or nomen, was preceded by the hieroglyph for “Son of Re,” or by that for “Lord of the two lands.” The last name was given him at birth, the rest at his coronation. (The New Encyclopaedia Britannica [Micropaedia], vol. VII, p. 927, ed. 1973-1974; also see [for further reference] The Encyclopaedia Americana, [International Edition ], vol. 21, p. 707, ed. 1975). Among the Pharaohs was the Pharaoh of the days of Prophet Mūsā. His pride, egotism, insolence and haughtiness were such that by making the claim “I am your sublime God” he deemed himself to be holding sway over all other powers of the world, and was under the misunderstanding that no power could wrest the realm and government from his hands. The Qur’ān has narrated his claim of “I and no one else” in the following words : And proclaimed Pharaoh unto his people, O my people! is not the kingdom of Egypt mine? And these rivers flow below me; What! behold ye not? (43:51) But when his empire came near the end it was destroyed in a few moments. Neither his position and servants could come in the way of its destruction nor could the vastness of his realm prevent it. Rather, the waves of the very streams which he was extremely proud to possess, wrapped him in and dispatched his spirit to Hell throwing the body on the bank to serve as a lesson for the whole of creation.