Tafseer of The Poets · Ash-Shu'araa · 26:28
[Moses] said, "Lord of the east and the west and that between them, if you were to reason."
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
And His word: قَالَ رَبُّ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا (He said: the Lord of the east and the west and what is between them) — the meaning of this is: The One to whose worship I invite you and Pharaoh is the Lord of the east and the west and what is between them; that is to say: the owner and ruler over the rising of the sun and its setting, and all that is between them — not to the worship of the kings of Egypt who ruled over Egypt before Pharaoh, before your forefathers, and who have all passed away, nor to the worship of Pharaoh who now rules over it. إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ (if you possess understanding) — He said: if you possess understanding by which you comprehend what is said to you, and comprehend what you hear of that which is pointed out to you. When he (peace be upon him) made known to them the matter which they themselves recognized to be the manifest truth — since Pharaoh and the kings before him had not extended their kingdom beyond the boundary marker of Egypt — it became clear to Pharaoh and the kinsmen surrounding him that the One to whose worship Moses invited them is the Sovereign who rules over kings. Pharaoh then spoke, out of arrogance toward the truth and persistence in his error, to Moses.
