historical

Haman

هَامَان

Haman is a significant figure in Islamic tradition, depicted in the Quran as a close confidante and key minister to Pharaoh during the time of Prophet Moses (Musa). He played an active role in Pharaoh's oppressive regime against the Children of Israel, working alongside Pharaoh and his soldiers [28:6] in their defiance of God. The Quran portrays Haman as an enabler of Pharaoh's arrogance and tyranny. Pharaoh himself instructed Haman to "ignite for me, O Haman, [a fire] upon the clay and make for me a tower that I may look at the God of Moses" [28:38], highlighting Haman's position of authority and his involvement in Pharaoh's audacious attempt to challenge divine power. Like Pharaoh and Qarun, Haman ultimately faced divine retribution for his arrogance and rejection of the clear signs brought by Moses [29:39]. His story serves as a profound reminder in Islam of the consequences of tyranny and disbelief, and how those who assist in oppression also share in its ultimate downfall.

Quran 6 verses

وَنُمَكِّنَ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَنُرِىَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَٰمَٰنَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا مِنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَحْذَرُونَ

Wa numakkina lahum fil ardi wa nuriya Fir'awna wa Haamaana wa junoodahumaa minhum maa kaanoo yahzaroon

And establish them in the land and show Pharaoh and [his minister] Haman and their soldiers through them that which they had feared.

اور ملک میں ان کو قدرت دیں اور فرعون اور ہامان اور اُن کے لشکر کو وہ چیزیں دکھا دیں جس سے وہ ڈرتے تھے

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: وَنُرِ‌يدُ أَن نَّمُنَّ عَلَى الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ وَنَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً ؓ (And We intended to favour those who were held as weak in the land and to make them leaders - 28:5). In this verse it is emphasized that the plan of the Pharaoh was not equal to that of the divine fate, r...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: and to establish them in the land the land of Egypt and Syria and to show Pharaoh and Hāmān and their hosts a variant reading has wa-yarā Fir‘awnu wa-Hāmānu wa-junūduhumā ‘so that Pharaoh and Hāmān and their hosts might see’ with all three nouns in the nominative from them that of which they were ap...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Which was revealed in Makkah Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, recorded that Ma`diykarib said: "We came to `Abdullah and asked him to recite to us: طسم (Ta Sin Mim.) the two hundred. He said, `I do not know it; you should go to someone who learned it from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ K...

فَٱلْتَقَطَهُۥٓ ءَالُ فِرْعَوْنَ لِيَكُونَ لَهُمْ عَدُوًّا وَحَزَنًا إِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَٰمَٰنَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا كَانُوا۟ خَٰطِـِٔينَ

Faltaqatahooo Aalu Fir'awna li yakoona lahum 'aduwwanw wa hazanaa; inna Fir'awna wa Haamaana wa junooda humaa kaanoo khaati'een

And the family of Pharaoh picked him up [out of the river] so that he would become to them an enemy and a [cause of] grief. Indeed, Pharaoh and Haman and their soldiers were deliberate sinners.

تو فرعون کے لوگوں نے اس کو اُٹھا لیا اس لئے کہ (نتیجہ یہ ہونا تھا کہ) وہ اُن کا دشمن اور (ان کے لئے موجب) غم ہو۔ بیشک فرعون اور ہامان اور اُن کے لشکر چوک گئے

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰ (28:7) The word Wahy (inspiration) is used here in its literal meaning. It does not mean the Wahy that is peculiar to prophets. This point has already been explained under Surah Taha.
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: Then Pharaoh’s folk aids picked him up with him still in the basket the morning following that night — it was placed him in front of him Pharaoh and then opened and Moses was brought out of it sucking milk from his thumb — to be at the end of the affair an enemy slaying their menfolk and a cause of ...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): How Musa's Mother was inspired and shown what to do It was mentioned that when Fir`awn killed so many of the males of the Children of Israel, the Copts were scared that the Children of Israel would die out, and they themselves would have to do the heavy labor that the Children of Israel used to do. ...

وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمَلَأُ مَا عَلِمْتُ لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرِى فَأَوْقِدْ لِى يَٰهَٰمَٰنُ عَلَى ٱلطِّينِ فَٱجْعَل لِّى صَرْحًا لَّعَلِّىٓ أَطَّلِعُ إِلَىٰٓ إِلَٰهِ مُوسَىٰ وَإِنِّى لَأَظُنُّهُۥ مِنَ ٱلْكَٰذِبِينَ

Wa qaala Fir'awnu yaaa aiyuhal mala-u maa 'alimtu lakum min ilaahin ghairee fa awqid lee yaa Haamaanu 'alatteeni faj'al lee sarhal la'alleee attali'u ilaaa ilaahi Moosaa wa innee la azunnuhoo minal kaazibeen

And Pharaoh said, "O eminent ones, I have not known you to have a god other than me. Then ignite for me, O Haman, [a fire] upon the clay and make for me a tower that I may look at the God of Moses. And indeed, I do think he is among the liars."

اور فرعون نے کہا کہ اے اہلِ دربار میں تمہارا اپنے سوا کسی کو خدا نہیں جانتا تو ہامان میرے لئے گارے کو آگ لگوا (کر اینٹیں پکوا) دو پھر ایک (اُونچا) محل بنادو تاکہ میں موسٰی کے خدا کی طرف چڑھ جاؤں اور میں تو اُسے جھوٹا سمجھتا ہوں

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Commentary فَأَوْقِدْ لِي يَا هَامَانُ عَلَى الطِّينِ (So kindle for me, 0 Haman, a fire on the clay (to bake bricks) - 28:38). When the Pharaoh planned to build a very tall palace for himself, he asked his minister Haman to get the bricks baked properly first, because half baked bricks could not ta...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: And Pharaoh said ‘O members of the council I do not know of any god for you other than me. So kindle for me O Hāmān a fire over the clay and bake for me bricks of clay and make me a tower a lofty palace that I may take a look at the god of Moses to observe him and inspect him; for truly I consider h...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Arrogance of Fir`awn and His ultimate Destiny Allah tells us of Fir`awn's disbelief and wrongdoing, and how he falsely claimed divinity for his evil self, may Allah curse him. فَاسْتَخَفَّ قَوْمَهُ فَأَطَاعُوهُ (Thus he fooled his people, and they obeyed him.) 43:54 He called on his people to re...

وَقَٰرُونَ وَفِرْعَوْنَ وَهَٰمَٰنَ وَلَقَدْ جَآءَهُم مُّوسَىٰ بِٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِ فَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ سَٰبِقِينَ

Wa Qaaroona wa Fir'awna wa haamaana wa laqad jaaa'ahum Moosa bilbaiyinaati fastakbaroo fil ardi wa maa kaanoo saabiqeen

And [We destroyed] Qarun and Pharaoh and Haman. And Moses had already come to them with clear evidences, and they were arrogant in the land, but they were not outrunners [of Our punishment].

اور قارون اور فرعون اور ہامان کو بھی (ہلاک کر دیا) اور اُن کے پاس موسٰی کھلی نشانی لےکر آئے تو وہ ملک میں مغرور ہوگئے اور ہمارے قابو سے نکل جانے والے نہ تھے

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Commentary The stories of the earlier people, that are mentioned in these verses briefly, have been related in detail in the previous Surahs. For instance, the story of Shu'aib and those of ` Ad and Thamud have been related in Surahs Al-A` raf and Hud, and the incidents of Qarun, Haman, and the Phar...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: And We destroyed Korah and Pharaoh and Hāmān! And verily Moses brought them beforehand clear signs manifest proofs but they acted arrogantly in the land; and they could not thwart Us they could not elude Our chastisement.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Destruction of Nations Who rejected Their Messengers Allah tells us about these nations who disbelieved in their Messengers, and how He destroyed them and sent various kinds of punishments and vengeance upon them. `Ad, the people of Hud, peace be upon him, used to live in the Ahqaf (curved sand-...

إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَٰمَٰنَ وَقَٰرُونَ فَقَالُوا۟ سَٰحِرٌ كَذَّابٌ

Ilaa Fir'awna wa Haamaana qa Qaaroona faqaaloo saahirun kazzaab

To Pharaoh, Haman and Qarun; but they said, "[He is] a magician and a liar."

(یعنی) فرعون اور ہامان اور قارون کی طرف تو انہوں نے کہا کہ یہ تو جادوگر ہے جھوٹا

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Commentary Frequent references were made earlier in the text to the warnings given to deniers of pure monotheism and prophethood which brought more opposition and hostility from disbelievers. Naturally, this situation made the Holy Prophet ﷺ sad. It was to comfort him that, in nearly two sections ci...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: to Pharaoh and Hāmān and Korah but they said — that he was — ‘A sorcerer a mere liar!’
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Story of Musa and Fir`awn Allah consoles His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ for the disbelief of his people and gives him the glad tidings of good consequences and victory in this world and the Hereafter, as happened to Musa bin `Imran, peace be upon him, whom Allah sent with clear proof and definitive evid...

وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ يَٰهَٰمَٰنُ ٱبْنِ لِى صَرْحًا لَّعَلِّىٓ أَبْلُغُ ٱلْأَسْبَٰبَ

Wa qaala Fir'awnu yaa Haamaanub-ni lee sarhal la'alleee ablughul asbaab

And Pharaoh said, "O Haman, construct for me a tower that I might reach the ways -

اور فرعون نے کہا کہ ہامان میرے لئے ایک محل بناؤ تاکہ میں (اس پر چڑھ کر) رستوں پر پہنچ جاؤں

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: The word: صرح (sarh) in verse 36: وَقَالَ فِرْ‌عَوْنُ يَا هَامَانُ ابْنِ لِي صَرْ‌حًا (And the Pharaoh said, "0 Haman, make a tower for me,) means a structure that rises high. An outward look at this statement suggests that the Pharaoh ordered his minister, Haman to build a structure that rises high...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: And Pharaoh said ‘O Hāmān! Build for me a tower a lofty edifice that perhaps I may reach the routes —
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): How Fir`awn mocked the Lord of Musa Allah tells us of the arrogant and hostile defiance of Fir`awn and his rejection of Musa, when he commanded his minister Haman to build him a tower, i.e., a tall, high, strong fortress. He built it of bricks made from baked clay, as Allah says: فَأَوْقِدْ لِى يَهَ...

A detailed scholarly analysis for this topic is not yet available. Get in touch to request one.

Related Topics