THE LEARNED ONES AT THE SERVICE OF PHARAOHS

VERSES NO. 175 - 178

      In these verses reference is made to another Israelite story, that can be taken in a general sense, as a parable and example of men of talent and position to whom great spiritual insight has been given and they use it in a bad way. Instead of rising higher and higher in the spiritual world, they sell themselves to Satan to obtain earthly rank, power, and wealth.

      The verse clearly points at someone, who must have been a believer, and a learned and religious scholar, who has come out of his skin which is his divine knowledge, just as a slaughtered lamb may be skinned by a butcher! This is what we may understand from the Arabic, `FANSALAKHA' which we have translated, `HE WITHDREW HIMSELF FROM IT'

      Allah could have held him in his sacred position, but He never forces His servants against their Free Will.

      Some Islamic traditions imply that the story refers to a particular individual whose name was; BALAAM BAOOR who was contemporary to Moses. Moses at first made use of Balaam and his knowledge as a learned and eloquent preacher; and he went so high that when he prayed to God for something, he would have his prayer answered. Unfortunately the apparent glory and gaudiness of Pharaoh's court allured him, and he lost all the virtues he had, and fell down as far as resisting and opposing Moses!

The story of such a one is mentioned in the present Bible in the book of Numbers 22: 23, but it is narrated quite differently, and he is acquitted of the charge ascribed to him here.

      Actually it has been proved that, the dangers of the learned ones and men of knowledge, who sell themselves to men of power and wealth, or men of rank and position, is far greater than the danger of any one else in man's society!

      These offer their mental power and knowledge to serve the Pharahos of their time, in order to make fools of people. The signs and symbols of such scholars have been mentioned in the above verses. They are men of low ambitions and wavering will, who are easily tempted by Satan, and their decisions can be sold or bought with a very low price in the material world! They are like a thirsty dog that water cannot satisfy them. They easily leave the exalted spiritual honour which they could have received from God if they had followed His will. But, alas! They adhere to the earthly facilities which will lower and lower them, until they reach the position of the beasts!

      They are like the dog who lolls out his tongue whether he is attacked or left alone. If you warn him or not he continues with his mischiefs and uncontrolled tongue, while he injures himself in the first place, though there might be infection in his evil example too. When they reject God's Message, they, in fact, deprive themselves of God's Grace and Mercy.