Quran Universe
40:37

أَسۡبَٰبَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ فَأَطَّلِعَ إِلَىٰٓ إِلَٰهِ مُوسَىٰ وَإِنِّي لَأَظُنُّهُۥ كَٰذِبٗاۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِفِرۡعَوۡنَ سُوٓءُ عَمَلِهِۦ وَصُدَّ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِۚ وَمَا كَيۡدُ فِرۡعَوۡنَ إِلَّا فِي تَبَابٖ

Asbaba alssamawati faattaliAAa ila ilahi moosa wainnee laathunnuhu kathiban wakathalika zuyyina lifirAAawna sooo AAamalihi wasudda AAani alssabeeli wama kaydu firAAawna illa fee tababin

The ways into the heavens - so that I may look at the deity of Moses; but indeed, I think he is a liar." And thus was made attractive to Pharaoh the evil of his deed, and he was averted from the [right] way. And the plan of Pharaoh was not except in ruin.

Word by word
  1. أَسۡبَٰبَ(The) ways
  2. ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ(to) the heavens
  3. فَأَطَّلِعَso I may look
  4. إِلَىٰٓat
  5. إِلَٰهِ(the) God
  6. مُوسَىٰ(of) Musa
  7. وَإِنِّيand indeed,I
  8. لَأَظُنُّهُۥ[I] surely think him
  9. كَٰذِبٗاۚ(to be) a liar
  10. وَكَذَٰلِكَAnd thus
  11. زُيِّنَwas made fair-seeming
  12. لِفِرۡعَوۡنَto Firaun
  13. سُوٓءُ(the) evil
  14. عَمَلِهِۦ(of) his deed
  15. وَصُدَّand he was averted
  16. عَنِfrom
  17. ٱلسَّبِيلِۚthe way
  18. وَمَاAnd not
  19. كَيۡدُ(was the) plot
  20. فِرۡعَوۡنَ(of) Firaun
  21. إِلَّاexcept
  22. فِيin
  23. تَبَابٖruin
Ghafir · 40:37Makkah

His evil deed was made to look good to him.

How Pharaoh's plan ended in nothing but ruin

Inside Pharaoh
I think he is a liardecided before looking
so
evil looks fairhis deeds adorned
ends in
ruinnothing but loss
The danger
I would know if I were wrong
wrong can feel rightwhen the heart is set

Ibn Kathir says Pharaoh built the tower to deceive his people and make them think he could prove Musa was lying. His own evil was made to look good to him. Ibn Abbas and Mujahid said his plot led to nothing but ruin.

You have done something you knew was wrong and felt clever about it. The excuse sounded perfect at the time. That feeling is the warning. When a bad deed starts looking fine, slow down.

If it feels right to me, it must be fine.

Evil can be made to look good to me, so feeling right is not enough.

Try this

Ask one honest friend about a decision you feel very sure of. Listen without defending.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 40:36)

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 يَهَـمَـنُ عَلَى الطِّينِ فَاجْعَل لِّى صَرْحاً

(So kindle for me (a fire), O Haman, to bake (bricks out of) clay, and set up for me a lofty tower) (28:38).

لَّعَـلِّى أَبْلُغُ الاٌّسْبَـبَ - أَسْبَـبَ السَّمَـوَتِ

(that I may arrive at the ways -- the ways of the heavens,) Sa`id bin Jubayr and Abu Salih said, "The gates of the heavens." Or it was said, the ways of the heavens.

فَأَطَّلِعَ إِلَى إِلَـهِ مُوسَى وَإِنِّى لاّظُنُّهُ كَـذِباً

(and I may look upon the God of Musa, but verily, I think him to be a liar.) Because of his disbelief and defiance, he did not believe that Allah had sent Musa to him. Allah says:

وَكَـذَلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِفِرْعَوْنَ سُوءُ عَمَلِهِ وَصُدَّ عَنِ السَّبِيلِ

(Thus it was made fair seeming, in Fir`awn's eyes, the evil of his deeds, and he was hindered from the path;) means, this act of his building the tower, by means of which he wanted to deceive his people and make them think that he could prove that Musa was lying. Allah says:

وَمَا كَـيْدُ فِرْعَوْنَ إِلاَّ فِى تَبَابٍ

(and the plot of Fir`awn led to nothing but loss and destruction.) Ibn `Abbas and Mujahid said, "Meaning nothing but ruin."