Haman

Haman is Pharaoh's close advisor and minister, associated with him in his tyranny and rejection of Musa's message. The Quran names him as the accomplice of the power that oppressed the Hebrews and defied God.

Haman appears in the Quran alongside Pharaoh as the executor of his tyrannical will. When Pharaoh, in his pride, wanted to 'look upon the god of Musa' to deny him, it was Haman he ordered to fire bricks of clay and build him a high tower.

This episode summarises the character: a person of power who puts his skill and authority at the service of his master's impiety rather than listening to the truth. The Quran places Haman among the figures who, with Pharaoh and Qarun, opposed Musa and were punished for their injustice.

Haman is named six times in the Quran (28:6, 28:8, 28:38; 29:39; 40:24, 40:36), always as Pharaoh's right arm. A modern debate surrounds his name that is useful to know as it circulates widely. The French physician Maurice Bucaille (in 'The Bible, the Quran and Science,' then 'Moses and Pharaoh') claimed that the name 'Haman' appears in Egyptian hieroglyphic inscriptions, linked to a figure close to Pharaoh associated with construction. Since hieroglyphics were only deciphered in the 19th century (Rosetta Stone), he saw in this evidence of the Quran's historical accuracy — situating Haman in Egypt, unlike the Bible which places a Haman in Persia (Book of Esther). However this thesis is contested: academic Egyptology does not accept this identification; the reading of the name, its transcription and the correspondence with the Quranic Haman are judged unestablished, and the argument is considered by its critics to be apologetic. In keeping with our method, we report both positions without adjudicating.

Haman illustrates the responsibility of those who serve injustice. Placing one's talents at the service of a tyrannical power does not exempt one from accountability: the tyrant's accomplice shares his fate. Obedience does not excuse injustice.

وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ مَا عَلِمْتُ لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرِي فَأَوْقِدْ لِي يَا هَامَانُ عَلَى الطِّينِ فَاجْعَل لِّي صَرْحًا

S’adressant aux grands d’Egypte, Pharaon dit : « Je ne vous connais pas d’autre dieu que moi. Haman ! Fais cuire des briques d’argile au moyen desquelles tu feras bâtir une tour qui me permettra de monter voir le dieu de Moïse que je tiens néanmoins pour un menteur. »

28:38