28:4
Truly Pharaoh elated himself in the land and broke up its people into sections, depressing a small
group among them: their sons he slew, but he kept alive their females: for he was indeed a maker of
mischief.
The responsibility of a ruler includes administering justice among all subjects without discrimination. When a king or governing authority makes unjust distinctions among the population—particularly by oppressing or marginalizing a specific group—such actions represent a failure to fulfill the ethical responsibilities of leadership and are considered morally accountable before God. In the Qurʾānic narrative, Pharaoh and his ruling elite are depicted as being driven by racial pride and confidence in their material power, which led them to severely oppress the Israelites. As part of this oppression, Pharaoh issued a decree that all newborn male children among the Israelites be killed, while the female children were allowed to live and remain under Egyptian control. Despite this decree, Moses was saved through a remarkable series of events, which the subsequent narrative recounts.
References:
Yusuf Ali, Abdullah. Translation and Commentary of the Quran. (surah 28 verse 4).