In Surah 79:24, Pharaoh gathers his people and proclaims:
Surah 79:24:
I am your most exalted lord. (Ana rabbukum al-a'la)
The Polemical Critique:
Historically and textually, ancient Egyptian Pharaohs considered themselves the earthly embodiment of Horus and the son of Ra, operating within a massive polytheistic pantheon. They did not claim to be the solitary, supreme Creator of the universe.
The Contradiction: Furthermore, the Quran contradicts itself on what Pharaoh actually claimed. In Surah 28:38, Pharaoh says, "I have not known for you any god other than myself," but in Surah 7:127, Pharaoh’s own court advisers ask him if he will allow Moses to “leave you and your gods.”
This as a clear internal contradiction: Pharaoh cannot be a polytheist who worships his own state gods while simultaneously claiming to his court that he is the only god that exists or the supreme lord over all.