Ta Ha — Verse 67

The Competition, Musa's Victory, and the Magician's Faith Allah, the Exalted, informs about the magicians when they met Musa, that they said to Musa, إِمَّآ أَن تُلْقِىَ ("Either you throw first...") meaning, "you go first." وَإِمَّآ أَن نَّكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَلْقَىقَالَ بَلْ أَلْقُواْ ("...or we be the first to throw" (Musa) said: "Nay, throw you (first)!") This means, `you magicians should go first so that we can see what magic you are going to perform and so that the true state of their affair will become obvious to the people.' فَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمْ وَعِصِيُّهُمْ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ مِن سِحْرِهِمْ أَنَّهَا تَسْعَى (Then behold! their ropes and their sticks, by their magic, appeared to him as though they moved fast.) In another Ayah it says that when they threw, وَقَالُواْ بِعِزَّةِ فِرْعَونَ إِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الْغَـلِبُونَ (Then said: "By the might of Fir`awn, it is we who will certainly win!") 26:44 And Allah, the Exalted, says, سَحَرُواْ أَعْيُنَ النَّاسِ وَاسْتَرْهَبُوهُمْ وَجَآءُو بِسِحْرٍ عَظِيمٍ (They bewitched the eyes of the people, and struck terror into them, and they displayed a great magic.) 7:116 Here, He says in this Surah, فَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمْ وَعِصِيُّهُمْ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ مِن سِحْرِهِمْ أَنَّهَا تَسْعَى (Then behold! their ropes and their sticks, by their magic, appeared to him as though they moved fast.) They were a large numbered group and each one of them threw a stick and a rope until the valley became full of snakes piled on top of each other. Concerning Allah's statement, فَأَوْجَسَ فِى نَفْسِهِ خِيفَةً مُّوسَى (So Musa conceived fear in himself.) This means that he feared for the people that they would be tested and deceived by their magic before he could even have a chance to throw what was in his right hand. Thus, Allah revealed to him at the right moment, to throw what was in his right hand, which was the stick. When he did so, it swallowed what they had made. It became a huge, monstrous creature with legs, a neck, a head and fangs. It went after these ropes and sticks until none of them remained, except that it was devoured and swallowed by this beast. At the same time, the magicians and all of the people were watching with their own eyes, seeing this amazing event in broad daylight. Thus, the miracle was performed and the evidence was clear. The truth prevailed and the magic was proven to be falsehood. This is why Allah said, إِنَّمَا صَنَعُواْ كَيْدُ سَاحِرٍ وَلاَ يُفْلِحُ السَّـحِرُ حَيْثُ أَتَى (That which they have made is only a magician's trick, and the magician will never be successful, to whatever amount (of skill) he may attain.) So when the magicians saw the event and witnessed it with their own eyes, while they were knowledgeable of the various tricks and methods in the sciences of magic, they knew with conviction that what Musa had done was not magic or illusionary tricks. They recognized that it was the truth without any doubt. They knew that no one had any power to do this except for One Who says for a thing "Be," and it is. Therefore, when this happened, they fell down into prostration to Allah. They said, "We believe in the Lord of all that exists, the Lord of Musa and Harun!" This is why Ibn `Abbas and `Ubayd bin `Umayr both said, "At the beginning of the day they were magicians and at the end of the day they were outstanding witnesses of faith." l The Number of Magicians Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "The magicians were seventy men who were magicians in the morning, but witnesses of faith by the time evening came." Ibn Abi Hatim also reported that Al-Awza'i said, "When the magicians fell down in prostration, Paradise was raised up before them until they were looking at it." It is reported from Sa`id bin Jubayr that he said concerning Allah's statement, فَأُلْقِىَ السَّحَرَةُ سُجَّداً (So the magicians fell down prostrate.) "They saw their places (in Paradise) made clear before them while they were in their prostration." `Ikrimah and Al-Qasim bin Abi Bizzah both said the same.

And Moses sensed fear within himself that is to say he feared that if the effect of their sorcery was of the same kind as his miracle he would become suspect in people’s minds and they would not believe in him.

قال لهم موسى: بل ألقُوا أنتم ما معكم أولا فألقَوا حبالهم وعصيَّهم، فتخيل موسى مِن قوة سحرهم أنها حيات تسعى، فشعر موسى في نفسه بالخوف.

وقوله "فأوجس في نفسه خيفة موسى" أي خاف على الناس أن يفتنوا بسحرهم ويغتروا بهم قبل أن يلقى ما في يمينه فأوحى الله تعالى إليه في الساعة الراهنة أن ألق ما في يمينك يعني عصاك فإذا هي تلقف ما صنعوا وذلك أنها صارت تنينا عظيما هائلا ذا قوائم وعنق ورأس وأضراس فجعلت تتبع تلك الحبال والعصي حتى لم تبق منها شيئا إلا تلقفته والسحرة والناس ينظرون إلى ذلك عيانا جهرة نهارا ضحوة فقامت المعجزة واتضح البرهان ووقع الحق وبطل السحر.

ويبدو أن فعل السحرة هذا ، قد أثر فى موسى - عليه السلام - بدليل قوله - تعالى - : ( فَأَوْجَسَ فِي نَفْسِهِ خِيفَةً موسى ) .والإيجاس : الإخفاء والإضمار ، والخيفة : الخوف . أى : فأخفى موسى - عليه السلام - فى نفسه شيئا من الخوف ، حين رأى حبال السحرة وعصيهم كأنها حيات تسعى على بطونها ، وخوفه هذا حدث له بمقتضى الطبيعة البشرية عندما رأى هذا الأمر الهائل من السحر ، وبمقتضى أن يؤثر هذا السحر فى نفوس الناس فيصرفهم عما سيفعله .

وقوله ( قَالَ بَلْ أَلْقُوا ) يقول تعالى ذكره: قال موسى للسحرة: بل ألقوا أنتم ما معكم قبلي. وقوله ( فَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمْ وَعِصِيُّهُمْ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ سِحْرِهِمْ أَنَّهَا تَسْعَى ) ، وفي هذا الكلام متروك، وهو: فألقوا ما معهم من الحبال والعصيّ، فإذا حبالهم، ترك ذكره استغناء بدلالة الكلام الذي ذكر عليه عنه ، وذُكر أن السحرة سحروا عين موسى وأعين الناس قبل أن يلقوا حبالهم وعصيهم، فخيل حينئذ إلى موسى أنها تسعى.كما حدثنا ابن حميد، قال: ثنا سلمة، عن ابن إسحاق، قال: حُدثت عن وهب بن منبه، قال: قالوا يا موسى، ( إِمَّا أَنْ تُلْقِيَ وَإِمَّا أَنْ نَكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَلْقَى قَالَ بَلْ أَلْقُوا ) فكان أول ما اختطفوا بسحرهم بصر موسى وبصر فرعون، ثم أبصار الناس بعد، ثم ألقى كلّ رجل منهم ما في يده من العصي والحبال، فإذا هي حيات كأمثال الحبال، قد ملأت الوادي يركب بعضها بعضا.واختلفت القراء في قراءة قوله ( يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ ) فقرأ ذلك عامة قرّاء الأمصار ( يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ ) بالياء بمعنى: يخيل إليهم سعيها، وإذا قرئ ذلك كذلك، كانت " أن " في موضع رفع ، ورُوي عن الحسن البصري أنه كان يقرؤه: ( تُخَيَّلُ) بالتاء، بمعنى: تخيل حبالهم وعصيهم بأنها تسعى، ومن قرأ ذلك كذلك، كانت " أن " في موضع نصب لتعلق تخيل بها، وقد ذُكر عن بعضهم أنه كان يقرؤه: ( تُخَيَّلُ إلَيْه) بمعنى: تتخيل إليه، وإذا قرئ ذلك كذلك أيضا ف " أن " في موضع نصب بمعنى: تتخيل بالسعي لهم.والقراءة التي لا يجوز عندي في ذلك غيرها( يُخَيَّل ) بالياء، لإجماع الحجة من القراء عليه.

( فأوجس في نفسه خيفة موسى ) أي : وجد ، وقيل : أضمر في نفسه خوفا ، واختلفوا في خوفه : قيل : خوف طبع البشرية ، وذلك أنه ظن أنها تقصده .وقال مقاتل : خاف على القوم أن يلتبس عليهم الأمر فيشكوا في أمره فلا يتبعوه .

فَأَوْجَسَ فِي نَفْسِهِ خِيفَةً مُوسَى (67) أوجس : أضمر واستشعر . وانتصاب { خيفةً على المفعولية ، أي وجد في نفسه . وقد تقدّم نظيره عند قوله تعالى : { نكرهم وأوجس منهم خيفة } في سورة هود ( 70 ).و خِيفَةً } اسم هيئة من الخوف ، أريد به مطلق المصدر ، وأصله خِوْفة ، فقلبت الواو ياء لوقوعها أثر كسرة .وزيادة { فِي نَفْسِهِ } هنا للإشارة إلى أنها خيفةُ تفكُّر لم يظهر أثرها على ملامحه . وإنما خاف موسى من أن يظهر أمر السحرة فيساوي ما يظهر على يديه من انقلاب عصاه ثعباناً ، لأنه يكون قد ساواهم في عملهم ويكونون قد فاقوه بالكثرة ، أو خشي أن يكون الله أراد استدراج السحرة مدّة فيملي لهم بظهور غلبهم عليه ومدّه لما تكون له العاقبة فخشي ذلك . وهذا مقام الخوف ، وهو مقام جَليل مِثلُه مقام النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يوم بدر إذ قال : { اللهم إني أسألك نصرك ووعدك اللّهم إن شئت لم تُعبد في الأرض }

{ أَوْجَسَ فِي نَفْسِهِ خِيفَةً مُوسَى } كما هو مقتضى الطبيعة البشرية، وإلا فهو جازم بوعد الله ونصره.

[ ص: 139 ] قوله تعالى : فأوجس في نفسه خيفة موسى أي أضمر . وقيل : وجد . وقيل : أحس . أي من الحيات وذلك على ما يعرض من طباع البشر على ما تقدم . وقيل : خاف أن يفتتن الناس قبل أن يلقي عصاه . وقيل : خاف حين أبطأ عليه الوحي بإلقاء العصا أن يفترق الناس قبل ذلك فيفتتنوا . وقال بعض أهل الحقائق : إنما كان السبب أن موسى - عليه السلام - لما التقى بالسحرة وقال لهم : ويلكم لا تفتروا على الله كذبا فيسحتكم بعذاب التفت فإذا جبريل على يمينه فقال له يا موسى ترفق بأولياء الله . فقال موسى : يا جبريل هؤلاء سحرة جاءوا بسحر عظيم ليبطلوا المعجزة ، وينصروا دين فرعون ، ويردوا دين الله ، تقول : ترفق بأولياء الله ! فقال جبريل : هم من الساعة إلى صلاة العصر عندك ، وبعد صلاة العصر في الجنة . فلما قال له ذلك ، أوجس في نفس موسى وخطر أن ما يدريني ما علم الله في ، فلعلي أكون الآن في حالة ، وعلم الله في على خلافها كما كان هؤلاء .

The competition started with the magicians throwing their ropes and sticks on the ground where they seemed to move about in the shape of snakes. But this was an illusory effect. In other words, the ropes and sticks had not really changed into snakes. The magicians had simply created an optical illusion to play upon the imagination of the audience, so that it would temporarily appear to them as if the ropes and sticks were wriggling on the ground like snakes. Then, in accordance with God’s orders, Moses threw his stick on the ground where it immediately assumed the shape of a big snake, and started moving along the ground. At its touch, the magicians’ spell broke, then all the things which had appeared to be moving about like snakes turned back into mere ropes and sticks. The magicians had already been impressed by Moses’ speech, and now that they had had a practical demonstration of his powers, they saw with their own eyes the truth of Moses’ stand. They were now absolutely certain that the power Moses possessed was not that of human magic, but the actual ability to perform a miracle of God. This conviction was so deep that they thereupon declared their conversion to Moses’ faith.

فَأَوْجَسَ فِي نَفْسِهِ خِيفَةً مُّوسَىٰ (So Musa concealed some fear in his heart - 20:67.). The sight of so many snakes crawling around evoked a sense of fear in Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) which he did not reveal to anyone. Even if this fear was for his own personal safety then it can be regarded as a natural human reaction to a dangerous situation and does not conflict with the mission of prophethood. It is clear, however, that the fear which he felt was not for his own life. His apprehension was that if the immense crowd, which had assembled to see the contest, sensed that the Egyptian magicians had the upper hand then the purpose of his mission would be frustrated. These doubts and fears were dispelled when in the next verse Allah assured him لَا تَخَفْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْأَعْلَىٰ (do not be scared. Certainly, you are to be the upper most - 20:68).

(And Moses conceived a fear in his mind) Moses concealed his fear of them. He was afraid that they would kill all those who believed in him, if he failed to defeat them.