Ta Ha — Verse 68

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.

We said to him ‘Do not be afraid! Indeed you shall have the upper hand over them by triumphing.

قال الله لموسى حينئذ: لا تَخَفْ من شيء، فإنك أنت الأعلى على هؤلاء السحرة وعلى فرعون وجنوده، وستغلبهم.

لا يوجد تفسير لهذه الأية

وهنا ثبته الله - تعالى - وقواه ، وأوحى إليه - سبحانه - بقوله : ( قُلْنَا لاَ تَخَفْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الأعلى ) .أى : قلنا له عندما أوجس فى نفسه خيفة من فعل السحرة : لا تخف يا موسى مما فعلوه ، إنك أنت الأعلى عليهم بالغلبة والظفر . أنت الأعلى لأن معك الحق ومعهم الباطل .وقد أكد الله - تعالى - هذه البشارة لموسى بجملة من المؤكدات أحدها : إن المؤكدة ، وثانيها : تكرير الضمير وثالثها : التعبير بالعلو المفيد للاستعلاء عليهم .

القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : فَأَوْجَسَ فِي نَفْسِهِ خِيفَةً مُوسَى (67)يعني تعالى ذكره بقوله: فأوجس في نفسه خوفا موسى فوجده.

( قلنا ) لموسى : ( لا تخف إنك أنت الأعلى ) أي : الغالب ، يعني : لك الغلبة والظفر .

قُلْنَا لَا تَخَفْ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْأَعْلَى (68) والدليل على هذا قوله تعالى : { قُلْنَا لا تَخَفْ إنَّكَ أنْتَ الأعلى } فتأكيد الجملة بحرف التأكيد وتقويةُ تأكيدها بضمير الفصل وبالتعريف في { الأعلى } دليل على أن ما خامره من الخوف إنّما هو خوف ظهور السحرة عند العامة ولو في وقت ما . وهو وإن كان موقناً بأن الله ينجز له ما أرسله لأجله لكنه لا مانع من أن يستدرج الله الكفرة مدّة قليلة لإظهار ثبات إيمان المؤمنين ، كما قال لرسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم { لا يَغُرنك تقلُّب الذين كفروا في البلاد متاع قليل } [ آل عمران : 196 ، 197 ].وعبّر عن العصا ب { مَا } الموصولة تذكيراً له بيوم التكليم إذ قال له : { وما تلك بيمينك يا موسى } [ طه : 17 ] ليحصل له الاطمئنان بأنها صائرة إلى الحالة التي صارت إليها يومئذ ، ولذلك لم يقل له : وألق عصاك .

{ قُلْنَا } له تثبيتا وتطمينا: { لَا تَخَفْ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْأَعْلَى } عليهم، أي: ستعلو عليهم وتقهرهم، ويذلوا لك ويخضعوا.

فلما علم الله ما في قلبه أوحى الله إليه لا تخف إنك أنت الأعلى أي الغالب لهم في الدنيا ، وفي الدرجات العلا في الجنة ؛ للنبوة والاصطفاء الذي آتاك الله به . وأصل خيفة خوفة فانقلبت الواو ياء لانكسار الخاء .

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).

(We said) to Moses: (Fear not! Lo! thou art the higher) you will be victorious over them.