Between Musa, peace be upon him, and the Sorcerers Allah describes the actual encounter between Musa, peace be upon him,and the Egyptians in Surat Al-A` raf, Surah Ta Ha, and in this Surah
The Egyptians wanted to extinguish the Light of Allah with their words, but Allah insisted that His Light should prevail even though the disbelievers disliked that. This is the issue of disbelief and faith; they never confront one another but faith always prevails:
بَلْ نَقْذِفُ بِالْحَقِّ عَلَى الْبَـطِلِ فَيَدْمَغُهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌ وَلَكُمُ الْوَيْلُ مِمَّا تَصِفُونَ
(Nay, We fling the truth against the falsehood, so it destroys it, and behold, it disappears. And woe to you for that which you ascribe.) (21:18)
وَقُلْ جَآءَ الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَـطِلُ
(And say: "Truth has come and falsehood has vanished.") (17:81) The sorcerers of Egypt were the most skilled in the art of illusion, but when a huge group of them gathered from all corners of the land, and the people came together on that day whose exact numbers are known to Allah Alone, one of them said:
لَعَلَّنَا نَتَّبِعُ السَّحَرَةَ إِن كَانُواْ هُمُ الْغَـلِبِينَ
(That we may follow the sorcerers if they are the winners.) They did not say: `we will follow the truth, whether it rests with the sorcerers or with Musa;' the people were followers of the religion of their king.
فَلَمَّا جَآءَ السَّحَرَةُ
(So, when the sorcerers arrived,) means, when they reached the court of Fir`awn, and a pavilion had been erected for him. There he gathered his servants, followers, administrators, and provincial leaders, and the soldiers of his kingdom. The sorcerers stood before Fir`awn, asking him to treat them well and bring them closer to him if they prevailed in this matter which he had brought them together for. They said:
فَلَمَّا جَآءَ السَّحَرَةُ قَالُواْ لِفِرْعَوْنَ أَإِنَّ لَنَا لاّجْراً إِن كُنَّا نَحْنُ الْغَـلِبِينَ - قَالَ نَعَمْ وَإِنَّكُمْ إِذاً لَّمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ
("Will there surely be a reward for us if we are the winners" He said: "Yes, and you shall then verily be of those brought near.") meaning, `and you will be given more than what you are asking for; I will make you among those who are close to me, those who sit with me.' So they went back to their places:
قَالُواْ يمُوسَى إِمَّآ أَن تُلْقِىَ وَإِمَّآ أَن نَّكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَلْقَى قَالَ بَلْ أَلْقُواْ
(They said: "O Musa! Either you throw first or we be the first to throw" (Musa) said: "Nay, throw you (first)!") (20:65-66). Here the incident is described more briefly. Musa said to them:
أَلْقُواْ مَآ أَنتُمْ مُّلْقُونَفَأَلْقَوْاْ حِبَـلَهُمْ وَعِصِيَّهُمْ وَقَالُواْ بِعِزَّةِ فِرْعَونَ إِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الْغَـلِبُونَ
("Throw what you are going to throw!" So, they threw their ropes and their sticks, and said: "By the might of Fir`awn, it is we who will certainly win!") This is what the ignorant masses say when they do something: `this is by the virtue of So-and-so!' In Surat Al-A`raf Allah mentioned that they:
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). And in Surah Ta Ha He said:
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.) until Allah saying:
وَلاَ يُفْلِحُ السَّـحِرُ حَيْثُ أَتَى
(and the magician will never be successful, whatever the amount (of skill) he may attain) (20:69). And here Allah says:
فَأَلْقَى مُوسَى عَصَـهُ فَإِذَا هِىَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُونَ
(Then Musa threw his stick, and behold, it swallowed up all that they falsely showed!) by snatching up and catching them from every corner and swallowing them up, and it did not leave any of them untouched. Allah says:
فَوَقَعَ الْحَقُّ وَبَطَلَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ
(Thus truth was confirmed, and all that they did was made of no effect.) until
رَبِّ مُوسَى وَهَـرُونَ
(The Lord of Musa and Harun.) (7:118-122) This was a very serious matter, furnishing decisive proof leaving no room for any excuse. Fir`awn's supporters, who sought and hoped that they would prevail over Musa, were themselves defeated. At that moment they believed in Musa and prostrated to Allah, the Lord of Al-`Alamin Who sent Musa and Harun with the truth and an obvious miracle. Fir`awn was defeated in a manner the likes of which the world had never seen, but he remained arrogant and stubborn despite the clear evidence, may the curse of Allah and the angels and all of mankind be upon him. He resorted to arrogance and stubbornness and propagating falsehood. He began to issue threats against them, saying:
إِنَّهُ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ الَّذِى عَلَّمَكُمُ السِّحْرَ
(Verily, he is your chief who has taught you magic) (20:71).
إِنَّ هَـذَا لَمَكْرٌ مَّكَرْتُمُوهُ فِى الْمَدِينَةِ
(Surely, this is a plot which you have plotted in the city) (7:123).
Moses said to them after they had said to him Either you cast or we shall be the casters Q. 7115 ‘Cast what you have to cast’ — the command to do this signifies an authorisation for them to cast and a means whereby the truth will be made to prevail.
قال موسى للسحرة مريدًا إبطال سحرهم وإظهار أن ما جاء به ليس سحرًا: ألقوا ما تريدون إلقاءه من السحر.
فعادوا إلى مقام المناظرة "قالوا يا موسى إما أن تلقي وإما أن نكون أول من ألقى قال بل ألقوا" وقد اختصر هذا ههنا فقال لهم موسى.
ثم حكى - سبحانه - بعد ذلك ما قاله موسى للسحرة ، وما قال فرعون لهم بعد أن أعلنوا إيمانهم ، فقال - تعالى - : ( قَالَ لَهُمْ . . . ) .( قَالَ لَهُمْ موسى ) أى للسحرة بعد أن أعدوا عدتهم لمنازلته ، ومن خلفهم فرعون وقومه يشجعونهم على الفوز قال لهم : ( أَلْقُواْ مَآ أَنتُمْ مُّلْقُونَ ) من السحر ، فسوف ترون عاقبة منازلتكم له .وأسلوب الآية الكريمة يشعر بعدم مبالاة موسى - عليه السلام - بهم أو بتلك الحشود التى من ورائهم ، فهو مطمئن إلى نصر الله - سبحانه - له .
( قَالَ لَهُمْ مُوسَى أَلْقُوا مَا أَنْتُمْ مُلْقُونَ ) من حبالكم وعصيكم.
"قال لهم موسى ألقوا ما أنتم ملقون".
قَالَ لَهُمْ مُوسَى أَلْقُوا مَا أَنْتُمْ مُلْقُونَ (43) حُكي كلام موسى في ذلك الجمع بإعادة فعل { قال } مفصولاً بطريقة حكاية المحاورات لأنه كان المقصود بالمحاورة إذ هم حضروا لأجله .ووقع في سورة الأعراف ( 115 ) { قالوا يا موسى إما أن تلقي وإما أن نكون نحن المُلْقين قال ألقُوا ، واختصر هنا تخييرهم موسى في الابتداء بالأعمال ، وقد تقدم بيانه هناك ، فقول موسى لهم ألقوا } المحكي هنا هو أمر لمجرد كونهم المبتدئين بالإلقاء لتعقبه إبطال سِحرهم بما سيلقيه موسى ، كما يقول صاحب الجدل في علم الكلام للملحد : قرر شبهتك ، وهو يريد أن يدحضها له . وهذا عضد الدين في كتاب «المواقف» يذكر شُبه أهل الزيغ والضلال قبل ذكر الأدلة الناقضة لها
فلما اجتمعوا للموعد, هم وموسى, وأهل مصر, وعظهم موسى وذكرهم وقال: وَيْلَكُمْ لا تَفْتَرُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا فَيُسْحِتَكُمْ بِعَذَابٍ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنِ افْتَرَى فتنازعوا وتخاصموا ثم شجعهم فرعون, وشجع بعضهم بعضا. فـ قَالَ لَهُمْ مُوسَى أَلْقُوا مَا أَنْتُمْ مُلْقُونَ أي: ألقوا كل ما في خواطركم إلقاؤه، ولم يقيده بشيء دون شيء, لجزمه ببطلان ما جاءوا به من معارضة الحق.
The magicians threw down their ropes and sticks, and the spectators felt as if these ropes and sticks had changed into snakes and were running along the ground. But this was not a real change. It was simply an optical illusion, whereas, the changing of Moses’s rod into a snake was a miracle of God. So when Moses’s rod became a snake and started moving along the ground, it instantly nullified the spell cast by the magicians. Thereafter, the magician’s ropes and sticks reverted to being the ropes and sticks that they actually were. Earlier, the magicians had considered Moses to be a magician like themselves. But, the aforesaid experience opened their eyes. They were well versed in the art of magic. So, they immediately understood that this was not magic but prophethood. However, it was possible that they could have refused to accept the Truth and, like Pharaoh, could have uttered some falsities in order to reject Moses. But, it is impossible for a man who is intellectually alive not to accept the Truth when it fully reveals itself before him. The magicians were persons who were alive in this manner. So, they immediately accepted Moses’s truthfulness.
Commentary.
أَلْقُوا مَا أَنتُم مُّلْقُونَ
Musa (علیہ السلام) said to them, "Throw you down what you are to throw." (26:43)
Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) said to the magicians ` You show the magic you wish to show'. With a cursory look one might be inclined to think that Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) ordered them to perform their magic. But with a little deep thinking it becomes clear that actually it was not an order from Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) to 'show magic, but the real intention was to demonstrate the fallacy of magic. This demonstration was not possible without the magic shown by them. Therefore, he asked them to show their tricks or magic. It is exactly like a zindiq (an extreme heretic) is asked to put forward his arguments, so that they may be countered. It is obvious that such an invitation cannot be treated as an acceptance of infidelity.
(Moses said unto them) he said to the wizards: (Throw what ye are going to throw!
Between Musa, peace be upon him, and the Sorcerers Allah describes the actual encounter between Musa, peace be upon him,and the Egyptians in Surat Al-A` raf, Surah Ta Ha, and in this Surah
The Egyptians wanted to extinguish the Light of Allah with their words, but Allah insisted that His Light should prevail even though the disbelievers disliked that. This is the issue of disbelief and faith; they never confront one another but faith always prevails:
بَلْ نَقْذِفُ بِالْحَقِّ عَلَى الْبَـطِلِ فَيَدْمَغُهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌ وَلَكُمُ الْوَيْلُ مِمَّا تَصِفُونَ
(Nay, We fling the truth against the falsehood, so it destroys it, and behold, it disappears. And woe to you for that which you ascribe.) (21:18)
وَقُلْ جَآءَ الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَـطِلُ
(And say: "Truth has come and falsehood has vanished.") (17:81) The sorcerers of Egypt were the most skilled in the art of illusion, but when a huge group of them gathered from all corners of the land, and the people came together on that day whose exact numbers are known to Allah Alone, one of them said:
لَعَلَّنَا نَتَّبِعُ السَّحَرَةَ إِن كَانُواْ هُمُ الْغَـلِبِينَ
(That we may follow the sorcerers if they are the winners.) They did not say: `we will follow the truth, whether it rests with the sorcerers or with Musa;' the people were followers of the religion of their king.
فَلَمَّا جَآءَ السَّحَرَةُ
(So, when the sorcerers arrived,) means, when they reached the court of Fir`awn, and a pavilion had been erected for him. There he gathered his servants, followers, administrators, and provincial leaders, and the soldiers of his kingdom. The sorcerers stood before Fir`awn, asking him to treat them well and bring them closer to him if they prevailed in this matter which he had brought them together for. They said:
فَلَمَّا جَآءَ السَّحَرَةُ قَالُواْ لِفِرْعَوْنَ أَإِنَّ لَنَا لاّجْراً إِن كُنَّا نَحْنُ الْغَـلِبِينَ - قَالَ نَعَمْ وَإِنَّكُمْ إِذاً لَّمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ
("Will there surely be a reward for us if we are the winners" He said: "Yes, and you shall then verily be of those brought near.") meaning, `and you will be given more than what you are asking for; I will make you among those who are close to me, those who sit with me.' So they went back to their places:
قَالُواْ يمُوسَى إِمَّآ أَن تُلْقِىَ وَإِمَّآ أَن نَّكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَلْقَى قَالَ بَلْ أَلْقُواْ
(They said: "O Musa! Either you throw first or we be the first to throw" (Musa) said: "Nay, throw you (first)!") (20:65-66). Here the incident is described more briefly. Musa said to them:
أَلْقُواْ مَآ أَنتُمْ مُّلْقُونَفَأَلْقَوْاْ حِبَـلَهُمْ وَعِصِيَّهُمْ وَقَالُواْ بِعِزَّةِ فِرْعَونَ إِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الْغَـلِبُونَ
("Throw what you are going to throw!" So, they threw their ropes and their sticks, and said: "By the might of Fir`awn, it is we who will certainly win!") This is what the ignorant masses say when they do something: `this is by the virtue of So-and-so!' In Surat Al-A`raf Allah mentioned that they:
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). And in Surah Ta Ha He said:
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.) until Allah saying:
وَلاَ يُفْلِحُ السَّـحِرُ حَيْثُ أَتَى
(and the magician will never be successful, whatever the amount (of skill) he may attain) (20:69). And here Allah says:
فَأَلْقَى مُوسَى عَصَـهُ فَإِذَا هِىَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُونَ
(Then Musa threw his stick, and behold, it swallowed up all that they falsely showed!) by snatching up and catching them from every corner and swallowing them up, and it did not leave any of them untouched. Allah says:
فَوَقَعَ الْحَقُّ وَبَطَلَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ
(Thus truth was confirmed, and all that they did was made of no effect.) until
رَبِّ مُوسَى وَهَـرُونَ
(The Lord of Musa and Harun.) (7:118-122) This was a very serious matter, furnishing decisive proof leaving no room for any excuse. Fir`awn's supporters, who sought and hoped that they would prevail over Musa, were themselves defeated. At that moment they believed in Musa and prostrated to Allah, the Lord of Al-`Alamin Who sent Musa and Harun with the truth and an obvious miracle. Fir`awn was defeated in a manner the likes of which the world had never seen, but he remained arrogant and stubborn despite the clear evidence, may the curse of Allah and the angels and all of mankind be upon him. He resorted to arrogance and stubbornness and propagating falsehood. He began to issue threats against them, saying:
إِنَّهُ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ الَّذِى عَلَّمَكُمُ السِّحْرَ
(Verily, he is your chief who has taught you magic) (20:71).
إِنَّ هَـذَا لَمَكْرٌ مَّكَرْتُمُوهُ فِى الْمَدِينَةِ
(Surely, this is a plot which you have plotted in the city) (7:123).
Moses said to them after they had said to him Either you cast or we shall be the casters Q. 7115 ‘Cast what you have to cast’ — the command to do this signifies an authorisation for them to cast and a means whereby the truth will be made to prevail.
قال موسى للسحرة مريدًا إبطال سحرهم وإظهار أن ما جاء به ليس سحرًا: ألقوا ما تريدون إلقاءه من السحر.
فعادوا إلى مقام المناظرة "قالوا يا موسى إما أن تلقي وإما أن نكون أول من ألقى قال بل ألقوا" وقد اختصر هذا ههنا فقال لهم موسى.
ثم حكى - سبحانه - بعد ذلك ما قاله موسى للسحرة ، وما قال فرعون لهم بعد أن أعلنوا إيمانهم ، فقال - تعالى - : ( قَالَ لَهُمْ . . . ) .( قَالَ لَهُمْ موسى ) أى للسحرة بعد أن أعدوا عدتهم لمنازلته ، ومن خلفهم فرعون وقومه يشجعونهم على الفوز قال لهم : ( أَلْقُواْ مَآ أَنتُمْ مُّلْقُونَ ) من السحر ، فسوف ترون عاقبة منازلتكم له .وأسلوب الآية الكريمة يشعر بعدم مبالاة موسى - عليه السلام - بهم أو بتلك الحشود التى من ورائهم ، فهو مطمئن إلى نصر الله - سبحانه - له .
( قَالَ لَهُمْ مُوسَى أَلْقُوا مَا أَنْتُمْ مُلْقُونَ ) من حبالكم وعصيكم.
"قال لهم موسى ألقوا ما أنتم ملقون".
قَالَ لَهُمْ مُوسَى أَلْقُوا مَا أَنْتُمْ مُلْقُونَ (43) حُكي كلام موسى في ذلك الجمع بإعادة فعل { قال } مفصولاً بطريقة حكاية المحاورات لأنه كان المقصود بالمحاورة إذ هم حضروا لأجله .ووقع في سورة الأعراف ( 115 ) { قالوا يا موسى إما أن تلقي وإما أن نكون نحن المُلْقين قال ألقُوا ، واختصر هنا تخييرهم موسى في الابتداء بالأعمال ، وقد تقدم بيانه هناك ، فقول موسى لهم ألقوا } المحكي هنا هو أمر لمجرد كونهم المبتدئين بالإلقاء لتعقبه إبطال سِحرهم بما سيلقيه موسى ، كما يقول صاحب الجدل في علم الكلام للملحد : قرر شبهتك ، وهو يريد أن يدحضها له . وهذا عضد الدين في كتاب «المواقف» يذكر شُبه أهل الزيغ والضلال قبل ذكر الأدلة الناقضة لها
فلما اجتمعوا للموعد, هم وموسى, وأهل مصر, وعظهم موسى وذكرهم وقال: وَيْلَكُمْ لا تَفْتَرُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا فَيُسْحِتَكُمْ بِعَذَابٍ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنِ افْتَرَى فتنازعوا وتخاصموا ثم شجعهم فرعون, وشجع بعضهم بعضا. فـ قَالَ لَهُمْ مُوسَى أَلْقُوا مَا أَنْتُمْ مُلْقُونَ أي: ألقوا كل ما في خواطركم إلقاؤه، ولم يقيده بشيء دون شيء, لجزمه ببطلان ما جاءوا به من معارضة الحق.
The magicians threw down their ropes and sticks, and the spectators felt as if these ropes and sticks had changed into snakes and were running along the ground. But this was not a real change. It was simply an optical illusion, whereas, the changing of Moses’s rod into a snake was a miracle of God. So when Moses’s rod became a snake and started moving along the ground, it instantly nullified the spell cast by the magicians. Thereafter, the magician’s ropes and sticks reverted to being the ropes and sticks that they actually were. Earlier, the magicians had considered Moses to be a magician like themselves. But, the aforesaid experience opened their eyes. They were well versed in the art of magic. So, they immediately understood that this was not magic but prophethood. However, it was possible that they could have refused to accept the Truth and, like Pharaoh, could have uttered some falsities in order to reject Moses. But, it is impossible for a man who is intellectually alive not to accept the Truth when it fully reveals itself before him. The magicians were persons who were alive in this manner. So, they immediately accepted Moses’s truthfulness.
Commentary.
أَلْقُوا مَا أَنتُم مُّلْقُونَ
Musa (علیہ السلام) said to them, "Throw you down what you are to throw." (26:43)
Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) said to the magicians ` You show the magic you wish to show'. With a cursory look one might be inclined to think that Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) ordered them to perform their magic. But with a little deep thinking it becomes clear that actually it was not an order from Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) to 'show magic, but the real intention was to demonstrate the fallacy of magic. This demonstration was not possible without the magic shown by them. Therefore, he asked them to show their tricks or magic. It is exactly like a zindiq (an extreme heretic) is asked to put forward his arguments, so that they may be countered. It is obvious that such an invitation cannot be treated as an acceptance of infidelity.
(Moses said unto them) he said to the wizards: (Throw what ye are going to throw!