سُورَةُ الأَعۡرَافِ
Reading Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Qur'an by Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies
Ayahs 111–120 of 206
قَالُوٓا۟ أَرْجِهْ وَأَخَاهُ وَأَرْسِلْ فِى ٱلْمَدَآئِنِ حَٰشِرِينَ
They said, "Postpone [the matter of] him and his brother and send among the cities gatherers
They said: 'Delay their case, Moses and his brother Aaron, and send people to the cities of Egypt to call all the magicians.'
يَأْتُوكَ بِكُلِّ سَٰحِرٍ عَلِيمٍۢ
Who will bring you every learned magician."
'They will bring to you every skillful and powerful magician.'
وَجَآءَ ٱلسَّحَرَةُ فِرْعَوْنَ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ لَنَا لَأَجْرًا إِن كُنَّا نَحْنُ ٱلْغَٰلِبِينَ
And the magicians came to Pharaoh. They said, "Indeed for us is a reward if we are the predominant."
So Pharaoh sent people to call the magicians, and when they came to Pharaoh they asked him if they would have a reward if they were the winners and overcame Moses with their magic.
قَالَ نَعَمْ وَإِنَّكُمْ لَمِنَ ٱلْمُقَرَّبِينَ
He said, "Yes, and, [moreover], you will be among those made near [to me]."
Pharaoh replied: 'Yes Indeed! You will be given a reward and you would be brought near to me and of those given important positions.'
قَالُوا۟ يَٰمُوسَىٰٓ إِمَّآ أَن تُلْقِىَ وَإِمَّآ أَن نَّكُونَ نَحْنُ ٱلْمُلْقِينَ
They said, "O Moses, either you throw [your staff], or we will be the ones to throw [first]."
Due to their pride, they were certain that they would win against Moses. They asked him: 'Choose O Moses if you want to be the first to throw, or if you want us to throw first.'
قَالَ أَلْقُوا۟ ۖ فَلَمَّآ أَلْقَوْا۟ سَحَرُوٓا۟ أَعْيُنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَٱسْتَرْهَبُوهُمْ وَجَآءُو بِسِحْرٍ عَظِيمٍۢ
He said, "Throw," and when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people and struck terror into them, and they presented a great [feat of] magic.
Trusting in Allah that he would overcome them, Moses was not worried about them. He told them to throw their ropes and sticks. When they threw them they cast a mighty spell over the eyes of the people watching the spectacle, so that things looked different to reality, and the people became awed and frightened.
۞ وَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰٓ أَنْ أَلْقِ عَصَاكَ ۖ فَإِذَا هِىَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُونَ
And We inspired to Moses, "Throw your staff," and at once it devoured what they were falsifying.
Allah then inspired Prophet Moses (peace be upon him): 'Throw your stick O Moses!' So he threw it and the stick changed into a snake and swallowed the ropes and sticks the magicians were using instead of real snakes; destroying for the people the illusion that these were crawling snakes.
فَوَقَعَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَبَطَلَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
So the truth was established, and abolished was what they were doing.
In this way the truth became clear: proving the truth of what Moses was saying, and showing the falsehood of what the magicians had done.
فَغُلِبُوا۟ هُنَالِكَ وَٱنقَلَبُوا۟ صَٰغِرِينَ
And Pharaoh and his people were overcome right there and became debased.
The magicians were defeated and humiliated by Moses in the assembly.
وَأُلْقِىَ ٱلسَّحَرَةُ سَٰجِدِينَ
And the magicians fell down in prostration [to Allah].
When the magicians saw the greatness of the power of Allah, and his clear signs, they could only fall down, prostrating to Him.
Commentary: Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Qur'an by Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies. Qur'an text and translation via AlQuran Cloud.
