Surah Ash-Shu'ara, Ayah 33

After the Rational Proof, Fir`awn resorts to Force

When proof had been established against Fir`awn, clearly and rationally, he resorted to using force against Musa, thinking that after this there would no further room for discussion. So he said:

لَئِنِ اتَّخَذْتَ إِلَـهَاً غَيْرِى لأَجْعَلَنَّكَ مِنَ الْمَسْجُونِينَ

(If you choose a god other than me, I will certainly put you among the prisoners.) To this, Musa responded:

أَوَلَوْ جِئْتُكَ بِشَىءٍ مُّبِينٍ

(Even if I bring you something manifest) meaning, clear and definitive proof.

قَالَ فَأْتِ بِهِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّـدِقِينَ - فَأَلْقَى عَصَـهُ فَإِذَا هِىَ ثُعْبَانٌ مُّبِينٌ

(Fir`awn said: "Bring it forth then, if you are of the truthful!" So he threw his stick, and behold, it was a serpent, manifest.) meanig, it was very clear and obvious, with a huge body and a big mouth, terrifying in appearance.

أَنْ أَرْ‌سِلْ مَعَنَا بَنِي إِسْرَ‌ائِيلَ

That you must send the children of Isra'i1 with us". (26:17)

Bani Isra'il were the residents of Syria. They wanted to go back to their land but the Pharaoh would not let them. This way four hundred years had passed and they were living in his bondage like slaves. At that time they were six hundred and thirty thousand in number. Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) when presented the message of Truth to the Pharaoh, he also asked him to stop all the cruelties he had perpetrated over Bani Isra'il and to let them go to their homeland. (Qurtubi)

An example of prophetic dialectic

Moses continued the argument in favour of Monotheism with Pharaoh. Pharaoh then became irritated and called Moses a madman. But, even then, Moses did not lose his temper. Pharaoh then threatened him with imprisonment. Then, by way of argument, Moses demonstrated his final miracle. Now, Pharaoh had no scope to say anything further. Even then, he did not accept defeat. In order to belittle Moses’s importance, he said that this was not any divine event, but simply a magical feat that any magician could perform.