Surah Ash-Shu'ara, Ayah 49

Between Fir`awn and the Sorcerers

His threats against them resulted only in an increase in their faith and submission to Allah, for the veil of disbelief had been lifted from their hearts and the truth became clear to them because they knew something that their people did not: that what Musa had done could not have been done by any human being unless Allah helped him, making it proof and an evidence of the truth of what he had brought from his Lord. Then Fir`awn said to them:

ءَامَنتُمْ لَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ ءَاذَنَ لَكُمْ

(You have believed in him before I give you leave.) meaning, `you should have asked my permission for what you did, and you did not consult with me; if I had given you permission you could have done it, and if I did not allow you, you should not have done it, for I am the ruler and the one to be obeyed.'

إِنَّهُ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ الَّذِى عَلَّمَكُمُ السِّحْرَ

(Surely, he indeed is your chief, who has taught you magic!) This is stubborn talk, and anyone can see that it is nonsense, for they had never met Musa before that day, so how could he have been their chief who taught them how to do magic No rational person would say this. Then Fir`awn threatened to cut off their hands and feet, and crucify them. They said:

لاَ ضَيْرَ

(No harm!) meaning, `no problem, that will not harm us and we do not care.'

إِنَّآ إِلَى رَبِّنَا مُنقَلِبُونَ

(Surely, to our Lord we are to return.) means, `the return of us all is to Allah, may He be glorified, and He will never allow the reward of anyone who has done good to be lost. What you have done to us is not hidden from Him, and He will reward us in full for that.' So they said:

إِنَّا نَطْمَعُ أَن يَغْفِرَ لَنَا رَبُّنَا خَطَـيَـنَآ

(Verily, we really hope that our Lord will forgive us our sins,) `the sins we have committed and the magic you forced us to do.'

أَن كُنَّآ أَوَّلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(as we are the first of the believers,) means, because we are the first of our people, the Egyptians, to believe. So he killed them all.

بِعِزَّةِ فِرْ‌عَوْنَ (By the majesty of the Pharaoh - 26:44). This was an expression of pledge from the magicians, which was in vogue in the olden times. It is unfortunate that similar oaths have now become common among the Muslims as well, which are even more evil and vile, for instance, 'by the king,' 'by the head of yours,' 'by the beard of yours,' 'by the grave of your father' etc. It is not permitted to make an oath of this nature under the Islamic law (because swearing in the name of someone other than Allah is a sin). Rather, it will not be wrong to say that swearing a true oath in this way is as much sinful as swearing a false oath in the name of Allah. (Ruh)

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.