Surah Taha, Ayah 72

Fir`awn's turning against the Magicians, His threatening Them and Their Reply

Allah, the Exalted, informs of Fir`awn's disbelief, obstinance, transgression and haughtiness against the truth in favor of falsehood. When he saw what he saw of the magnificent miracle and the great sign, and he saw those whose help he sought accept faith in the presence of all of the people, and he was absolutely defeated, he began to behave arrogantly and cast accusations. He resorted to using his esteemed honor and might against the magicians. He warned them and threatened them saying,

ءَامَنتُمْ لَهُ

(Believe you in him (Musa)) This means, "Do you have faith in him"

قَبْلَ أَنْ ءَاذَنَ لَكُمْ

قَالُوا لَن نُّؤْثِرَ‌كَ عَلَىٰ مَا جَاءَنَا مِنَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالَّذِي فَطَرَ‌نَا (They said, "We will never prefer you over the clear signs that have come to us, and over Him who created us." - 20:72). The magicians, however, stood firm and did not waver in the face of the Pharaoh's threats. They told him plainly that they would not give him, nor anything he said, preference over the clear proofs and the miracles which Allah had shown to them. Sayyidna ` Ikrimah ؓ says that when the magicians prostrated themselves before Allah, He gave them a glimpse of the eminent places and the gifts which were to be their reward in Paradise. They confirmed their belief in the one God Who created the earth and the skies and rejected Pharaoh's claim to divinity: While neglecting the threats of the Pharaoh they further said: "So you do what you want and punish us in whatever manner you choose. And, "You can punish us as long as we live but when we die we will be out of your reach. On the other hand we are in the power of Allah both in this and after death, and His punishment is of greater concern to us".

This was not merely a competition between two types of persons to see who could perform the greatest feats; it was actually a confrontation between monotheism and polytheism. In other words, this competition was to decide whether truth was on the side of the one true God or the many gods of the idolaters. As Pharaoh’s ‘greatness’ was completely based on polytheism, he could not tolerate its defeat and pronounced the severest punishment for the magicians, according to the law of ancient Egypt. When Pharaoh was defeated in the field of arguments and reasoning, he tried to suppress the truth by force. This has been the general mentality of those in power in all ages, whether their power be dynastic or democratic in origin.