The Number of Sorcerers Who Believed After the Contest with Musa (AS): Qur’anic and Traditional Reports
Authored by: Dr. Raza Abdullah Pasha (Hafizahullah)
❖ Question:
How many sorcerers embraced faith after the contest with Musa (AS)?
❖ Answer:
Allah ﷻ says:
﴿فَجُمِعَ السَّحَرَةُ لِمِيقَاتِ يَوْمٍ مَّعْلُومٍ ﴾ [الشعراء: 38]
“So the sorcerers were assembled for the appointment of a well-known day.”
When the sorcerers intended to extinguish the Light of Allah, He nullified their plots. Though the disbelievers disliked it, Allah willed to perfect His Light — and He did so.
Regarding the number of sorcerers who came to the encounter with Musa (AS), there is considerable difference among reports:
- Ibn Kathir mentioned: 80,000
- Al-Suddi (رحمه الله): 18,000
- Abu Umamah (RA): 19,000
- Muhammad bin Ishaq: 15,000
- Ka‘b al-Ahbar: 12,000
- Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas (RA): 70 men — who were sorcerers in the morning but, by evening, bore witness to the testimony of Tawhid.
✿ Names of some of the great sorcerers:
➊ Sābūr
➋ ‘Ādhūr
➌ Hatahat
➍ Yasfi
