How Pharaoh confronted the invitation of Musa (peace be upon him) along with the magicians
Answer:
Allah Almighty said:
«قَالُوا أَرْجِهْ وَأَخَاهُ وَأَرْسِلْ فِي الْمَدَائِنِ حَاشِرِينَ ﴿١١١﴾ يَأْتُوكَ بِكُلِّ سَاحِرٍ عَلِيمٍ ﴿١١٢﴾ »
“They said, ‘Postpone him and his brother and send among the cities gatherers, that they bring to you every skilled magician.'”
«حشرينا» That is, those people who will gather magicians from all the lands for you, while magicians were common at that time. Some people had firm belief, and some were under the illusion that what Musa (peace be upon him) brought was just like their magic tricks. For this reason, they gathered all the magicians so that they could compete with the miracles of Musa, as Allah Almighty informed about them and said:
«قَالَ أَجِئْتَنَا لِتُخْرِجَنَا مِنْ أَرْضِنَا بِسِحْرِكَ يَا مُوسَىٰ ﴿٥٧﴾ فَلَنَأْتِيَنَّكَ بِسِحْرٍ مِّثْلِهِ فَاجْعَلْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكَ مَوْعِدًا لَّا نُخْلِفُهُ نَحْنُ وَلَا أَنتَ مَكَانًا سُوًى ﴿٥٨﴾ قَالَ مَوْعِدُكُمْ يَوْمُ الزِّينَةِ وَأَن يُحْشَرَ النَّاسُ ضُحًى ﴿٥٩﴾ فَتَوَلَّىٰ فِرْعَوْنُ فَجَمَعَ كَيْدَهُ ثُمَّ أَتَىٰ ﴿٦٠﴾ »
“He said, ‘Have you come to drive us out of our land with your magic, O Musa? Then we too will bring you the like of it. So appoint a time between us and you that we will not fail, neither we nor you, at a place appointed.’ He said, ‘Your appointment is the Day of the Festival, and that the people be gathered in the forenoon.’ So Pharaoh turned away, then he gathered his plan and came.”
«وَجَاءَ السَّحَرَةُ فِرْعَوْنَ قَالُوا إِنَّ لَنَا لَأَجْرًا إِن كُنَّا نَحْنُ الْغَالِبِينَ»
“And the magicians came to Pharaoh. They said, ‘Indeed for us is surely a reward if we are the predominant.'”
Allah Almighty informs about what Pharaoh and those magicians, whom he requested to compete against Musa (peace be upon him), agreed upon between themselves: if they prevailed over Musa, he would reward them and give them what they desired and include them among his council and close associates. When they obtained assurance from Pharaoh, they said:
«قَالُوا يَا مُوسَىٰ إِمَّا أَن تُلْقِيَ وَإِمَّا أَن نَّكُونَ نَحْنُ الْمُلْقِينَ ﴿١١٥﴾ »
“They said, ‘O Musa! Either you throw first, or we will be the ones to throw.'”
