سُوْرَةُ الْمُؤْمِنِ
Surah Ghafir (40) — Ayah 24
إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَـٰمَـٰنَ وَقَـٰرُونَ فَقَالُوا۟ سَـٰحِرٌ كَذَّابٌ ﴿24﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
To Fir‘aun (Pharaoh), Hâmân and Qârûn (Korah), but they called (him): "A sorcerer, a liar!"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِلَىٰ
ilā
To
فِرْعَوْنَ
fir'ʿawna
Firaun
وَهَـٰمَـٰنَ
wahāmāna
Haman
وَقَـٰرُونَ
waqārūna
and Qarun
فَقَالُوا۟
faqālū
but they said
سَـٰحِرٌۭ
sāḥirun
A magician
كَذَّابٌۭ
kadhābun
a liar
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 24) ➊ { اِلٰى فِرْعَوْنَ وَ هَامٰنَ وَ قَارُوْنَ:} "Pharaoh" was the title of the king of Egypt at that time, Haman was his minister, and Qarun was a wealthy hypocrite, who, despite being from the people of Musa (peace be upon him), became an ally of Pharaoh. (See Qasas: 76 to 82) Musa (peace be upon him) was sent to all the Copts of Egypt, but these three are mentioned because they were the chiefs of their people and were at the forefront of plotting against Musa (peace be upon him), while the rest were their followers.
➋ { فَقَالُوْا سٰحِرٌ كَذَّابٌ:} The clear miracles of Musa (peace be upon him), the staff and the shining hand, were unanswerable by them. Despite being certain of the truth of Musa (peace be upon him) and his miracles, due to stubbornness and enmity, they openly denied them (see Bani Isra'il: 102; Naml: 13, 14) and, to deceive their people, called the miracles magic and Musa (peace be upon him) a magician and a liar. Otherwise, they knew well that Musa (peace be upon him) was neither a magician nor a liar, because in Pharaoh's land there were countless magicians, but none of them could, by the power of their magic, impose famine throughout the land, and when asked to remove the famine, could, by their magic, bring rain and end the famine. Rather, the magicians, in the open field, believed in Musa (peace be upon him) and exposed Pharaoh's cunning plots. Allah Almighty has described this same attitude of all the denying nations in Surah Adh-Dhariyat: « كَذٰلِكَ مَاۤ اَتَى الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ مِّنْ رَّسُوْلٍ اِلَّا قَالُوْا سَاحِرٌ اَوْ مَجْنُوْنٌ (52) اَتَوَاصَوْا بِهٖ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ طَاغُوْنَ » [الذاریات : ۵۲، ۵۳] "Similarly, no messenger came to those before them but they said, 'He is a magician or a madman.' Did they enjoin this to one another? (No), rather they themselves are rebellious people."
➋ { فَقَالُوْا سٰحِرٌ كَذَّابٌ:} The clear miracles of Musa (peace be upon him), the staff and the shining hand, were unanswerable by them. Despite being certain of the truth of Musa (peace be upon him) and his miracles, due to stubbornness and enmity, they openly denied them (see Bani Isra'il: 102; Naml: 13, 14) and, to deceive their people, called the miracles magic and Musa (peace be upon him) a magician and a liar. Otherwise, they knew well that Musa (peace be upon him) was neither a magician nor a liar, because in Pharaoh's land there were countless magicians, but none of them could, by the power of their magic, impose famine throughout the land, and when asked to remove the famine, could, by their magic, bring rain and end the famine. Rather, the magicians, in the open field, believed in Musa (peace be upon him) and exposed Pharaoh's cunning plots. Allah Almighty has described this same attitude of all the denying nations in Surah Adh-Dhariyat: « كَذٰلِكَ مَاۤ اَتَى الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ مِّنْ رَّسُوْلٍ اِلَّا قَالُوْا سَاحِرٌ اَوْ مَجْنُوْنٌ (52) اَتَوَاصَوْا بِهٖ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ طَاغُوْنَ » [الذاریات : ۵۲، ۵۳] "Similarly, no messenger came to those before them but they said, 'He is a magician or a madman.' Did they enjoin this to one another? (No), rather they themselves are rebellious people."
