سُوْرَةُ الْقَصَصِ
Surah Al-Qasas (28) — Ayah 36
فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُم مُّوسَىٰ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا بَيِّنَـٰتٍ قَالُوا۟ مَا هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُّفْتَرًى وَمَا سَمِعْنَا بِهَـٰذَا فِىٓ ءَابَآئِنَا ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ ﴿36﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Then when Mûsâ (Moses) came to them with Our Clear Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), they said: "This is nothing but invented magic. Never did we hear of this among our fathers of old."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَلَمَّا
falammā
But when
جَآءَهُم
jāahum
came to them
مُّوسَىٰ
mūsā
Musa
بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا
biāyātinā
with Our Signs
بَيِّنَـٰتٍۢ
bayyinātin
clear
قَالُوا۟
qālū
they said
مَا
mā
Not
هَـٰذَآ
hādhā
(is) this
إِلَّا
illā
except
سِحْرٌۭ
siḥ'run
a magic
مُّفْتَرًۭى
muf'taran
invented
وَمَا
wamā
and not
سَمِعْنَا
samiʿ'nā
we heard
بِهَـٰذَا
bihādhā
of this
فِىٓ
fī
among
ءَابَآئِنَا
ābāinā
our forefathers
ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
l-awalīna
our forefathers
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
36. But when Moses came to them with Our clear signs, they said, "This is nothing but fabricated magic [46]; we have never heard of such things among our forefathers [47]."
[46]
Sayyiduna Musa (Moses) ؑ Delivers Allah’s Message to Pharaoh:
Musa ؑ, having taken up this great responsibility, returned from the plain of Tuwa. There is an interval here which the Quran has considered unimportant and thus omitted mentioning. That is, from there Musa ؑ must have gone straight home with his wife and children. The meeting with his parents and siblings, and the detailed discussion of all circumstances with his brother Harun ؑ, etc., have been left out. It is likely that during these days Harun ؑ was granted prophethood. The Quran continues the story from here, mentioning that both brothers reached Pharaoh’s court. In what manner they gained access to the court is not known. In any case, upon reaching the court, Musa ؑ conveyed Allah’s message in detail to Pharaoh and his courtiers. The details of this are mentioned in other places. Here, it is only mentioned that when, at the demand of Pharaoh and his courtiers, Musa ؑ showed these two miracles as proof of his prophethood, although Pharaoh was inwardly convinced of his prophethood—and for this reason, he never dared to kill him for the crime of murder—yet, in order to keep the effect of prophethood away from the common people, they immediately said: What kind of sign of prophethood is this? Other magicians can also show such tricks. Has anyone ever accepted them as prophets?
[47]
The Nature of Pharaoh’s Claim to Divinity:
The details of these matters have already been mentioned at several places before, and those matters were that you are not the Supreme Authority and Absolute Sovereign, but rather Allah Almighty is. He is the Creator and Owner of the entire universe. He is the One who made me a Messenger and sent me to you with these miracles as signs, and gave this message: abandon your rebellion, desist from your claim to divinity, accept the legal and political sovereignty of Allah alone, and worship Him alone. Pharaoh said that the claim of an Absolute Sovereign existing even over me is something we have never heard from our forefathers. This means that the Pharaohs of Egypt had, for many generations, been sitting as independent and absolute rulers, and in legal and political authority, did not acknowledge any higher being above themselves. This very thing has been described as their claim to divinity.
[46]
Sayyiduna Musa (Moses) ؑ Delivers Allah’s Message to Pharaoh:
Musa ؑ, having taken up this great responsibility, returned from the plain of Tuwa. There is an interval here which the Quran has considered unimportant and thus omitted mentioning. That is, from there Musa ؑ must have gone straight home with his wife and children. The meeting with his parents and siblings, and the detailed discussion of all circumstances with his brother Harun ؑ, etc., have been left out. It is likely that during these days Harun ؑ was granted prophethood. The Quran continues the story from here, mentioning that both brothers reached Pharaoh’s court. In what manner they gained access to the court is not known. In any case, upon reaching the court, Musa ؑ conveyed Allah’s message in detail to Pharaoh and his courtiers. The details of this are mentioned in other places. Here, it is only mentioned that when, at the demand of Pharaoh and his courtiers, Musa ؑ showed these two miracles as proof of his prophethood, although Pharaoh was inwardly convinced of his prophethood—and for this reason, he never dared to kill him for the crime of murder—yet, in order to keep the effect of prophethood away from the common people, they immediately said: What kind of sign of prophethood is this? Other magicians can also show such tricks. Has anyone ever accepted them as prophets?
[47]
The Nature of Pharaoh’s Claim to Divinity:
The details of these matters have already been mentioned at several places before, and those matters were that you are not the Supreme Authority and Absolute Sovereign, but rather Allah Almighty is. He is the Creator and Owner of the entire universe. He is the One who made me a Messenger and sent me to you with these miracles as signs, and gave this message: abandon your rebellion, desist from your claim to divinity, accept the legal and political sovereignty of Allah alone, and worship Him alone. Pharaoh said that the claim of an Absolute Sovereign existing even over me is something we have never heard from our forefathers. This means that the Pharaohs of Egypt had, for many generations, been sitting as independent and absolute rulers, and in legal and political authority, did not acknowledge any higher being above themselves. This very thing has been described as their claim to divinity.
