سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ
Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 116
قَالَ أَلْقُوا۟ ۖ فَلَمَّآ أَلْقَوْا۟ سَحَرُوٓا۟ أَعْيُنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَٱسْتَرْهَبُوهُمْ وَجَآءُو بِسِحْرٍ عَظِيمٍ ﴿116﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
He [Mûsâ (Moses)] said: "Throw you (first)." So when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people, and struck terror into them, and they displayed a great magic.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَالَ
qāla
He said
أَلْقُوا۟ ۖ
alqū
Throw
فَلَمَّآ
falammā
Then when
أَلْقَوْا۟
alqaw
they threw
سَحَرُوٓا۟
saḥarū
they bewitched
أَعْيُنَ
aʿyuna
(the) eyes
ٱلنَّاسِ
l-nāsi
(of) the people
وَٱسْتَرْهَبُوهُمْ
wa-is'tarhabūhum
and terrified them
وَجَآءُو
wajāū
and came (up)
بِسِحْرٍ
bisiḥ'rin
with a magic
عَظِيمٍۢ
ʿaẓīmin
great
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.
116. Moses said, "You throw first." Then [117], when they threw (their ropes and staffs), they bewitched the eyes of the people and terrified them, and produced a mighty [118] magic.
[117] And the response that Musa (Moses) ؑ gave was not out of respect, nor because the magicians were considered honorable in his eyes, but rather so that the truth could be made clear only in such a way that falsehood would first display its full strength, and then, if the truth prevailed afterwards, everyone would witness it with their own eyes. For example, if Musa ؑ had cast his staff first, it was possible that there would have been no contest at all, and the magicians might have surrendered immediately, which could have caused various doubts among the people, or the magicians might have asked for more time for another contest.
[118]
The Great Magic of the Magicians:
When the magicians threw their countless staffs and ropes into the field and cast a spell over the people's eyes, the entire field appeared to be filled with moving snakes. People became terrified because the magicians had made such preparations for this royal contest that it was difficult to find a precedent for such a great magic in previous times.
[117] And the response that Musa (Moses) ؑ gave was not out of respect, nor because the magicians were considered honorable in his eyes, but rather so that the truth could be made clear only in such a way that falsehood would first display its full strength, and then, if the truth prevailed afterwards, everyone would witness it with their own eyes. For example, if Musa ؑ had cast his staff first, it was possible that there would have been no contest at all, and the magicians might have surrendered immediately, which could have caused various doubts among the people, or the magicians might have asked for more time for another contest.
[118]
The Great Magic of the Magicians:
When the magicians threw their countless staffs and ropes into the field and cast a spell over the people's eyes, the entire field appeared to be filled with moving snakes. People became terrified because the magicians had made such preparations for this royal contest that it was difficult to find a precedent for such a great magic in previous times.
