Question:
How was the contest between Musa (AS) and the magicians concluded?
Answer:
Allah Almighty says:
وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ ائْتُونِي بِكُلِّ سَاحِرٍ عَلِيمٍ ﴿٧٩﴾ So when the magicians came, Moses said to them, “Throw down whatever you will throw.” (80)
“And Pharaoh said: Bring to me every skilled magician.” So when the magicians came, Moses said to them: Throw down what you are going to throw.”
Pharaoh’s intention was that he would not let the truth emerge and would confront Moses (peace be upon him) through tricksters and magicians, but his plan remained incomplete and Moses (peace be upon him) prevailed over him through arguments and proofs.
When the magicians came to face Prophet Moses (peace be upon him), they were full of pride and arrogance because they had been promised special favor and proximity by Pharaoh. They came and said to Moses (peace be upon him):
فَأُلْقِيَ السَّحَرَةُ سُجَّدًا قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ هَارُونَ وَمُوسَىٰ
“So the magicians were cast down in prostration. They said, ‘We believe in the Lord of Aaron and Moses.'”
Pharaoh thought that with the help of magicians he would overpower the messenger of the Being who knows all secrets (Allah), but he completely failed and lost Paradise and made Hellfire obligatory upon himself. Moses (peace be upon him) told them: Throw (whatever you want to throw) because when they were chosen, they were promised Pharaoh’s favor and great reward. Moses (peace be upon him) intended to start with them so that people could see their skill, then the truth would come and strike their falsehood. That is why when they threw their ropes etc., they bewitched the eyes of the people and frightened them, and they brought a great magic.
فَأَوْجَسَ فِي نَفْسِهِ خِيفَةً مُّوسَىٰ ﴿٦٧﴾ Say, “Do not fear; indeed, you are the predominant one. And throw what is in your right hand; it will swallow up what they have crafted. Indeed, what they have crafted is but the trick of a magician, and the magician will not succeed wherever he is.” (68-69)
“So Moses felt a fear in his heart. We said, ‘Do not fear. Indeed, you will be superior.’ And throw what is in your right hand; it will swallow up what they have made. Indeed, they have made a plan of a magician, but the magician will not succeed wherever he comes.”
Then when they threw their ropes etc., Moses (peace be upon him) also said to them:
فَلَمَّا أَلْقَوْا قَالَ مُوسَىٰ مَا جِئْتُم بِهِ السِّحْرُ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَيُبْطِلُهُ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُصْلِحُ عَمَلَ الْمُفْسِدِينَ ﴿٨١﴾
“So when they threw, Moses said, ‘What you have brought is magic. Indeed, Allah will expose its worthlessness. Indeed, Allah does not amend the work of corrupters.'”
قَالَ أَلْقُوا ۖ فَلَمَّا أَلْقَوْا سَحَرُوا أَعْيُنَ النَّاسِ وَاسْتَرْهَبُوهُمْ وَجَاءُوا بِسِحْرٍ عَظِيمٍ ﴿١١٦﴾
“He said, ‘Throw.’ So when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people and struck terror into them, and they brought a great magic.”
The magicians’ challenge to Moses (peace be upon him) is expressed in their statement:
قَالُوا يَا مُوسَىٰ إِمَّا أَن تُلْقِيَ وَإِمَّا أَن نَّكُونَ نَحْنُ الْمُلْقِينَ
“They said, ‘O Moses, either you throw or we will be the ones to throw.'”
Meaning, we will throw first. Moses (peace be upon him) told them: You throw first. It is said that the wisdom in this was so that people could see their feats and reflect upon them, then when they finished seeing their embellished lies, after waiting and seeking, the clear truth would come to them so that it would firmly settle in their hearts. And so it happened.
قَالَ أَلْقُوا ۖ فَلَمَّا أَلْقَوْا سَحَرُوا أَعْيُنَ النَّاسِ وَاسْتَرْهَبُوهُمْ وَجَاءُوا بِسِحْرٍ عَظِيمٍ
“He said, ‘Throw.’ So when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people and struck terror into them, and they brought a great magic.”
Meaning, they put the eyes of the people into such imagination that they thought it was really so. The magicians threw thick ropes and long sticks and showed the people with their magic that they were running. There were 15,000 magicians on both sides, and each magician had his ropes and sticks, and they were all ready to show their magic before the people.
وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ أَنْ أَلْقِ عَصَاكَ ۖ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُونَ ﴿١١٧﴾ So the truth was established, and what they were doing was rendered worthless. (118) So they were defeated there and turned back humiliated. (119)
And We revealed to Moses: Throw your staff, and suddenly it swallowed up what they were fabricating. So the truth was established, and what they were doing was rendered worthless. At that moment they were defeated and returned humiliated.”
Meaning, at this great moment which distinguished between truth and falsehood, Allah revealed to His servant Moses (peace be upon him) to throw the staff held in his right hand. When Moses (peace be upon him) threw the staff, it swallowed all the ropes and sticks which they had thrown by means of magic. Seeing this scene, they realized that this was not magic but some heavenly thing. Then they fell into prostration and said:
قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿١٢١﴾ The Lord of Moses and Aaron. (122)
“They said: We believe in the Lord of the worlds, the Lord of Moses and Aaron.”
Then in that state, they saw Paradise and Hell and the reward of those who dwell therein, then they raised their heads.
قَالَ بَلْ أَلْقُوا ۖ فَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمْ وَعِصِيُّهُمْ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ مِن سِحْرِهِمْ أَنَّهَا تَسْعَىٰ ﴿٦٦﴾
“He said, ‘Rather, you throw.’ So when they threw, their ropes and sticks appeared to him by magic as if they were running.”
Meaning, you throw first so that we may see what feat of magic you perform and so that people may also see how great their matter is. This happened in such a way that they had put mercury in those ropes etc., which caused them to move and twist in such a way that the onlookers thought they were running by their own will. In reality, it was just a trick and they had a very large group. When each one threw his stick and rope, the valley was filled with snakes and the snakes appeared to be riding on each other.
وَأَلْقِ مَا فِي يَمِينِكَ تَلْقَفْ مَا صَنَعُوا ۖ إِنَّمَا صَنَعُوا كَيْدُ سَاحِرٍ ۖ وَلَا يُفْلِحُ السَّاحِرُ حَيْثُ أَتَىٰ ﴿٦٩﴾
“And throw what is in your right hand; it will swallow up what they have made. Indeed, what they have made is but the trick of a magician, and the magician will not succeed wherever he comes.”
But Allah Almighty revealed to Moses (peace be upon him) at that time to throw the staff in his hand. Suddenly it began to swallow what they had done and it happened that it became a great serpent whose legs, neck, head, and fangs were clearly visible. It chased those ropes and sticks and did not leave any rope or stick without biting it. The magicians and all the people saw it with their own eyes during the day. So this was a miracle from Allah and a clear proof, and thus the magicians’ falsehood was nullified.
فَأُلْقِيَ السَّحَرَةُ سُجَّدًا قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ هَارُونَ وَمُوسَىٰ ﴿٧٠﴾
So the magicians were cast down in prostration. They said, “We believe in the Lord of Aaron and Moses.”
Then when the magicians examined and observed it and were also knowledgeable about the arts and methods of magic, they gained certain knowledge that this work which Moses (peace be upon him) did was not from the kind of magic and tricks, but it was such a truth in which there is no doubt and no other power has it except the Being who كن says and it happens. Then at that time they all fell down in prostration before Allah. اٰمَنَّا بِرَبِّ هٰرُوْنَ وَ مُوْسٰى For this reason, they were magicians at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day they were righteous witnesses to monotheism.
قَالَ آمَنتُمْ لَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ آذَنَ لَكُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ الَّذِي عَلَّمَكُمُ السِّحْرَ ۖ فَلَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُم مِّنْ خِلَافٍ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ فِي جُذُوعِ النَّخْلِ وَلَتَعْلَمُنَّ أَيُّنَا أَشَدُّ عَذَابًا وَأَبْقَىٰ ﴿٧١﴾
“He said, ‘You believed before I gave you permission. Indeed, it is your plan that has caused you to teach magic. So indeed, I will cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and indeed, you will know which of us is more severe in punishment and more enduring.'”
Allah Almighty informed about Pharaoh and his stubbornness, rebellion, and arrogance on falsehood that he saw such a clear miracle and such a great sign and also saw those people from whom he sought help who had believed in the presence of all people, yet he did not accept the truth. Instead, he said to those people: Have you confirmed it? قَبْلَ أَنْ آذَنَ لَكُمْ Meaning before I give you the command and you talk to me about it, you believed, and he said something which he himself, the magicians, and all the people knew was false (and that was) that you learned this magic from Moses and that you and Moses had already conspired against me and my subjects.
إِنَّا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّنَا لِيَغْفِرَ لَنَا خَطَايَانَا وَمَا أَكْرَهْتَنَا عَلَيْهِ مِنَ السِّحْرِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰ ﴿٧٣﴾
“Indeed, we have believed in our Lord that He may forgive us our sins and the magic you compelled us to practice, and Allah is better and more enduring.”
Meaning, we were engaged in sins, especially the magic which you compelled us to do, but we have repented from it. It is said that Pharaoh selected forty young men from the Children of Israel and ordered them to learn magic at a place called ‘Awma’ and told the magicians to teach them such knowledge that no one on earth could overpower them. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said:
“Those were the young men who said:
إِنَّا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّنَا لِيَغْفِرَ لَنَا خَطَايَانَا وَمَا أَكْرَهْتَنَا عَلَيْهِ مِنَ السِّحْرِ ۗ
