Taha 20:58
Ta-Ha · Juz 16 · Page 315
فَلَنَأۡتِيَنَّكَ بِسِحۡرٖ مِّثۡلِهِۦ فَٱجۡعَلۡ بَيۡنَنَا وَبَيۡنَكَ مَوۡعِدٗا لَّا نُخۡلِفُهُۥ نَحۡنُ وَلَآ أَنتَ مَكَانٗا سُوٗى ٥٨
Then we will surely bring you magic like it, so make between us and you an appointment, which we will not fail to keep and neither will you, in a place assigned."1
1 translator’s note
- Literally, "marked," as to be known. Another meaning is "a place midway [between us]" or "a level place." ↩
Tafsir · in English
Tazkirul Quran
Brief · Short modern reflections on each passage.
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Commentary on 20:56–58
Moses continued to preach to Pharaoh over a long period of time, using rational arguments and also showing him miracles of a physical nature. But Pharaoh did not believe in Moses. In reality, admitting the truth of Moses’s preaching would have amounted to a negation of himself—something which his proud and egoistic mentality would never permit. Pharaoh tried to nullify Moses’s rational arguments by means of irrelevant pleas. On the subject of his miracles, Pharaoh alleged that they were simply magic, i.e., something which had no relevance to God, and insisted that anybody could acquire the necessary expertise to perform such feats. In order to keep up his boastful assertions, he said that he, through his magicians, could perform the same feats or miracles as Moses had demonstrated. After some discussion, it was finally decided that, at the forthcoming national fair, magicians of the country should gather, and there should be a competition between them and Moses before all the people.
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20:52
قَالَ عِلۡمُهَا عِندَ رَبِّي فِي كِتَٰبٖۖ لَّا يَضِلُّ رَبِّي وَلَا يَنسَى ٥٢
[Moses] said, "The knowledge thereof is with my Lord in a record. My Lord neither errs nor forgets."
20:53
ٱلَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ مَهۡدٗا وَسَلَكَ لَكُمۡ فِيهَا سُبُلٗا وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءٗ فَأَخۡرَجۡنَا بِهِۦٓ أَزۡوَٰجٗا مِّن نَّبَاتٖ شَتَّىٰ ٥٣
[It is He] who has made for you the earth as a bed [spread out] and inserted therein for you roadways and sent down from the sky, rain and produced thereby categories of various plants.
20:54
كُلُواْ وَٱرۡعَوۡاْ أَنۡعَٰمَكُمۡۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّأُوْلِي ٱلنُّهَىٰ ٥٤
Eat [therefrom] and pasture your livestock. Indeed in that are signs for those of intelligence.
20:55
۞ مِنۡهَا خَلَقۡنَٰكُمۡ وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمۡ وَمِنۡهَا نُخۡرِجُكُمۡ تَارَةً أُخۡرَىٰ ٥٥
From it [i.e., the earth] We created you, and into it We will return you, and from it We will extract you another time.
20:56
وَلَقَدۡ أَرَيۡنَٰهُ ءَايَٰتِنَا كُلَّهَا فَكَذَّبَ وَأَبَىٰ ٥٦
And We certainly showed him [i.e., Pharaoh] Our signs - all of them - but he denied and refused.
20:57
قَالَ أَجِئۡتَنَا لِتُخۡرِجَنَا مِنۡ أَرۡضِنَا بِسِحۡرِكَ يَٰمُوسَىٰ ٥٧
He said, "Have you come to us to drive us out of our land with your magic, O Moses?
20:58
فَلَنَأۡتِيَنَّكَ بِسِحۡرٖ مِّثۡلِهِۦ فَٱجۡعَلۡ بَيۡنَنَا وَبَيۡنَكَ مَوۡعِدٗا لَّا نُخۡلِفُهُۥ نَحۡنُ وَلَآ أَنتَ مَكَانٗا سُوٗى ٥٨
Then we will surely bring you magic like it, so make between us and you an appointment, which we will not fail to keep and neither will you, in a place assigned."1
1 translator’s note
- Literally, "marked," as to be known. Another meaning is "a place midway [between us]" or "a level place." ↩
20:59
قَالَ مَوۡعِدُكُمۡ يَوۡمُ ٱلزِّينَةِ وَأَن يُحۡشَرَ ٱلنَّاسُ ضُحٗى ٥٩
[Moses] said, "Your appointment is on the day of the festival when the people assemble at mid-morning."1
1 translator’s note
- So that the signs of Allāh would be seen clearly. ↩
20:60
فَتَوَلَّىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنُ فَجَمَعَ كَيۡدَهُۥ ثُمَّ أَتَىٰ ٦٠
So Pharaoh went away, put together his plan, and then came [to Moses].
20:61
قَالَ لَهُم مُّوسَىٰ وَيۡلَكُمۡ لَا تَفۡتَرُواْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبٗا فَيُسۡحِتَكُم بِعَذَابٖۖ وَقَدۡ خَابَ مَنِ ٱفۡتَرَىٰ ٦١
Moses said to them [i.e., the magicians summoned by Pharaoh], "Woe to you! Do not invent a lie against Allāh or He will exterminate you with a punishment; and he has failed who invents [such falsehood]."
20:62
فَتَنَٰزَعُوٓاْ أَمۡرَهُم بَيۡنَهُمۡ وَأَسَرُّواْ ٱلنَّجۡوَىٰ ٦٢
So they disputed over their affair among themselves and concealed their private conversation.
20:63
قَالُوٓاْ إِنۡ هَٰذَٰنِ لَسَٰحِرَٰنِ يُرِيدَانِ أَن يُخۡرِجَاكُم مِّنۡ أَرۡضِكُم بِسِحۡرِهِمَا وَيَذۡهَبَا بِطَرِيقَتِكُمُ ٱلۡمُثۡلَىٰ ٦٣
They said, "Indeed, these are two magicians who want to drive you out of your land with their magic and do away with your most exemplary way [i.e., religion or tradition].
20:64
فَأَجۡمِعُواْ كَيۡدَكُمۡ ثُمَّ ٱئۡتُواْ صَفّٗاۚ وَقَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ مَنِ ٱسۡتَعۡلَىٰ ٦٤
So resolve upon your plan and then come [forward] in line. And he has succeeded today who overcomes."