Taha 20:59
Ta-Ha · Juz 16 · Page 315
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. ↩
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
Detailed · A modern classic, with rulings and practical points.
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Commentary on 20:59
مَوْعِدُكُمْ يَوْمُ الزِّينَةِ وَأَن يُحْشَرَ النَّاسُ ضُحًى (Your appointment is the festival day and that the people are assembled at forenoon - 20:59). يَوْمُ الزِّينَةِ has been explained differently by different authorities. Some say it was a special festival when the Egyptians, attired in beautiful dresses, gathered outside the towns, while others say that it was a Saturday (' یوم السَّبت), and according to some others it was the tenth day of Muharram (عاشُورا).
The great advantage in fixing for the contest
It was a wise move on the part of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) to fix festival day as the day of contest when all Egyptians, high and low, were expected to assemble at an appointed place. There was also a point in fixing early forenoon as the time for the contest because this is the time when people, having finished their daily chores, are free to engage in other things. Also daylight and visibility are at their best in the early forenoon and people, while dispersing after witnessing a momentous event, spread the news far and wide. Thus when, with Allah's help, Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) inflicted a crushing defeat on the Egyptian magicians, the story became known the same day to people living in far flung places.
Magic - its truth, forms and the rules governing it
For a detailed discussion on this subject reference may be made to the story of Harut and Marut in Surah Al-Baqarah at page 265 to 278 of Ma'ariful Qur'an vol. I.
Page 315
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."