Taha 20:66
Ta-Ha · Juz 16 · Page 316
قَالَ بَلۡ أَلۡقُواْۖ فَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمۡ وَعِصِيُّهُمۡ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيۡهِ مِن سِحۡرِهِمۡ أَنَّهَا تَسۡعَىٰ ٦٦
He said, "Rather, you throw." And suddenly their ropes and staffs seemed to him from their magic that they were moving [like snakes].
Tafsir · in English
Ma'arif al-Qur'an
Detailed · A modern classic, with rulings and practical points.
Change
Commentary on 20:66
The Egyptians were confident of their success and in a mood of complacency asked Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) whether he would like to make the first move or whether they should initiate the contest. Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) invited them to start the contest (Rather, you throw - 20:66) and there were several reasons for this. In the first place the Egyptians showed courage when they invited Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) to open the battle and this offer called for an equally generous and chivalrous response. Secondly by making the offer the Egyptians showed their confidence in the outcome of the contest and implied as if they had already won it. On his side Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) ، by his counter-offer, sought to convey to the Egyptians that he regarded the result of the game as a foregone conclusion in his own favour. And finally he wished to see the tricks of the Egyptians before he planned his own strategy. So, with these preliminaries over, the Egyptians cast their staffs and ropes on the ground and it appeared to the onlookers as if they had turned into snakes and were running about.
يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ مِن سِحْرِهِمْ أَنَّهَا تَسْعَىٰ (Their ropes and sticks seemed to him, due to their magic, as if they were running - 20:66). The verse shows that the Egyptian magicians had cast a hypnotic spell on the onlookers to whom it appeared that the staffs and the ropes had turned into snakes and were running about on the ground, whereas in fact no such transformation had taken place.
Page 316
20:65
قَالُواْ يَٰمُوسَىٰٓ إِمَّآ أَن تُلۡقِيَ وَإِمَّآ أَن نَّكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنۡ أَلۡقَىٰ ٦٥
They said, "O Moses, either you throw or we will be the first to throw."
20:66
قَالَ بَلۡ أَلۡقُواْۖ فَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمۡ وَعِصِيُّهُمۡ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيۡهِ مِن سِحۡرِهِمۡ أَنَّهَا تَسۡعَىٰ ٦٦
He said, "Rather, you throw." And suddenly their ropes and staffs seemed to him from their magic that they were moving [like snakes].
20:67
فَأَوۡجَسَ فِي نَفۡسِهِۦ خِيفَةٗ مُّوسَىٰ ٦٧
And he sensed within himself apprehension, did Moses.
20:68
قُلۡنَا لَا تَخَفۡ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰ ٦٨
We [i.e., Allāh] said, "Fear not. Indeed, it is you who are superior.
20:69
وَأَلۡقِ مَا فِي يَمِينِكَ تَلۡقَفۡ مَا صَنَعُوٓاْۖ إِنَّمَا صَنَعُواْ كَيۡدُ سَٰحِرٖۖ وَلَا يُفۡلِحُ ٱلسَّاحِرُ حَيۡثُ أَتَىٰ ٦٩
And throw what is in your right hand; it will swallow up what they have crafted. What they have crafted is but the trick of a magician, and the magician will not succeed wherever he is."
20:70
فَأُلۡقِيَ ٱلسَّحَرَةُ سُجَّدٗا قَالُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا بِرَبِّ هَٰرُونَ وَمُوسَىٰ ٧٠
So the magicians fell down in prostration.1 They said, "We have believed in the Lord of Aaron and Moses."
1 translator’s note
- After they had seen the miracles which Allāh had given Moses and that they were realities and not merely impressions of magic. ↩
20:71
قَالَ ءَامَنتُمۡ لَهُۥ قَبۡلَ أَنۡ ءَاذَنَ لَكُمۡۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ ٱلَّذِي عَلَّمَكُمُ ٱلسِّحۡرَۖ فَلَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيۡدِيَكُمۡ وَأَرۡجُلَكُم مِّنۡ خِلَٰفٖ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمۡ فِي جُذُوعِ ٱلنَّخۡلِ وَلَتَعۡلَمُنَّ أَيُّنَآ أَشَدُّ عَذَابٗا وَأَبۡقَىٰ ٧١
[Pharaoh] said, "You believed him [i.e., Moses] before I gave you permission. Indeed, he is your leader who has taught you magic. So I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will crucify you on the trunks of palm trees, and you will surely know which of us is more severe in [giving] punishment and more enduring."
20:72
قَالُواْ لَن نُّؤۡثِرَكَ عَلَىٰ مَا جَآءَنَا مِنَ ٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِ وَٱلَّذِي فَطَرَنَاۖ فَٱقۡضِ مَآ أَنتَ قَاضٍۖ إِنَّمَا تَقۡضِي هَٰذِهِ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَآ ٧٢
They said, "Never will we prefer you over what has come to us of clear proofs and [over] He who created us.1 So decree whatever you are to decree. You can only decree for this worldly life.
1 translator’s note
- This phrase has also been interpreted as an oath, i.e., "...by Him who created us." ↩
20:73
إِنَّآ ءَامَنَّا بِرَبِّنَا لِيَغۡفِرَ لَنَا خَطَٰيَٰنَا وَمَآ أَكۡرَهۡتَنَا عَلَيۡهِ مِنَ ٱلسِّحۡرِۗ وَٱللَّهُ خَيۡرٞ وَأَبۡقَىٰٓ ٧٣
Indeed, we have believed in our Lord that He may forgive us our sins and what you compelled us [to do] of magic. And Allāh is better and more enduring."1
1 translator’s note
- In reward and in punishment. ↩
20:74
إِنَّهُۥ مَن يَأۡتِ رَبَّهُۥ مُجۡرِمٗا فَإِنَّ لَهُۥ جَهَنَّمَ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحۡيَىٰ ٧٤
Indeed, whoever comes to his Lord as a criminal - indeed, for him is Hell; he will neither die therein nor live.
20:75
وَمَن يَأۡتِهِۦ مُؤۡمِنٗا قَدۡ عَمِلَ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمُ ٱلدَّرَجَٰتُ ٱلۡعُلَىٰ ٧٥
But whoever comes to Him as a believer having done righteous deeds - for those will be the highest degrees [in position]:
20:76
جَنَّٰتُ عَدۡنٖ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَاۚ وَذَٰلِكَ جَزَآءُ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ ٧٦
Gardens of perpetual residence beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally. And that is the reward of one who purifies himself.1
1 translator’s note
- From all uncleanliness, the greatest of which is worship and obedience to other than Allāh. ↩