Ash-Shu'ara 26:49
The Poets · Juz 19 · Page 369
قَالَ ءَامَنتُمۡ لَهُۥ قَبۡلَ أَنۡ ءَاذَنَ لَكُمۡۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ ٱلَّذِي عَلَّمَكُمُ ٱلسِّحۡرَ فَلَسَوۡفَ تَعۡلَمُونَۚ لَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيۡدِيَكُمۡ وَأَرۡجُلَكُم مِّنۡ خِلَٰفٖ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ ٤٩
[Pharaoh] said, "You believed him [i.e., Moses] before I gave you permission. Indeed, he is your leader who has taught you magic, but you are going to know. I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will surely crucify you all."
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Tazkirul Quran
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Commentary on 26:49–51
The embracing of the Faith by the magicians was a cause of great disgrace to Pharaoh. So, in order to salvage his position, he dubbed the whole incident a conspiracy. He alleged that they had colluded with Moses and that they had intentionally pretended to be defeated by him, so that Moses’s greatness could be impressed on the people’s hearts. Pharaoh announced his decision to the magicians that they would be punished for sedition; that their hands and legs would be cut off at random and they would be publicly crucified. In spite of these draconian orders, the magicians were not discouraged. Those very same magicians who had earlier pledged their allegiance to Pharaoh (verse 41) and asked to be rewarded, now fearlessly proclaimed that whatever Pharaoh did, they were not going to be dissuaded from accepting Moses’s religion. The reason for this high morale of theirs was the discovery of Faith. A man bears a loss when, by this loss, he expects to find something greater. Before embracing the faith, the greatest things the magicians could hope to have now were Pharaoh’s approval and his reward. But on embracing true religion, God and His Paradise now appeared to them to be greater than all else. That is why they were now ready to bear the losses of those very things which, prior to embracing the Faith, they had held too dear to part with.
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26:40
لَعَلَّنَا نَتَّبِعُ ٱلسَّحَرَةَ إِن كَانُواْ هُمُ ٱلۡغَٰلِبِينَ ٤٠
That we might follow the magicians if they are the predominant?"
26:41
فَلَمَّا جَآءَ ٱلسَّحَرَةُ قَالُواْ لِفِرۡعَوۡنَ أَئِنَّ لَنَا لَأَجۡرًا إِن كُنَّا نَحۡنُ ٱلۡغَٰلِبِينَ ٤١
And when the magicians arrived, they said to Pharaoh, "Is there indeed for us a reward if we are the predominant?"
26:42
قَالَ نَعَمۡ وَإِنَّكُمۡ إِذٗا لَّمِنَ ٱلۡمُقَرَّبِينَ ٤٢
He said, "Yes, and indeed, you will then be of those near [to me]."
26:43
قَالَ لَهُم مُّوسَىٰٓ أَلۡقُواْ مَآ أَنتُم مُّلۡقُونَ ٤٣
Moses said to them, "Throw whatever you will throw."
26:44
فَأَلۡقَوۡاْ حِبَالَهُمۡ وَعِصِيَّهُمۡ وَقَالُواْ بِعِزَّةِ فِرۡعَوۡنَ إِنَّا لَنَحۡنُ ٱلۡغَٰلِبُونَ ٤٤
So they threw their ropes and their staffs and said, "By the might of Pharaoh, indeed it is we who are predominant."
26:45
فَأَلۡقَىٰ مُوسَىٰ عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلۡقَفُ مَا يَأۡفِكُونَ ٤٥
Then Moses threw his staff, and at once it devoured what they falsified.
26:46
فَأُلۡقِيَ ٱلسَّحَرَةُ سَٰجِدِينَ ٤٦
So the magicians fell down in prostration [to Allāh].
26:47
قَالُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا بِرَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ٤٧
They said, "We have believed in the Lord of the worlds,
26:48
رَبِّ مُوسَىٰ وَهَٰرُونَ ٤٨
The Lord of Moses and Aaron."
26:49
قَالَ ءَامَنتُمۡ لَهُۥ قَبۡلَ أَنۡ ءَاذَنَ لَكُمۡۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ ٱلَّذِي عَلَّمَكُمُ ٱلسِّحۡرَ فَلَسَوۡفَ تَعۡلَمُونَۚ لَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيۡدِيَكُمۡ وَأَرۡجُلَكُم مِّنۡ خِلَٰفٖ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ ٤٩
[Pharaoh] said, "You believed him [i.e., Moses] before I gave you permission. Indeed, he is your leader who has taught you magic, but you are going to know. I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will surely crucify you all."
26:50
قَالُواْ لَا ضَيۡرَۖ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا مُنقَلِبُونَ ٥٠
They said, "No harm. Indeed, to our Lord we will return.
26:51
إِنَّا نَطۡمَعُ أَن يَغۡفِرَ لَنَا رَبُّنَا خَطَٰيَٰنَآ أَن كُنَّآ أَوَّلَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ٥١
Indeed, we aspire that our Lord will forgive us our sins because we were the first of the believers."
26:52
۞ وَأَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰٓ أَنۡ أَسۡرِ بِعِبَادِيٓ إِنَّكُم مُّتَّبَعُونَ ٥٢
And We inspired to Moses, "Travel by night with My servants; indeed, you will be pursued."
26:53
فَأَرۡسَلَ فِرۡعَوۡنُ فِي ٱلۡمَدَآئِنِ حَٰشِرِينَ ٥٣
Then Pharaoh sent among the cities gatherers1
1 translator’s note
- Recruiters of an army to prevent the emigration of the Children of Israel. ↩
26:54
إِنَّ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ لَشِرۡذِمَةٞ قَلِيلُونَ ٥٤
[And said], "Indeed, those are but a small band,
26:55
وَإِنَّهُمۡ لَنَا لَغَآئِظُونَ ٥٥
And indeed, they are enraging us,
26:56
وَإِنَّا لَجَمِيعٌ حَٰذِرُونَ ٥٦
And indeed, we are a cautious society..."
26:57
فَأَخۡرَجۡنَٰهُم مِّن جَنَّٰتٖ وَعُيُونٖ ٥٧
So We removed them from gardens and springs
26:58
وَكُنُوزٖ وَمَقَامٖ كَرِيمٖ ٥٨
And treasures and honorable station1 -
1 translator’s note
- Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) caused them to abandon their wealth and property in pursuit of the Israelites. ↩
26:59
كَذَٰلِكَۖ وَأَوۡرَثۡنَٰهَا بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ ٥٩
Thus. And We caused to inherit it the Children of Israel.
26:60
فَأَتۡبَعُوهُم مُّشۡرِقِينَ ٦٠
So they pursued them at sunrise.