Al-A'raf 7:110
The Heights · Juz 9 · Page 164
يُرِيدُ أَن يُخۡرِجَكُم مِّنۡ أَرۡضِكُمۡۖ فَمَاذَا تَأۡمُرُونَ ١١٠
Who wants to expel you from your land [through magic], so what do you instruct?"
Tafsir · in English
Ma'arif al-Qur'an
Detailed · A modern classic, with rulings and practical points.
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Commentary on 7:109–110
The Arabic word 'Mala" is used for influential chiefs. After seeing these miracles they said to the people he was a great sorcerer. Being ignorant of divine powers of Allah they could say nothing else as they believed Pharaoh to be their god and had seen nothing but the magical charms of the sorcerers in their life. They, however, added the word "alim' signifying the one who knows, showing their impression that the miraculous acts of Musa (علیہ السلام) were of the kind that could not be performed by an ordinary magician. So, they said that he was a sorcerer of great knowledge.
The difference between miracle and sorcery
The miracles and sorcery are so distinct in their nature and effect that they do not require any explanation to any one applying common sense. The sorcerers usually live in impurity and, the more they are unclean and impure the more they are successful in their sorcery. The prophets, on the other hand, are by nature the most clean and pure people. Another obvious distinction is that a sorcerer is never successful when he makes claim to prophethood. Besides, the acts performed under the effect of sorcery do have physical causes as other things have, with the only difference that their causes remain hidden to common people. The people, therefore, take them to be happening without the help of any cause. On the contrary, the miracles are directly a manifestation of Allah's power and have nothing to do with physical causes. This is why the miracles have been ascribed directly to Allah and not to the prophets in the Holy Qur'an. The Qur'an said "but Allah threw the pebbles" (while these pebbles were thrown by the Holy Prophet ﷺ in the battle of Badr) In short, the miracles and sorcery are totally different from each other. The people of knowledge have no confusion about it. In order to eliminate any possible confusion of a common individual, Allah has provided with obvious distinctions between the two.
Even the people of the Pharaoh found the miracles of the prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) somehow different from the normal acts of sorcerers. Therefore, even while accusing him of sorcery they admitted that he was 'of great knowledge' meaning that his act was not comparable with the acts of the normal sorcerers.
Page 164
7:105
حَقِيقٌ عَلَىٰٓ أَن لَّآ أَقُولَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلۡحَقَّۚ قَدۡ جِئۡتُكُم بِبَيِّنَةٖ مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ فَأَرۡسِلۡ مَعِيَ بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ ١٠٥
[Who is] obligated not to say about Allāh except the truth. I have come to you with clear evidence from your Lord, so send with me the Children of Israel."1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., free them from oppression and allow them to emigrate. ↩
7:106
قَالَ إِن كُنتَ جِئۡتَ بِـَٔايَةٖ فَأۡتِ بِهَآ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ ١٠٦
[Pharaoh] said, "If you have come with a sign, then bring it forth, if you should be of the truthful."
7:107
فَأَلۡقَىٰ عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ ثُعۡبَانٞ مُّبِينٞ ١٠٧
So he [i.e., Moses] threw his staff, and suddenly it was a serpent, manifest.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., genuine and not imagined, as a miracle from Allāh. ↩
7:108
وَنَزَعَ يَدَهُۥ فَإِذَا هِيَ بَيۡضَآءُ لِلنَّٰظِرِينَ ١٠٨
And he drew out his hand; thereupon it was white [with radiance] for the observers.
7:109
قَالَ ٱلۡمَلَأُ مِن قَوۡمِ فِرۡعَوۡنَ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَسَٰحِرٌ عَلِيمٞ ١٠٩
Said the eminent among the people of Pharaoh, "Indeed, this is a learned magician
7:110
يُرِيدُ أَن يُخۡرِجَكُم مِّنۡ أَرۡضِكُمۡۖ فَمَاذَا تَأۡمُرُونَ ١١٠
Who wants to expel you from your land [through magic], so what do you instruct?"
7:111
قَالُوٓاْ أَرۡجِهۡ وَأَخَاهُ وَأَرۡسِلۡ فِي ٱلۡمَدَآئِنِ حَٰشِرِينَ ١١١
They said,1 "Postpone [the matter of] him and his brother and send among the cities gatherers
1 translator’s note
- After mutual consultation and agreement. ↩
7:112
يَأۡتُوكَ بِكُلِّ سَٰحِرٍ عَلِيمٖ ١١٢
Who will bring you every learned magician."
7:113
وَجَآءَ ٱلسَّحَرَةُ فِرۡعَوۡنَ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّ لَنَا لَأَجۡرًا إِن كُنَّا نَحۡنُ ٱلۡغَٰلِبِينَ ١١٣
And the magicians came to Pharaoh. They said, "Indeed for us is a reward if we are the predominant."
7:114
قَالَ نَعَمۡ وَإِنَّكُمۡ لَمِنَ ٱلۡمُقَرَّبِينَ ١١٤
He said, "Yes, and, [moreover], you will be among those made near [to me]."
7:115
قَالُواْ يَٰمُوسَىٰٓ إِمَّآ أَن تُلۡقِيَ وَإِمَّآ أَن نَّكُونَ نَحۡنُ ٱلۡمُلۡقِينَ ١١٥
They said, "O Moses, either you throw [your staff], or we will be the ones to throw [first]."
7:116
قَالَ أَلۡقُواْۖ فَلَمَّآ أَلۡقَوۡاْ سَحَرُوٓاْ أَعۡيُنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَٱسۡتَرۡهَبُوهُمۡ وَجَآءُو بِسِحۡرٍ عَظِيمٖ ١١٦
He said, "Throw," and when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people and struck terror into them, and they presented a great [feat of] magic.1
1 translator’s note
- Their staffs and ropes appeared as writhing snakes. ↩
7:117
۞ وَأَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰٓ أَنۡ أَلۡقِ عَصَاكَۖ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلۡقَفُ مَا يَأۡفِكُونَ ١١٧
And We inspired to Moses, "Throw your staff," and at once it devoured what they were falsifying.
7:118
فَوَقَعَ ٱلۡحَقُّ وَبَطَلَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ ١١٨
So the truth was established, and abolished was what they were doing.
7:119
فَغُلِبُواْ هُنَالِكَ وَٱنقَلَبُواْ صَٰغِرِينَ ١١٩
And they [i.e., Pharaoh and his people] were overcome right there and became debased.
7:120
وَأُلۡقِيَ ٱلسَّحَرَةُ سَٰجِدِينَ ١٢٠
And the magicians fell down in prostration [to Allāh].