Al-A'raf 7:112
The Heights · Juz 9 · Page 164
يَأۡتُوكَ بِكُلِّ سَٰحِرٍ عَلِيمٖ ١١٢
Who will bring you every learned magician."
Tafsir · in English
Tazkirul Quran
Brief · Short modern reflections on each passage.
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Commentary on 7:103–112
A prophet’s discourse is initially addressed to the leaders of the day; to those who enjoy leadership of thought in their environment. Such people, thanks to their superior intellect, are in a better position to understand the message of Truth in all its profundity. But, history shows that they have invariably always been antagonistic to the prophet’s call, i.e. they utilize their mental talents to assign a wrong meaning to the message of Truth. For example, they declare a sign which had appeared on the strength of God’s intervention to have appeared by the force of magic, or, in order to disparage the prophetic movement, give it a political colour and say that such preachers are simply seeking power. As the general public are unable to analyse matters, such talk leads them into becoming suspicious of the Truth. But to raise such frivolous points against the messenger of Truth is a great crime. In this way, the leading lights of the day may be able to preserve their leadership, but it will be at the cost of the Hereafter. God is the Truth. So it is not proper for one who comes forward in the name of God to speak of anything other than truth and justice. If he does otherwise, he will lose the right to represent God and will be liable to be punished rather than rewarded by God. Moses was sent (by God) to both the Children of Israel and to the Pharaoh and his Copt community. At that time the Children of Israel suffered from many weaknesses. However, they basically supported Moses. Unlike them, Pharaoh and his community, (with the exception of a few) rejected him. Finally, after 40 years of attempting to propagate God’s command, Moses was commanded to migrate from Egypt along with the Children of Israel. He asked Pharaoh to allow the Children of Israel to leave the country, so that they might be able to pray to the one and only God in the open atmosphere of the desert (Exodus-16). Moses was the representative of Truth, but Pharaoh considered him to be merely practising magic and decided to overcome him through his own magicians.
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].