Al-A'raf 7:116
The Heights · Juz 9 · Page 164
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. ↩
Tafsir · in Arabic
Al-Biqa'i
Detailed
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Commentary on 7:116
ولَمّا فَهِمَ مُوسى عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ مُرادَهم مِمّا عَبَّرَ هَذا النَّظْمُ عَنْ حَقِيقَةِ مَعْناهُ مِن تَأْكِيدِ ضَمِيرِهِمُ المُتَّصِلِ بِالمُنْفَصِلِ وتَعْرِيفِ الخَبَرِ وإقْحامِ الفَصْلِ، وكانَ واثِقًا مِنَ اللَّهِ تَعالى بِما وعَدَهُ بِهِ جارِيًا مَعَ مُرادِهِ، لا فَرْقَ بَيْنَ أنْ يَتَقَدَّمَ أوْ يَتَأخَّرَ؛ أجابَهم إلى سُؤالِهِمْ، وهو أوْقَعُ في ازْدِراءِ شَأْنِهِمْ، فاسْتَأْنَفَ سُبْحانَهُ الخَبَرَ عَنْهُ بِقَوْلِهِ: ﴿قالَ ألْقُوا﴾ أيْ: أنْتُمْ أيُّها السَّحَرَةُ ما تُرِيدُونَ إلْقاءَهُ، وهو أمْرُ تَعْجِيزٍ.
ولَمّا أذِنَ لَهم بادَرُوا إلى ذَلِكَ كَما أفْهَمُهُ العَطْفُ بِالفاءِ في قَوْلِهِ: ﴿فَلَمّا ألْقَوْا﴾ أيْ: ما أعَدُّوهُ لِلسِّحْرِ ﴿سَحَرُوا أعْيُنَ النّاسِ﴾ أيْ: عَنْ صِحَّةِ إدْراكِها حَتّى خَيِّلُوا إلَيْها ما لا حَقِيقَةَ لَهُ، وهي أنَّ حِبالَهم وعِصِيَّهم وكانَتْ كَثِيرَةً جِدًّا - صارَتْ تَتَحَرَّكُ ويَلْتَوِي بَعْضُها عَلى بَعْضٍ، وبَعَثُوا جَماعَةً يُنادُونَ: أيُّها النّاسُ احْذَرُوا ﴿واسْتَرْهَبُوهُمْ﴾ أيْ: وأوْجَدُوا رَهْبَتَهم إيجادَ راغِبٍ فِيها طالِبٍ لَها غايَةَ الطَّلَبِ.
ولَمّا قِيلَ ذَلِكَ، كانَ رُبَّما ظُنَّ أنَّهم خافُوا مِمّا لا يُخافُ مِن مِثْلِهِ، فَقالَ تَعالى مُبَيِّنًا أنَّهم مَعْذُورُونَ في خَوْفِهِمْ: ﴿وجاءُوا بِسِحْرٍ عَظِيمٍ﴾ قالَ صاحِبُ كِتابِ الزِّينَةِ: والسِّحْرُ عَلى وُجُوهٍ كَثِيرَةٍ، مِنهُ الأخْذُ بِالعَيْنِ، (p-٢٨)ومِنهُ ما يُفَرَّقُ بِهِ بَيْنَ المَرْءِ وزَوْجِهِ، ومِنهُ غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ، وأصْلُهُ مَأْخُوذٌ مِنَ التَّعَلُّلِ بِالباطِلِ وقَلْبِ الأمْرِ عَنْ وجْهِهِ كَما ذَكَرْنا مِن لُغَةِ العَرَبِ.
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].