Ma'arif al-Qur'an · Tafsir · in English
Ash-Shu'ara 26:50–58
26:50–58Page 369
قَالُواْ لَا ضَيۡرَۖ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا مُنقَلِبُونَ ٥٠
They said, "No harm. Indeed, to our Lord we will return.
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."
۞ 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."
فَأَرۡسَلَ فِرۡعَوۡنُ فِي ٱلۡمَدَآئِنِ حَٰشِرِينَ ٥٣
Then Pharaoh sent among the cities gatherers1
إِنَّ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ لَشِرۡذِمَةٞ قَلِيلُونَ ٥٤
[And said], "Indeed, those are but a small band,
وَإِنَّهُمۡ لَنَا لَغَآئِظُونَ ٥٥
And indeed, they are enraging us,
وَإِنَّا لَجَمِيعٌ حَٰذِرُونَ ٥٦
And indeed, we are a cautious society..."
فَأَخۡرَجۡنَٰهُم مِّن جَنَّٰتٖ وَعُيُونٖ ٥٧
So We removed them from gardens and springs
وَكُنُوزٖ وَمَقَامٖ كَرِيمٖ ٥٨
And treasures and honorable station1 -
قَالُوا لَا ضَيْرَ ۖ إِنَّا إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا مُنقَلِبُونَ
They said, "There is no harm. We are to return to our Lord. (26:50)
When the Pharaoh threatened the magicians to kill them, and to cut their limbs and to crucify them, the magicians replied rather indifferently, the gist of their reply was, ` You do whatever you can. We shall lose nothing. Even if we are killed we will go back to our Lord, where there is nothing but comfort'.
It is worth noting here that the magicians who had involved all their lives practicing the sinful sorcery and who believed in the Pharaoh's claim to be a god, rather, used to worship him, pronounced faith in Allah before that tyrant and despotic king and the entire nation. This was in itself something most astonishing and courageous, but it was not just the pronouncement of faith in Allah, but a demonstration of such deep devotion as if they could see the Dooms Day and the Hereafter before their eyes. The blessings and bounties of the Hereafter were within their sight, for which they raised themselves over and above any punishment or torment of this world, and said فَاقْضِ مَا أَنتَ قَاضٍ that is ` You do whatever you are to do (20:72). We are not going back from our faith'. This in fact was also a miracle of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) which was no less than the miracle of the staff and the luminous hand. Many incidents of similar nature have also occurred with our Holy Prophet ﷺ . In one such incident a drastic change had occurred in a seventy years old infidel in that within a minute he not only converted to Islam, but was ready to lay down his life to become a martyr.
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences