He consulted the nobles around him about what he had just seen. They said to him,
“These two are only sorcerers who want to drive you out of your land by their sorcery and do away with your most excellent way of life” (20:63)—meaning your dominion and the ease you enjoy. They would give Moses none of what he asked.
They continued, “Summon the magicians, for they are many in your realm, so that by your sorcery you may overcome the sorcery of these two.” Pharaoh therefore sent word to the cities and gathered every skilled magician for him.
When the magicians arrived, they asked Pharaoh, “With what does this sorcerer work?” He answered, “With serpents.” They said, “By Allah, no one on earth can perform magic with serpents, ropes, and staffs as we can. What will be our reward if we prevail?”
He replied, “You are my kinsmen and my intimates. I shall grant you whatever you wish.” They then agreed on “the Day of the Festival, when the people are to assemble in the forenoon” (20:59).
Saʿīd said: Ibn ʿAbbās told me that the Day of the Festival on which Allah made Moses triumph over Pharaoh and the magicians was the Day of ʿĀshūrāʾ.
When they gathered on the open plain, the people said to one another, “Come, let us attend this affair; perhaps we shall follow the magicians if they are the victors”—meaning Moses and Aaron, scoffing at them.
The magicians said, “O Moses, would you cast first, or shall we be the ones to cast?” (7:115). He answered, “No, you cast.” “So they threw down their ropes and staffs and said, ‘By the might of Pharaoh, we shall surely be the victors’” (26:44).
Moses saw from their magic something that caused him an inner fear, so Allah revealed to him, “Cast down your staff.” When he cast it, it turned into a massive serpent, its jaws gaping wide. The staffs twined with the ropes until they became like clumps that slid into the serpent, so that it left neither staff nor rope un-swallowed.
When the magicians perceived this they said, “If this were sorcery it would not have surpassed all of our sorcery like this. Rather, it is a matter from Allah, exalted be He. We believe in Allah and in what Moses has brought, and we repent to Allah for what we have been doing.” In that very gathering Allah shattered Pharaoh’s power and that of his supporters; truth was manifest, their deeds were nullified, and they were defeated then and there, returning humbled.
Pharaoh’s wife stood in public, dressed simply, calling upon Allah to grant Moses victory over Pharaoh and his cohorts. Anyone from Pharaoh’s household who saw her assumed her plain dress was out of sympathy for Pharaoh and his men, whereas her sorrow and concern were actually for Moses.
When Moses had endured Pharaoh’s lying promises for a long time—each time he brought a sign Pharaoh would pledge to let the Children of Israel go, and once the sign ceased he broke his word—Pharaoh scoffed, “Can your Lord do anything else?” So Allah sent upon his people the flood, locusts, lice, frogs, and blood as distinct signs. Each time Pharaoh complained to Moses, begging him to remove the plague and agreeing to release the Children of Israel; yet when it was lifted he broke his promise and violated his covenant.
Finally Moses was commanded to depart with his people. He led them out by night, and when morning came and Pharaoh saw that they had left, he dispatched messengers throughout the cities.