Thus, this is meant by His saying: “They will bring you every learned magician.” Hamzah and al-Kisāʾī recited it here and in Surat Yunus as saḥḥār (master magician). There is no disagreement that in Surat al-Shuʿarāʾ it is recited as saḥḥār.

It was said: a magician is one who knows magic but does not teach it, whereas a master magician is one who teaches it. It was also said: a magician is one whose magic is practiced at times but not at others, while a master magician is one who practices magic continually.

Ibn ʿAbbās, Ibn Isḥāq, and al-Suddī said: When Pharaoh saw the manifestation of Allah’s power in the staff, he said, “We can overcome him only with someone who is +more knowledgeable than he is.” So he selected young boys from the Children of Israel and sent them to a village called al-Farḥāʾ to teach them magic. They taught them a great deal of magic. Pharaoh then arranged an appointed time with Moses and sent for the magicians. They came, along with their teacher. Pharaoh said to him, “What have you accomplished?” He replied, “I have taught them magic that no magician on earth can withstand, unless it is a matter from heaven; for they have no power against it.” Pharaoh then sent throughout his kingdom, leaving no magician under his rule without +bringing him in.

They differed over their number. Muqātil said: They were seventy-two: two Copts, who were the leaders of the people, and seventy from the Children of Israel.

Al-Kalbī said: Their instructors were two Magians from the people of Nineveh, and they were seventy, apart from their chief.

Kaʿb said: They were twelve thousand. Al-Suddī said: They were some thirty thousand. ʿIkrimah said: They were seventy thousand. Muḥammad ibn al-Munkadir said: They were eighty thousand. Muqātil said: The chief of the magicians was Shamʿūn. Ibn Jurayj said: The chief of the magicians was Yūḥannā.

“And the magicians came to Pharaoh. They said, ‘Indeed, we shall have a reward if we are the victors.’ (113) He said, ‘Yes, and you will surely be among those brought near.’ (114) They said, ‘O Moses, either you throw, or we shall be the ones to throw.’ (115) He said, ‘Throw.’ Then, when they threw, they bewitched the people’s eyes, struck them with awe, and produced a mighty magic. (116) And We inspired Moses: ‘Throw down your staff.’ Then at once it swallowed up what they had fabricated. (117)”

“And the magicians came to Pharaoh”: they assembled. “They said” to Pharaoh, “Indeed, we shall have a reward”—that is, a payment and wealth.