Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (3/266)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

And that was because the magicians said, “Had what Moses was doing been magic, our ropes and staffs would have remained.” When they disappeared, they knew that this was by Allah’s command.

“So they were defeated there and turned back humiliated,” abased and overcome.

“And the magicians fell down in prostration,” before Allah Most High. Muqatil said: Allah caused them to fall. It was also said: Allah inspired them to prostrate, so they prostrated. Al-Akhfash said: They prostrated so swiftly that it was as though they had been cast down.

They said, “We believe in the Lord of all worlds.” Pharaoh said, “You mean me.” They replied, “The Lord of Moses and Aaron.”

“The Lord of Moses and Aaron.” Muqatil said: Moses said to the chief of the magicians, “Will you believe in me if I defeat you?” He replied, “I shall bring magic that no magic can overcome; yet if you defeat me, I shall surely believe in you”—while Pharaoh was watching.

Pharaoh said to them, when they believed, “You have believed in him.” Hafs recited this as a declarative statement, “You have believed,” here and in Surah Ta-Ha and Surah al-Shu‘ara’; the others recited it as an interrogative: “Have you believed in him?” “Before I gave you permission?” That is, “Have you believed Moses without my ordering you to do so?” “This is surely a plot that you and Moses have devised”: that is, a scheme which you and Moses have contrived “in the city”—in Egypt, before you came out to this place—so that you might seize control of Egypt, “in order to drive its people out. But you will surely come to know” what I shall do to you.

“I will certainly cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides”: that is, he would cut off one limb from each side. Al-Kalbi said: “I will cut off your right hands and your left feet; then I will surely crucify you all,” on the bank of the [River] (1) of Egypt.

They said, “We shall return to our Lord. (125) You resent us only because we believed in our Lord’s signs when they came to us. Our Lord, pour patience upon us and let us die in submission to You. (126)” The chiefs among Pharaoh’s people said, “Will you leave Moses and his people to spread corruption in the land, and to abandon you and your gods?” He said, “We shall slaughter their sons and spare their women, for we are surely dominant over them.” (127)

They—that is, the magicians—said to Pharaoh, “We shall return to our Lord,” meaning that they would return to Him in the Hereafter.

“And you resent us only”: that is, what you dislike about us. Al-Dahhak and others said: what you find fault with in us. Ata’ said: “What sin have we committed in your sight for which you punish us, other than that we believed in our Lord’s signs when they came to us?” Then they turned in fear to Allah Most High and said:

(1) In manuscript B: "Bahr" (sea).

وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ السَّحَرَةَ قَالُوا: لَوْ كَانَ مَا يَصْنَعُ مُوسَى سِحْرًا لَبَقِيَتْ حِبَالُنَا وَعِصِيُّنَا فَلَمَّا فُقِدَتْ عَلِمُوا أَنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ. ﴿فَغُلِبُوا هُنَالِكَ وَانْقَلَبُوا صَاغِرِينَ﴾ ذَلِيلِينَ مَقْهُورِينَ. ﴿وَأُلْقِيَ السَّحَرَةُ سَاجِدِينَ﴾ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى. قَالَ مُقَاتِلٌ: أَلْقَاهُمُ اللَّهُ. وَقِيلَ: أَلْهَمَهُمُ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَسْجُدُوا فَسَجَدُوا. وَقَالَ الْأَخْفَشُ: مِنْ سُرْعَةِ مَا سَجَدُوا كَأَنَّهُمْ أُلْقُوا. ﴿قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ﴾ فَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ: إِيَّايَ تَعْنُونَ فَقَالُوا، ﴿رَبِّ مُوسَى وَهَارُونَ﴾ ﴿رَبِّ مُوسَى وَهَارُونَ﴾ قَالَ مُقَاتِلٌ: قَالَ مُوسَى لِكَبِيرِ السَّحَرَةِ تُؤْمِنُ بِي إِنْ غَلَبْتُكَ؟ فَقَالَ: لَآتِيَنَّ بِسِحْرٍ لَا يَغْلِبُهُ سِحْرٌ، وَلَئِنْ غَلَبْتَنِي لِأُومِنَنَّ بِكَ، وَفِرْعَوْنُ يَنْظُرُ. ﴿قَالَ﴾ لَهُمْ ﴿فِرْعَوْنُ﴾ حِينَ آمَنُوا ﴿آمَنْتُمْ بِهِ﴾ قَرَأَ حَفْصٌ "آمَنْتُمْ" عَلَى الْخَبَرِ هَاهُنَا وَفِي طَهَ وَالشُّعَرَاءِ، وَقَرَأَ الْآخَرُونَ بِالِاسْتِفْهَامِ أَآمَنْتُمْ بِهِ، ﴿قَبْلَ أَنْ آذَنَ لَكُمْ﴾ أَصَدَّقْتُمْ مُوسَى مِنْ غَيْرِ أَمْرِي إِيَّاكُمْ، ﴿إِنَّ هَذَا لَمَكْرٌ مَكَرْتُمُوهُ﴾ أَيْ: صَنِيعٌ صَنَعْتُمُوهُ أَنْتُمْ وَمُوسَى: ﴿فِي الْمَدِينَةِ﴾ فِي مِصْرَ قَبْلَ خُرُوجِكُمْ إِلَى هَذَا الْمَوْضِعِ لِتَسْتَوْلُوا عَلَى مِصْرَ، ﴿لِتُخْرِجُوا مِنْهَا أَهْلَهَا فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾ مَا أَفْعَلُ بِكُمْ. ﴿لَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ مِنْ خِلَافٍ﴾ وَهُوَ أَنْ يَقْطَعَ مِنْ كُلِّ شِقٍّ طَرَفًا. قَالَ الْكَلْبِيُّ: لَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمُ الْيُمْنَى وَأَرْجُلَكُمُ الْيُسْرَى، ﴿ثُمَّ لَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾ عَلَى شَاطِئِ [نَهْرِ] (١) مِصْرَ. ﴿قَالُوا إِنَّا إِلَى رَبِّنَا مُنْقَلِبُونَ (١٢٥) وَمَا تَنْقِمُ مِنَّا إِلَّا أَنْ آمَنَّا بِآيَاتِ رَبِّنَا لَمَّا جَاءَتْنَا رَبَّنَا أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًا وَتَوَفَّنَا مُسْلِمِينَ (١٢٦) وَقَالَ الْمَلَأُ مِنْ قَوْمِ فِرْعَوْنَ أَتَذَرُ مُوسَى وَقَوْمَهُ لِيُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَيَذَرَكَ وَآلِهَتَكَ قَالَ سَنُقَتِّلُ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ وَنَسْتَحْيِي نِسَاءَهُمْ وَإِنَّا فَوْقَهُمْ قَاهِرُونَ (١٢٧) ﴾ ﴿قَالُوا﴾ يَعْنِي السَّحَرَةَ لِفِرْعَوْنَ، ﴿إِنَّا إِلَى رَبِّنَا مُنْقَلِبُونَ﴾ رَاجِعُونَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ. ﴿وَمَا تَنْقِمُ مِنَّا﴾ أَيْ: مَا تَكْرَهُ مِنَّا. وَقَالَ الضَّحَّاكُ وَغَيْرُهُ: وَمَا تَطْعَنُ عَلَيْنَا. وَقَالَ عَطَاءٌ: مَا لَنَا عِنْدَكَ مِنْ ذَنْبٍ تُعَذِّبُنَا عَلَيْهِ، ﴿إِلَّا أَنْ آمَنَّا بِآيَاتِ رَبِّنَا لَمَّا جَاءَتْنَا﴾ ثُمَّ فَزِعُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ ﷿ فَقَالُوا:

(١) في "ب": (بحر) .