(56–61) “We certainly showed him all Our signs, but he denied them and refused. He said, ‘Have you come to drive us from our land with your magic, O Moses? We shall certainly confront you with magic like it. So appoint a meeting between us and you, which neither we nor you will fail to keep, at an even place.’ Moses said, ‘Your appointed time is the Day of the Festival, and let the people be assembled at mid-morning.’ Pharaoh then withdrew, mustered all his stratagems, and came. Moses said to them, ‘Woe to you! Do not fabricate lies against Allah, lest He utterly destroy you with a punishment. Whoever fabricates lies is bound to fail.’”
Allah Most High tells us that He showed Pharaoh every kind of sign, lesson, and decisive proof: those directly witnessed, those in the horizons, and those within themselves. Yet Pharaoh neither followed the straight path nor desisted. Rather, he denied and turned away: he denied the revealed reports, turned away from the commands and prohibitions, portrayed truth as falsehood and falsehood as truth, and argued with falsehood in order to lead people astray. He said, “Have you come to drive us from our land with your magic?” He claimed that the signs Moses had shown him were mere magic and deception, intended to expel them from their land and seize control of it. He said this so that his words would affect the hearts of his people, for human nature is attached to its homeland and finds it difficult to leave and part from it.
He therefore told them that this was Moses’ aim, so that they would hate him and strive to fight him. He said, “We shall certainly bring you magic like your own. So give us time and appoint for us ‘a meeting which neither we nor you will fail to keep, at an even place.’” That is, at a place equally known to us and to you, or at a level and open place where everything occurring there could readily be seen.
Moses replied, “Your appointed time is the Day of the Festival”—their festival, when they would be free and set aside their occupations—“and let the people be assembled at mid-morning.” That is, they were all to be gathered during the mid-morning. Moses requested this because the Day of the Festival and the mid-morning hour would afford a large gathering and allow matters to be seen as they truly were in a way that no other day or time would.
“Pharaoh then withdrew and mustered all his stratagems”—that is, everything within his power by which he might plot against Moses. He sent throughout his cities men to assemble the magicians most skilled in their magic. Magic was widespread at that time, and its study was considered desirable. Pharaoh therefore assembled a great multitude of magicians. Both sides then came to the appointed place, and the people gathered there as well.
It was an immense gathering, attended by men and women, leaders and nobles, common people, young and old. They urged the people to assemble, saying to them, “Will you gather, so that we may follow the magicians if they are the victors?” When they had gathered from every region, Moses—peace be upon him—admonished them and established the proof against them. He said, “Woe to you! Do not fabricate lies against Allah, lest He utterly destroy you with a punishment.” That is, do not use your magic to support the falsehood you follow, attempt to overpower the truth, and fabricate lies against Allah, lest He eradicate you with a punishment from Him and cause all your efforts and fabrications to fail. You will then obtain neither the victory and standing with Pharaoh and his leaders that you seek, nor safety from Allah’s punishment. Words of truth inevitably affect hearts.
Consequently, dispute and contention arose among the magicians when they heard Moses’ words, and they became confused. Perhaps part of their dispute concerned Moses himself: was he upon the truth or not? At that point, however, they had not yet settled upon their course, so that Allah might accomplish a matter already ordained: “so that whoever perished would perish upon clear proof, and whoever lived would live upon clear proof.”
They then conferred secretly among themselves and agreed upon a single declaration, hoping thereby to succeed in word and deed and to keep the people adhering to their religion. He explained their secret counsel in His words: “They said, ‘These two are surely magicians who wish to drive you from your land by their magic and do away with your exemplary way.’” This was the same assertion Pharaoh had previously made. It may have been that Pharaoh and the magicians happened upon the same assertion independently, or that Pharaoh had prompted them with the claim he had resolved upon and proclaimed before the people.
They added to Pharaoh’s words: “and do away with your exemplary way.” That is, Moses envies you for your way of magic and wishes to surpass you, so that pride, renown, and fame will belong to him, and he will become the one sought out for this craft to which you have devoted your lives. You will then lose the livelihood you derived from it, together with the status that accompanied it. This was how they urged one another to exert every effort to overcome him. They therefore said:
“So marshal all your stratagems”—that is, display them all at once, supporting and assisting one another, united in opinion and word—“then come in a single row.” This would better enable them to perform their work, inspire greater awe of them in people’s hearts, and ensure that none of them left undone anything within his power. They were to know that whoever prospered that day, succeeded in his aim, and defeated his opponent would truly be the successful victor. This was a day upon which the days to come would depend.