How tenaciously they clung to their falsehood, and how fiercely they defended it! They brought to bear every means, resource, and stratagem by which they might plot against the truth. Yet Allah wills only to perfect His light and cause truth to prevail over falsehood.
Once their scheme was fully prepared, their objective had been narrowed down, and nothing remained but to act, “They said, ‘O Moses, either you throw, or we will be the first to throw.’” By “throw,” they meant that he should cast his staff. They offered him the choice while giving the impression that they were absolutely certain of defeating him, whichever course he chose. Moses therefore said to them, “Rather, you throw.” They cast down their ropes and staffs, and “suddenly their ropes and staffs seemed to him, through their magic, to be moving swiftly.” That is, their powerful magic made them appear to Moses as snakes moving swiftly. When Moses perceived this, “Moses sensed fear within himself,” as human nature would ordinarily dictate. Nevertheless, he remained certain of Allah’s promise and His grant of victory.
“We said, ‘Do not fear! You will certainly have the upper hand.’” Allah said this to steady and reassure him. That is, you will rise above them and overpower them, and they will be humbled ⦗509⦘ before you and submit.
“Cast what is in your right hand; it will swallow up what they have made. What they have made is only a magician’s trick, and no magician will prosper, wherever he may go.” What was in his right hand was his staff. Their scheming and plotting would bear no fruit and bring them no success, for it was the work of magicians who deceive people, dress up falsehood, and make it appear that they uphold the truth. Moses therefore cast down his staff, and it swallowed and consumed everything they had fashioned while the people watched. The magicians then knew with absolute certainty that this was not magic, but something from Allah, and they hastened to believe.
“Thereupon the magicians fell prostrate. They said, ‘We believe in the Lord of all worlds, the Lord of Moses and Aaron.’” Thus the truth was established, appeared, and shone forth, while the magic, plotting, and scheming were nullified before that immense gathering. It thereby became a clear proof and a mercy for the believers, and an argument against the obstinate.
Pharaoh then “said” to the magicians, “Have you believed in him before I gave you permission?” That is: How could you dare to believe without first consulting me or receiving my permission? He found this surprising because they had always behaved deferentially toward him, abased themselves before him, and obeyed him in everything. He treated this as one more matter in which they owed him submission.
After this decisive proof, Pharaoh only grew more obstinate in his disbelief and tyranny. He made fools of his people and claimed that Moses had defeated the magicians not because the truth was with him, but because he and the magicians had colluded, plotted, and conspired to expel Pharaoh and his people from their land. His people accepted this deception and believed it to be true: “Thus he fooled his people, and they obeyed him. They were indeed a defiantly disobedient people.” Yet this assertion could not enter the mind of anyone possessing even the slightest shred of reason and knowledge of what had actually occurred. Moses had come alone from Midian, and when he arrived, he had met none of the magicians or anyone else. Rather, he immediately called Pharaoh and his people to the truth and showed them the signs. Pharaoh then sought to counter what Moses had brought, exerting every possible effort and sending agents throughout his cities to gather every skilled magician for him.
They came to Pharaoh, who promised them reward and high standing if they prevailed. They were exceedingly eager and devised the most formidable schemes to defeat Moses. Events then unfolded as they did. In view of all this, could it possibly be imagined that Moses and the magicians had conspired and agreed beforehand upon what occurred? That is the sheerest impossibility.
Pharaoh then threatened the magicians, saying, “I shall certainly cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides,” as is done to a brigand who spreads corruption: his right hand and left foot are cut off. “And I shall certainly crucify you on the trunks of palm trees,” so that you will be publicly exposed and disgraced, “and you will surely know which of us is more severe in punishment and more enduring.” He meant, according to his claim, himself or Allah, and asserted that his punishment was more severe and enduring than Allah’s. This was an inversion of reality and an attempt to frighten those without reason.
However, once the magicians recognized the truth and Allah granted them the reason by which realities could be discerned, they replied:
“We will never prefer you over the clear proofs that have come to us, nor over the One who created us.” That is, we will never choose you and the reward and favor you promised us over the manifest signs Allah has shown us—signs demonstrating that Allah alone is the Lord who must be worshipped, magnified, and revered, and that everything worshipped besides Him is false. Nor could we prefer you to the One who originated and created us; that could never be. “So decree whatever you wish to decree,” whether the mutilation, crucifixion, and punishment with which you have threatened us. “Your judgment extends only to this worldly life.” That is, the utmost extent of your threats against us lies within this worldly life, which will pass away and vanish without harming us. This is unlike Allah’s punishment for those who persist in disbelief, for that punishment is everlasting and immense.
This was, as it were, their answer to Pharaoh’s words, “You will surely know which of us is more severe in punishment and more enduring.” The magicians’ words demonstrate that a rational person should weigh the pleasures of this world against those of the Hereafter, and the punishment of this world against that of the Hereafter.
“We have believed in our Lord so that He may forgive us our sins”—that is, our disbelief and acts of disobedience, for faith expiates evil deeds and repentance erases whatever preceded it. Their words, “and the magic you forced us to practice,” by which we opposed the truth, show that their earlier actions had not been voluntary; rather, Pharaoh had compelled them by force.
It appears—and Allah knows best—that when Moses admonished them, as mentioned previously in his words, “Woe to you! Do not fabricate lies against Allah, lest He utterly destroy you with a punishment,” his admonition affected them and made a profound impression upon them. This was why they disputed after hearing his words and warning. Pharaoh then compelled them to proceed and forced them to carry out the scheme. That is why, before they came forth, they repeated his earlier words: “These two are surely magicians who wish to drive you from your land by their magic.” Thus they followed the course he had laid down for them and forced them to adopt. Perhaps this disposition within their hearts—their aversion to opposing truth with falsehood and their acting with inward reservations—was what influenced them. Allah therefore had mercy upon them on its account and guided them to faith and repentance.
“Allah is better” than the reward, high standing, and prestige you have promised us, “and more enduring” in reward and beneficence. The truth is not as Pharaoh claimed when he said, “You will surely know which of us is more severe in punishment and more enduring,” by which he meant that he was more severe in punishment and more enduring.
In every account of Moses and Pharaoh, whenever Allah relates the story of the magicians, He mentions that Pharaoh threatened them with mutilation and crucifixion, but He does not mention that Pharaoh actually carried out his threat. Nor is there any authentic hadith concerning this. Consequently, certainty that it did or did not occur depends upon evidence, and Allah knows best about this and all other matters. Nevertheless, Pharaoh’s threat, coupled with his ability to carry it out, indicates that it occurred. Moreover, had it not occurred, Allah would have mentioned that, and those who transmitted the account agree that it did.