Tafsir

Musa defeats the Magicians, Who believe in Him

Allah states that at that tremendous moment, in which Allah differentiated between Truth and Falsehood, He sent a revelation to His servant and Messenger Musa, peace be upon him, ordering him to throw the stick that he held in his right hand, فَإِذَا هِىَ تَلْقَفُ(It swallowed straight away) and devoured, مَا يَأْفِكُونَ(all the falsehood which they showed.) the magic that they caused the illusion with, of magic with which they caused making it appear real, whereas it was not real at all. Ibn `Abbas said that Musa's stick swallowed all the ropes and sticks that the magicians threw. The magicians realized that this was from heaven and was by no means magic. They fell in prostration and proclaimed, قَالُواْ ءَامَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ - رَبِّ مُوسَى وَهَـرُونَ ("We believe in the Lord of all that exists. The Lord of Musa and Harun ). Muhammad bin Ishaq commented, "It followed the ropes and sticks one after another, until nothing that the sorcerers threw remained. Musa then held it in his hand, and it became a stick again just as it was before.

The magicians fell in prostration and proclaimed, `We believe in the Lord of all that exists, the Lord of Musa and Harun. Had Musa been a magician, he would not have prevailed over us. "' Al-Qasim bin Abi Bazzah commented, "Allah revealed to Musa to throw his stick. When he threw his stick, it became a huge, manifest snake that opened its mouth and swallowed the magicians' ropes and sticks. On that, the magicians fell in prostration. They did not raise their heads before seeing the Paradise, the Fire, and the recompense of their inhabitants."

The next verse 117 said, وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ أَنْ أَلْقِ عَصَاكَ ۖ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُونَ ﴿117﴾ "And We revealed to Musa 'Throw your staff.' Then, of a sudden it began to swallow all that they had concocted." We find it reported in history, when thousands of staffs and ropes were turned into snakes leaping all over the ground, Allah commanded Musa to drop down his staff on the ground. It turned into a great snake and instantly began to eat up the snakes of the sorcerers. The crowd stood bewildered and stunned at this sight. Within no time all the snakes were eaten up by the great snake of the prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) .

فظهر الحق واستبان لمن شهده وحضره في أمر موسى عليه السلام، وأنه رسول الله يدعو إلى الحق، وبطل الكذب الذي كانوا يعملونه.

يخبر تعالى أنه أوحى إلى عبده ورسوله موسى ، عليه السلام ، في ذلك الموقف العظيم ، الذي فرق الله تعالى فيه بين الحق والباطل ، يأمره بأن يلقي ما في يمينه وهي عصاه ، ( فإذا هي تلقف ) أي : تأكل ( ما يأفكون ) أي : ما يلقونه ويوهمون أنه حق ، وهو باطل .قال ابن عباس : فجعلت لا تمر بشيء من حبالهم ولا من خشبهم إلا التقمته ، فعرفت السحرة أن هذا أمر من السماء ، وليس هذا بسحر ، فخروا سجدا وقالوا : ( آمنا برب العالمين رب موسى وهارون )وقال محمد بن إسحاق : جعلت تبتلع تلك الحبال والعصي واحدة ، واحدة حتى ما يرى بالوادي قليل ولا كثير مما ألقوا ، ثم أخذها موسى فإذا هي عصا في يده كما كانت ، ووقع السحرة سجدا ( قالوا آمنا برب العالمين رب موسى وهارون ) لو كان هذا ساحرا ما غلبنا .وقال القاسم بن أبي بزة : أوحى الله إليه أن ألق عصاك ، فألقى عصاه ، فإذا هي ثعبان فاغر فاه ، يبتلع حبالهم وعصيهم . فألقي السحرة عند ذلك سجدا ، فما رفعوا رءوسهم حتى رأوا الجنة والنار وثواب أهلهما .