Surah 7. Al-A'raf

---

Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-25 [2], 26-31 [3], 32-39 [4], 40-47 [5], 48-53 [6], 54-58 [7], 59-64 [8], 65-72 [9], 73-84 [10], 85-93 [11], 94-99 [12], 100-108 [13], 109-126 [14], 127-129 [15], 130-141 [16], 142-147 [17], 148-151 [18], 152-157 [19], 158-162 [20], 163-171 [21], 172-181 [22], 182-188 [23], 189-206 [24]

---

Quran Text of Verse 109-126قَالَSaidالْمَلَاُthe chiefsمِنْofقَوْمِ(the) peopleفِرْعَوْنَ(of) FiraunاِنَّIndeedهٰذَاthisلَسٰحِرٌ(is) surely a magicianعَلِیْمٌۙlearned یُّرِیْدُHe wantsاَنْtoیُّخْرِجَكُمْdrive you outمِّنْfromاَرْضِكُمْ ۚyour landفَمَا ذَاso whatتَاْمُرُوْنَ (do) you instruct قَالُوْۤاThey saidاَرْجِهْPostpone himوَ اَخَاهُand his brotherوَاَرْسِلْand sendفِیinالْمَدَآىِٕنِthe citiesحٰشِرِیْنَۙgatherers یَاْتُوْكَThey (will) bring to youبِكُلِّ[with] everyسٰحِرٍmagicianعَلِیْمٍ learned وَ جَآءَSo cameالسَّحَرَةُthe magiciansفِرْعَوْنَ(to) FiraunقَالُوْۤاThey saidاِنَّIndeedلَنَاfor usلَاَجْرًاsurely (will be) a rewardاِنْifكُنَّاwe areنَحْنُ[we]الْغٰلِبِیْنَ the victors قَالَHe saidنَعَمْYesوَ اِنَّكُمْand indeed youلَمِنَsurely (will be) ofالْمُقَرَّبِیْنَ the ones who are near قَالُوْاThey saidیٰمُوْسٰۤیO MusaاِمَّاۤWhetherاَنْ[that]تُلْقِیَyou throwوَ اِمَّاۤorاَنْ[that]نَّكُوْنَwe will beنَحْنُ[we]الْمُلْقِیْنَ the ones to throw قَالَHe saidاَلْقُوْا ۚThrowفَلَمَّاۤThen whenاَلْقَوْاthey threwسَحَرُوْۤاthey bewitchedاَعْیُنَ(the) eyesالنَّاسِ(of) the peopleوَ اسْتَرْهَبُوْهُمْand terrified themوَ جَآءُوْand came (up)بِسِحْرٍwith a magicعَظِیْمٍ great وَ اَوْحَیْنَاۤAnd We inspiredاِلٰیtoمُوْسٰۤیMusaاَنْthatاَلْقِThrowعَصَاكَ ۚyour staffفَاِذَاand suddenlyهِیَitتَلْقَفُswallow(ed)مَاwhatیَاْفِكُوْنَۚthey (were) falsifying فَوَقَعَSo was establishedالْحَقُّthe truthوَ بَطَلَand became futileمَاwhatكَانُوْاthey used toیَعْمَلُوْنَۚdo فَغُلِبُوْاSo they were defeatedهُنَالِكَthereوَ انْقَلَبُوْاand returnedصٰغِرِیْنَۚhumiliated وَ اُلْقِیَAnd fell downالسَّحَرَةُthe magiciansسٰجِدِیْنَۚۖprostrate 7. Al-A'raf Page 165قَالُوْۤاThey saidاٰمَنَّاWe believeبِرَبِّin (the) Lordالْعٰلَمِیْنَۙ(of) the worlds رَبِّLordمُوْسٰی(of) Musaوَ هٰرُوْنَ and Harun قَالَSaidفِرْعَوْنُFiraunاٰمَنْتُمْYou believedبِهٖin himقَبْلَbeforeاَنْ[that]اٰذَنَI give permissionلَكُمْ ۚto youاِنَّIndeedهٰذَاthisلَمَكْرٌ(is) surely a plotمَّكَرْتُمُوْهُyou have plotted itفِیinالْمَدِیْنَةِthe cityلِتُخْرِجُوْاso that you may drive outمِنْهَاۤfrom itاَهْلَهَا ۚits peopleفَسَوْفَBut soonتَعْلَمُوْنَ you will know لَاُقَطِّعَنَّI will surely cut offاَیْدِیَكُمْyour handsوَ اَرْجُلَكُمْand your feetمِّنْofخِلَافٍopposite (sides)ثُمَّThenلَاُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْI will surely crucify youاَجْمَعِیْنَ all قَالُوْۤاThey saidاِنَّاۤIndeed weاِلٰیtoرَبِّنَاour Lordمُنْقَلِبُوْنَۚ(will) return وَ مَاAnd notتَنْقِمُyou take revengeمِنَّاۤfrom usاِلَّاۤexceptاَنْthatاٰمَنَّاwe believedبِاٰیٰتِin (the) Signsرَبِّنَا(of) our Lordلَمَّاwhenجَآءَتْنَا ؕthey came to usرَبَّنَاۤOur Lord!اَفْرِغْPourعَلَیْنَاupon usصَبْرًاpatienceوَّ تَوَفَّنَاand cause us to dieمُسْلِمِیْنَ۠(as) Muslims

---

Translation of Verse 109-126

109. The nobles of Firaun’s people said: “Surely, he is a master wizard.”

110. “He wants you to drive you out from your land.¹⁶⁵ So what do you propose?”

111. They said (to Firaun): “Let him and his brother alone for the present, and send into the cities summoners.”

112. “To bring to you all master magicians.”

113. And the magicians came to Firaun, saying: “Surely, there will be reward for us, if we are victors?”¹⁶⁶

114. He answered: “Yes, and you shall be of my closest nobles.”

115. They (the magicians, at the contest) said: “O Moosa ! Either you cast (first) or let us have to cast (first).”

116. Moosa replied: “You cast (first).” And when they cast down, (their ropes and sticks) they cast a spell upon the people’s eyes,¹⁶⁷ and overawed them, and produced a mighty magical feat.

117. And We revealed to Moosa: “Cast down your staff.” And lo! it swallowed their false devices.¹⁶⁸

118. Thus was the truth vindicated and that which they did proved false.¹⁶⁹

119. Thus were they defeated there, and were demeaned.¹⁷⁰

120. And the magicians prostrated themselves spontaneously.¹⁷¹

121. Saying: “We believe in the Lord of the worlds.”¹⁷²

122. “The Lord of Moosa and Haroon.”¹⁷³

123. Firaun said: “Do you dare believe in him without my consent?¹⁷⁴ This is the plot that you have hatched in order to turn the people out of their city.¹⁷⁵ But soon will you see (the consequences).

124. “I will cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides and then crucify you all.”¹⁷⁶

125. They replied: “Surely, we have to return to our Lord only. ¹⁷⁷

“And you are taking revenge on us only because we believed in the signs of our Lord when they came to us. Our Lord! Grant us patience and let us die as Muslims.”¹⁷⁸

---

Commentary

165. It is their private conversation. When they were not willing to admit the truth, they put a political blame on Prophet Moosa, but they were unmindful of the fact that they were contradicting themselves. The person whom they accused of being a magician, how could he turn the people of the land out of the land ? Can political power be attained by magic? Has any magician so far conquered a country by magic?

166. This shows the character of the magicians. They had come to show their tricks in the greed of rewards; they were not concerned with the truth or falsehood of any matter.

167. It shows that the reality of magic is nothing but mere deception of sight, and it is tricks. The sticks and the ropes of the magicians did not really turn into serpents, but they appeared to the onlookers as serpents.

168. That is: Prophet Moosa’s snake finished or broke the spell of the magicians instantly. This story is related briefly in the Torah also:

“So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as the LORD Commanded: Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and his Servants, and it became a Serpent. Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers; and they also, the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. For every man cast down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them; as the LORD had said.” (Exodud 7 : 10 to 13)

169. Firaun’s people had declared Moosa’s miracle as magic, but this contest had shown the difference between the miracle and the magic. Magic cannot change the reality or the nature and substance of a thing, and it is merely the deception of sight, while miracle changes the very substance, nature and reality of a thing. It is not a deception of sight or a trick. Performers of magic are of low character and unreliable persons. Compared to this, performers of miracles are persons of noble conduct and pure characters, and when a miracle is performed by them, the onlookers feel that it is the sign of the Ruler of the Universe, which is being manifested. And when miracle is pitted against magic, it easily overcomes magic.

170. Fir’aun had vehemently claimed that the act performed by prophet Moosa was not a miracle but merely a magical trick. and had challenged Moosa to win against his magicians. prophet Moosa accepted the challenge. Fir’aun was sure that through his magicians he would be able to convert the sticks into serpents. and then Moosa’s miracle would lose its significance. So he arranged the contest to be held in the presence of a huge public crowd. But when prophet Moosa won the. contest. and Fir’aun’s magicians had to face defeat, his scheme misfired, and he had to face disgrace before a very large crowd.

171. When the spell of the magicians was broken. they realized that the conversion of Moosa’s staff into a snake was not magic but a’ divine sign. Therefore. they were so overwhelmed that they prostrated themselves before God. Though they were magicians. they had some element of regard for truth in their hearts. That is why they were guided to accept the truth when they saw it.

172. This is the proof that, faith create great confidence in man, then he not hesitate to fulfill loyalty to his Lord, and in this regard he not fear any arrogant.

173. That is: We accept the same Being as our Lord whom Moosa and Haroon declare as their Lord. This clarification was to remove any kind of ambiguity about their faith in the presence of the king.

174. It shows that in the oppressive rule of Firaun there was no freedom for the subjects to convert to any other religion of their choice.

175. When Firaun was discredited before the large crowd, he accused Moosa and his own magicians of having plotted against him, in order to cover his humiliation. This accusation is of a political nature. It was made in order to declare them rebels to keep them away from the people. politicians employ such machinations against truthful people.

176. probably this was the punishment meted out to the rebels in Firaun’s government.

177. What a faith-inspiring reply has been given by the magicians and how immense Is the love of God that has been created in their hearts immediately after their embracing Islam!

178. The magicians had come to Firaun in the greed of getting rewards from Firaun. which gives an idea of their materialistic view and lowness of character. but faith wrought a great revolution in thier minds and character. With faith they had reached great heights of virtuous character and in their hearts such a force of faith had been created that they were prepared to face even the might of Firaun.