اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ بِجَمِیعِ مَحَامِدِه کُلِّهَا عَلَی جَمِیعِ نِعَمِهِ کُلِّهَا… اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ مالِکِ الْمُلْکِ مُجْرِی الْفُلْکِ مُسَخِّرِ الرِّیاحِ فالِقِ الاْصْباحِ دَیّانِ الدّینِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمینَ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ عَلی حِلْمِهِ بَعْدَ عِلمِهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ عَلی عَفْوِهِ بَعْدَ قُدْرَتِهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ عَلی طُولِ اَناتِهِ فی غَضَبِهِ وَهُوَ قادِرٌ عَلی ما یُریدُ
Praise is to God with all his praises, for all his blessings. . . Praise is to God, the owner of the property, the operator of the orbit, the bender of the wind, the glory of the morning, the religion of the beliefs, lord of the worlds; praise is to God for his dream after his knowledge and thank God for forgiveness after his power, and praise be to God for his long patience in his wrath and he is capable to do what he wills
و نشهد أن لا اله الا الله وحده لا شریک له، و أَنَّ محمداً عبده و رسوله ارسله بالهدی و دین الحق لیظهره علی الدین کله و لو کره المشرکون اوصیکم عبادالله و نفسی بتقوی الله و اتباع امره و نهیه، و اخوفکم من عقابه
And we bear witness that there is no god but God alone, without partner, and that Muhammad is his servant and messenger, he sent him with guidance and the religion of truth, that he might proclaim it over all religion, even if the polytheists hated it.
Presentation of miracles by Musa Kalimullah
When the discussion between Pharaoh and Musa, about his divine mission, became hotter Pharaoh threatened to arrest Musa. Musa said: If I bring you a clear sign for my mission, would you accept it? Pharaoh said: If you are telling the truth, bring it!
At this time, Musa threw his cane to the ground, suddenly they saw that the cane changed into a big snake, then he put his hand in his pocket and took it out, everyone saw that his hand became white and that was shining. The holy Qur’an says:
قَالَ لَئِنِ اتَّخَذْتَ إِلَهًا غَيْرِي لَأَجْعَلَنَّكَ مِنَ الْمَسْجُونِينَ؛
He said, ‘If you take up any god other than me, I will surely make you a prisoner!’ (Sho’ara: 29)
قَالَ أَوَلَوْ جِئْتُكَ بِشَيْءٍ مُبِينٍ؛
He said, ‘What if I bring you something [as an] unmistakable [proof]?’ (30)
قَالَ فَأْتِ بِهِ إِنْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ؛
He said, ‘Then bring it, should you be truthful.’ (31)
فَأَلْقَى عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ ثُعْبَانٌ مُبِينٌ؛
Thereat he threw down his staff, and behold, it was a manifest python. (32)
وَنَزَعَ يَدَهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ بَيْضَاءُ لِلنَّاظِرِينَ؛
Then he drew out his hand, and behold, it was white and bright to the onlookers. (33)
Pharaoh said to the people around him: This Musa is a skilled magician! He wants to drive you out of your land with his magic, what solution do you think?
The people around them said: Keep Musa and his brother Aaron here, and have some agents throughout the city to bring any known and forceful magicians to you. Pharaoh sent agents to all corners of Egypt to bring the sorcerers to him. The agents brought a large number of witches.
The sorcerers told Pharaoh that if they win over Musa in sorcery, they will get rewarded. Pharaoh also accepted and promised them that they will get a very high position.
Musa’s superiority over the magicians, and their belief
The promised day of the meeting of the magicians with Musa came and a large crowd gathered to the scene, Pharaoh and his close people were placed in a special place. At this time, the sorcerers said to Musa with special pride: Do you throw down your cane first, or do we throw down our magic tools? Musa answered with calmly: You start your work.
The sorcerers threw their ropes, strings and wands into the field and showed a huge magic with a special vision, the scene that the sorcerers created was very vast and terrifying. فَلَمَّا أَلْقَوْا سَحَرُوا أَعْيُنَ النَّاسِ وَاسْتَرْهَبُوهُمْ وَجَاءُوا بِسِحْرٍ عَظِيمٍ He said, ‘Throw [yours].’ So when they threw, they bewitched the people’s eyes and overawed them, producing a tremendous magic (A’raf: 116). They were so proud that they said we are definitely the winners: وَقَالُوا بِعِزَّةِ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الْغَالِبُونَ So they threw down their sticks and ropes, and said, ‘By the might of Pharaoh, we shall surely be victorious!’ (Sho’ara: 44)
The sorcerers, who were both numerous and had great knowledge in the art of magic, were able to captivate and penetrate all the spectators with their actions, and the pharaoh’s people were overwhelmed with joy and were very happy.
Musa, who was alone and only his brother Aaron was with him, saw the greatness of that scene, a slight fear arose in his heart, he was afraid if misguided tyrants win. At this time, God revealed to Musa: Do not be afraid! Definitely, superiority and victory is with you. Throw down the cane in your hand, which devours all that the wizards have made:
فَأَوْجَسَ فِي نَفْسِهِ خِيفَةً مُوسَى؛ قُلْنَا لَا تَخَفْ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْأَعْلَى؛ وَأَلْقِ مَا فِي يَمِينِكَ تَلْقَفْ مَا صَنَعُوا إِنَّمَا صَنَعُوا كَيْدُ سَاحِرٍ وَلَا يُفْلِحُ السَّاحِرُ حَيْثُ أَتَى؛
Then Moses felt a fear within his heart. We said, ‘Do not be afraid. Indeed, you will have the upper hand. Throw down what is in your right hand, and it will swallow what they have conjured. What they have conjured is only a magician’s trick, and the magician does not fare well wherever he may show up.’ (Taha: 67-69)
Musa threw his cane, which cane turned into a huge dragon and fell on the artificial snakes of the sorcerers and swallowed them all, not even one of them was left. The spectators were so terrified that they ran away. Pharaoh and his followers were stunned.
The magicians who had the knowledge of witchcraft saw this scene and were sure that what Musa did was not a sort of witchcraft, but it was divine power that did it, because if it was witchcraft, it would not have swallowed and destroyed their equipment. For this reason, the sorcerers fell on the ground and prostrated to God and said: We believe in the Lord of the worlds, the Lord of Musa and Aaron. The Quran says:
فَأَلْقَى مُوسَى عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُونَ؛ فَأُلْقِيَ السَّحَرَةُ سَاجِدِينَ؛ قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ؛ رَبِّ مُوسَى وَهَارُونَ؛
Thereat Moses threw down his staff, and behold, it was swallowing what they had faked. Thereat the magicians fell down prostrating. They said, ‘We believe in the Lord of all the worlds, the Lord of Moses and Aaron.’ (Sho’ara: 45-48)
Repentance and true faith of sorcerers, the most beautiful scene in Pharaoh’s court
Pharaoh, who saw this scene, and saw the superiority of Musa over the sorcerers, and the conversion of the sorcerers, felt that he had been defeated by Musa’s invitation. However, Musa’s righteousness which had been proven before the eyes of so many people frightened Pharaoh so he threatened the sorcerers and other people that they could not dare to believe in Musa:
قَالَ آمَنْتُمْ لَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ آذَنَ لَكُمْ؟ إِنَّهُ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ الَّذِي عَلَّمَكُمُ السِّحْرَ، فَلَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ مِنْ خِلَافٍ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ فِي جُذُوعِ النَّخْلِ وَلَتَعْلَمُنَّ أَيُّنَا أَشَدُّ عَذَابًا وَأَبْقَى؛
He said, ‘Did you believe in him before I should permit you? He is indeed your chief who has taught you magic! Surely, I will cut off your hands and feet from opposite sides, and I will crucify you on the trunks of palm trees, and you will know which of us can inflict a severer and more lasting punishment.’ (Taha: 71)
The sorcerers’ response to Pharaoh displays one of the most beautiful scenes of repentance and true faith:
قَالُوا لَنْ نُؤْثِرَكَ عَلَى مَا جَاءَنَا مِنَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالَّذِي فَطَرَنَا فَاقْضِ مَا أَنْتَ قَاضٍ إِنَّمَا تَقْضِي هَذِهِ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا؛ إِنَّا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّنَا لِيَغْفِرَ لَنَا خَطَايَانَا وَمَا أَكْرَهْتَنَا عَلَيْهِ مِنَ السِّحْرِ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى؛
They said, ‘We will never prefer you to the clear proofs which have come to us, and to Him who originated us. Decide whatever you want to decide. You can only decide about the life of this world. We have indeed believed in our Lord that He may forgive us our offences and the magic you compelled us to perform. Allah is better and more lasting.’ (Taha: 72-73)
The conclusion that the Qur’an takes after this beautiful scene and teaches people of faith is to compare two groups of people in the judgment day: one group is sinners who will be caught in hell, and the second group is those who meet God with faith. That is, even though they might have committed sins in their lives, but they repent and leave the world with a good end:
إِنَّهُ مَنْ يَأْتِ رَبَّهُ مُجْرِمًا فَإِنَّ لَهُ جَهَنَّمَ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحْيَى؛
Whoever comes to his Lord laden with guilt, for him shall be hell, where he will neither live nor die. (Taha: 74)
وَمَنْ يَأْتِهِ مُؤْمِنًا قَدْ عَمِلَ الصَّالِحَاتِ فَأُولَئِكَ لَهُمُ الدَّرَجَاتُ الْعُلَى؛ جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَذَلِكَ جَزَاءُ مَنْ تَزَكَّى؛
But whoever comes to Him with faith and he has done righteous deeds, for such shall be the highest ranks—the Gardens of Eden, with streams running in them, to abide in them [forever], and that is the reward of him who keeps pure. (Taha: 75-76)