النص المفهرس

7
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 100 - 102
The word: + is used for printing or stamping. It implies that these
people have taken no lesson from the past events with the result that
they incurred the wrath of Allah making their hearts sealed. They are,
therefore, unable to listen to the truth. The Holy Prophet _ said in a
Tradition: "When one commits sin for the first time a black dot is
placed on his heart, if he keeps committing sins for the second and
third times the second and third dots are placed. If one increases in his
sins without repenting to Allah, these black spots keep increasing
until the whole heart is painted black." This ultimately deprives man
of his natural faculty of distinguishing right from wrong. This, conse-
quently, leads one to receive evil as good and good as evil, harmful as
useful and useful as harmful.
This perversion of human understanding has been termed in the
Holy Qur'an as ' ra'n' signifying the rust of the heart. In this verse, as
in many other verses of the Holy Qur'an, this stage has been named as
'taba". The result of their hearts being sealed has been mentioned at
the end of the verse by saying (3;''4) "so that they do not listen".
One may think that more appropriate expression in this context was
(3)Y'45) "they do not understand" as the adverse effect of sealing of
the heart is obviously related to the faculty of understanding and not
to the listening. The Holy Qur'an has used the word 'listen' to indicate
that understanding is usually the result of listening to the truth. Now,
since their hearts have been sealed they are rendered unable to
listening the truth. Another explanation to this may be that all human
faculties and limbs are controlled by human heart, that is, the function
of all human parts is adversely affected by malfunctioning of the
heart. When one loves any one or anything he likes everything - good
or bad - in that person or object.
The verse 101 has contained the phrase تِلُكَ الْقُرَى نَقُصُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ انْبَائِهَا "these
are stories of the towns that We narrate to you." The word: {'naba in
Arabic is used to denote some great news. With the word: 3 'min' the
verse has indicated that the events described in these verses are only
some of a large number of events bearing the same lesson. The verse
has further said, "And surely, their messengers came to them with
clear signs, but they were not to believe in what they had belied
earlier." It brings out their obstinate attitude towards the prophets

8
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 100 - 102
who came to them with clear signs or miracles which are a definite
means to decide between right and wrong but they obstinately rejected
the truth, only because they had once belied them.
We know from this verse that miracles were given to all the
prophets. The miracles of some prophets have been mentioned while
the miracles of most of the prophets have not been referred to in the
Holy Qur'an. This does not allow one to infer that the prophets not
mentioned in the Qur'an were not given any miracles. As for the state-
ment of the people of the prophet Hud, appearing in Surah Hud as w.
"you did not bring any clear sign", this verse has clearly indicated
that their statement was simply out of their obstinacy or, may be they
thought his miracles were of less significance.
Another point to be noted is that the present verse is speaking of
the peculiarity of the disbelieving people who rigidly and obstinately
followed the path of ignorance, only to prove that what they had once
said was true, with no regard to all the clear signs and proofs of the
truth. Most of the Muslims, even some 'Ulama' (the religious scholars)
are seen to have the same habit of supporting their wrong statements
in the face of clear proofs of the truth. This condition is a usual cause
of incurring Allah's wrath. ('Masail al Suluk')
Thereafter, the verse said ◌َكَذلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللهُ عَلى قُلُوبِ الكْفِرِين "This is how Allah
stamps upon the hearts of the disbelievers" that is, Allah seals the
hearts of those who disbelieve and reject the truth, making them
unable to accept good as good. The verse 102 has said, "And We did not
find with most of them any covenant (unbroken)." The Companion
'Abdullah ibn Abbas as Ul yo, has said that the covenant referred to in
this verse is the Covenant called duffy. . That is, the covenant that
Allah made with the spirits of all the creatures before creating them,
when Allah said to them: " off "Am I not your Lord?" All the human
spirits entered into a covenant by answering" Yes" to the question.
Most of the people forgot this covenant after they came to earth, and
got involved in worshipping false gods instead of worshipping Allah.
The verse, therefore, has said that Allah did not find most of the
people true to this covenant. (Tafsir Kabir)
The respected companion 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud at Ulu», has said
that the covenant referred to in this verse is the covenant of 'Iman' the

9
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 103 - 108
Faith as has been indicated in the Holy Qur'an in these words ifi )
Lige segni ile "Except the one who entered into a covenant with Rahman
(Allah), the covenant in this verse signifies the covenant of Faith. The
verse, therefore, implies that most of the people deviated from their
covenant with Allah. We usually note that nearly every individual
when he finds himself trapped in some distress, no matter how sinful
he is, turns to Allah and often makes a promise in words or in his
heart that he will be faithful to Allah and obey Him and avoid disobe-
dience if he is relieved from this calamity. But when they are out of
the mess, they indulge in their mundane desires having no regard for
their covenant with Allah.
The Holy Qur'an has made mention of many of such people. It may
be noted that the verse has made exception by saying 'most of them'
and not 'all of them'. It is because there are people who are so
perverted that even in their distress they do not turn to Allah, and
they do not think of making any promise with Allah, while there are
others who fulfil their promise and stay obedient to Him. At the end,
the verse has the phrase "We found most of them sinners." That is,
most of the people deviate from their covenant of staying obedient to
Allah.
The above verses have described five events of earlier people so
that present people may learn lesson from them and avoid following
the course of their forefathers that led them to disaster.
Of all the events of early people described in this chapter the next
event is of prophet Musa WI ue which has been described in some
detail in the following verses because his miracles are larger in
number and more prominent in their nature. Similarly, his people, the
Israelite, were more obstinate and ignorant than other people of the
world. In addition, these verses, 103-110 carry some injunctions and
points of discussion.
Verses 103 - 108
ثُمَّ بَعَثُّنَا مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ تُؤْسى بايتِنَآ إِلى فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَأَبِه
فَظَلَمُوْا بِهَا فَانْظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَهُ الْمُفُسِدِيْنَ ﴿١٠٣) وَقَالَ

10
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 103 - 108
مُؤْسَى يُفِرْ عَوْنُ إِنِّى رَسُوْلٌ مِّنْ رَبِّ الْعُلَمِيْنَ ﴿١٠٤) حَقِيْقٌ
عَلَى أَنْ لَّ اقُوْلَ عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلَّ الْحَقَّ، قَدْ جِتْهُكُمْ بِبَيِّنَةٍ مِّنُ
رَّبِّكُمْ فَأَرْسِلْ مَعِىَ بَنِىٌَّ إِسْرَآءِيُلَ ﴿١٠٥﴾ قَالَ إِنْ كُنْتَ جِنْتَ
◌ِيَةٍ فَأْتِ بِهَا إِنْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الصُّدِقِيْنَ ﴿١٠٦﴾ فَاَلُقَى عَصَاهُ
فَإِذَا هِىَ ثُعُبَانٌ تُّبِيْنٌ ﴿١٠٧) وَنَزَعَ يَدَهُ فَإِذَا هِىَ بَيْضَاءُ
$1.90
لِلنّظِرِيْنَ
Then after them We sent Musa W Jule with Our signs to
Pharaoh and his chiefs then , they did injustice to
them. So, look, how was the fate of the mischief-
makers. [103] And Musa WILL said ,"O Pharaoh, I am a
messenger from the Lord of the worlds, [104] worthy of
saying nothing about Allah except the truth. I have
come to you with a clear sign from your Lord. So, let
the children of Isra'il go with me." [105] He said, "If you
have come with a sign, bring it out, if you are one of the
truthful." [106] So he threw down his staff, and it was a
serpent, manifest; [107] and drew out his hand, and it
was a white light to the onlookers. [108]
The verse 103, has said that after the prophets Nuh, Hud, Salih, Lut
and Shu aib, We sent Musa WILL with Our signs towards Pharaoh
and his people. The 'signs' may refer to the verses of the Torah or to
the miracles of the prophet Musa WIale . The word Pharaoh was the
title of Egyptian kings. The Pharaoh of Musa's time is said to be
Mernephtah. The phrase 4 pt "they did injustice to them (signs)"
here means that they showed indifference to the verses of Allah,
instead of being grateful to Him and having faith in them they rejected
His verses. The word J rendered as wrong or injustice, in fact, signi-
fies the use of something for a purpose opposite to what it was created
for. Further it said ◌َفَانْظُرُ كَيُفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ المُفُسِدِين "So look how was the fate of
mischief-makers." Again the people are invited to take lesson from
these events and think of their own fate.
The verse is a clear declaration of the prophet Musa WILL before
Pharaoh that he was a messenger of Allah, the Lord of all the worlds,
and that his status of prophethood does not allow him to ascribe

11
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 103 - 108
anything but truth to Allah because the message given to the prophets
by Allah is a sacred trust and it is a great sin to tamper with it. All the
prophets of Allah are free of all sins and cannot do so. The prophet
Musa WJI ue tried to convince them that they should believe him
because his truthfulness was beyond question and that he had never
uttered a word of lie. In addition to this, his miracles are a clear proof
to support his claim to prophethood.
In the light of these clear signs he must believe him and let the
children of Isra'il go with him free of his illegitimate surveillance. The
Pharaoh, out of his obstinacy, did not listen to anything, but
demanded saying, " If you have come with a sign, bring it out, if you
are among the truthful," ◌َإِنْ كُنْتَ جِئْتَ بَايَةٍ فَأْتِ بِهَا إِنُ كُنْتَ مِنَ الصُّدِقِين .The prophet
Musa WIale, in response to his demand, threw down his staff on the.
earth, instantly it turned into a serpent: ◌ٌفَإِذَا هِىَ ثُعُبَانٌ مُّبِيْر The word
'thu'ban' in Arabic signifies a huge serpent. The use of the word 'mubin'
as an adjective which means 'clear or prominent' is quite descriptive of
the fact that this miraculous event took place manifestly before the
eyes of the people of the Pharaoh, and it was not performed secretly in
a hidden or secluded place as is usually done by magicians. In some
historical traditions it has been cited on the authority of the
Companion Ibn 'Abbas as Ul , that as the serpent moved towards
Pharaoh, he jumped from his throne and sought shelter near the
prophet Musa WI Je and many of his courtiers died of extreme fear.
(Tafsir Kabir)
Transformation of the staff into a real serpent is not, in fact, totally
impossible as it apparently seems. It is, however, surprising due to
being unusual. The miracle has to be an unusual act, beyond the
power of a common individual. Allah shows the miracles through His
prophets to make people understand that they possess some divine
powers and are true prophets of Allah. Thereafter, the verse (7:108)
said, ◌َوَنَزَعَ يَدَهُ فَإِذَا هِىَ بَيْضَاءٌ لِلنَّظِرِين 'And he drew out his hand, and it was white
light to the onlookers.'
The Arabic word: es naza'a signifies extracting something from
another thing with force. Here this word indicates that the prophet
Musa WI ule applied some force while drawing out his hand. The
verse does not speak of a place from where he drew out his hand. In

12
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 109 - 110
other verses, however, we find mention of two things. In a verse (27:12)
we find the words aus z ow k' 'enter your hand under your robe.' The
other verse (20:22) contains the words (َوَاضُهُمْ يَدَكَ إِلى جَنَاحِك) 'put your hand
under your arm.' The two phrases indicate that he used to draw out
his hand either from under his arm or from under his shirt. Arabic
word: 'u 'bayda' means white. The whiteness of hand may also be due
to some disease, it is perhaps, why the Holy Qur'an has added the
words 'without an evil' in other (28:32, 27:12) verse to eliminate any
possible doubt of a disease. We know from a Tradition reported by the
Companion 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas as Al , that this whiteness was not
of ordinary kind. It had light that illuminated the whole surrounding.
(Qurțubi) The Arabic word 'nazirin' signifying the 'onlookers or viewers'
indicates that this light was so surprising for the people that they
gathered to see it.
The prophet Musa WI de performed two miracles at this occasion
on the demand of the Pharaoh. First, the transformation of his staff
into a serpent, second, drawing his hand out from under his arm,
emanating light from it. The first was to serve as warning for the
unbelievers while the second aimed at inviting them to the truth. It
also indicated that the message of the prophet Musa was a light and to
follow it would lead people to eternal success.
Verses 109 - 110
قَالَ الْلَا مِنُ قَوْمٍ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّ هَذَا لَسُحِرٌّ عَلِيْمَّ ﴿١٩) يُرِيِّدُ آنُ
تُخْرِجَكُمْ مِنُ أَرْضِكُمْ فَمَاذَا تَأْمُرُونَ ﴿١١٠)
The chiefs of the people of the Pharaoh said, "This man
is certainly a sorcerer of great knowledge. [109] He
wants to expel you from your land. So, what do you
suggest ?" [110]
The Arabic word 'Mala" is used for influential chiefs. After seeing
these miracles they said to the people he was a great sorcerer. Being
ignorant of divine powers of Allah they could say nothing else as they
believed Pharaoh to be their god and had seen nothing but the magical
charms of the sorcerers in their life. They, however, added the word
"alim' signifying the one who knows, showing their impression that the

13
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 111 - 122
miraculous acts of Musa >JI ut were of the kind that could not be
performed by an ordinary magician. So, they said that he was a
sorcerer of great knowledge.
The difference between miracle and sorcery
The miracles and sorcery are so distinct in their nature and effect
that they do not require any explanation to any one applying common
sense. The sorcerers usually live in impurity and, the more they are
unclean and impure the more they are successful in their sorcery. The
prophets, on the other hand, are by nature the most clean and pure
people. Another obvious distinction is that a sorcerer is never
successful when he makes claim to prophethood. Besides, the acts
performed under the effect of sorcery do have physical causes as other
things have, with the only difference that their causes remain hidden
to common people. The people, therefore, take them to be happening
without the help of any cause. On the contrary, the miracles are
directly a manifestation of Allah's power and have nothing to do with
physical causes. This is why the miracles have been ascribed directly
to Allah and not to the prophets in the Holy Qur'an. The Qur'an said
"but Allah threw the pebbles" (while these pebbles were thrown by the
Holy Prophet in the battle of Badr) In short, the miracles and
sorcery are totally different from each other. The people of knowledge
have no confusion about it. In order to eliminate any possible confu-
sion of a common individual, Allah has provided with obvious distinc-
tions between the two.
Even the people of the Pharaoh found the miracles of the prophet
Musa WJI u. somehow different from the normal acts of sorcerers.
Therefore, even while accusing him of sorcery they admitted that he
was 'of great knowledge' meaning that his act was not comparable
with the acts of the normal sorcerers.
Verses 111- 122
قَالُؤْآ آَرْجِهُ وَآَخَاهُ وَاَرْسِلُ فِى الْمَدَآْبِنِ حُشِرِينَ ﴿١١١)
يَأْتُوْكَ بِكُلِّ سُجِرٍ عَلِيْمِ ﴿١١٢﴾ وَجَاءَ السَّخَرَةُ فِرْعَوْنَ قَالُؤَّاً
إِنَّ لَنَا لَآَ جْرًا إِنْ كُنَّا نَحْنُ الْغُلِيْنَ ﴿١١٣﴾ قَالَ نَعَمْ وَإِنَّكُمْ لِمَنَ

14
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 111 - 122
الْقُرَّبِيْنَ ﴿١١٤﴾ قَالُوا يُمُوْسَى ◌ِّقَّا أَنْ تُلْقِىَ وَإِمَّا أَنْ تَّكُوْنَ
نَحْنُ الْمُلْقِيْنَ ﴿١١٥﴾ قَالَ الْقُوْا فَلَمَّا الْقَوْا سَحَرُؤُاَ اَعْيُنَ
النَّاسِ وَاسْتَرْهَبُوُهُمْ وَجَآءُ وا بِسِحْرٍ عَظِيْمٍ ﴿١١٦) وَ أَوْحَيْتًاً
إِلى مُؤْسَى أَنْ أَلْقِ عَصَاكَ فَإِذَا هِىَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأُفِكُوْنَ
﴿١٦٧﴾ فَوَقَعَ الْحَقُّ وَتَطَلَ مَاكَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١٨)﴾ فَغُلِبُوْا
هُنَالِكَ وَانْقَلَبُوْا صَغِرِينَ ﴿١٢٨﴾ وَأُلْقِىَ السَّحَرَةُ سُجِدِينَ
قَالُاَ امَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْعُلَمِيْنَ ﴿١٢١) رَتٍّ مُؤْسِى وَهُوْنَ
٠١٢٠٥
﴿١٢٢﴾
They said, "leave him and his brother alone for a while,
and send men to the cities to collect [111] and bring to
you every expert sorcerer." [112]
And the sorcerers came to Pharaoh. They said, "There
must be a reward for us, if we are the victors." [113] He
said, "yes, and of course, you will be among the closer
ones." [114] They said, "O Musa وعليه السلام either you throw
(first) or shall we be the ones to throw?" He said, "You
throw." [115]
So when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the
people, and made them frightened, and produced great
sorcery. [116] And We revealed to Musa, 'Throw your
staff." Then of a sudden, it began to swallow all that
they had concocted. [117]
So, the truth prevailed, and what they were doing
became a nullity. [118] So, they were overcome there
and turned humiliated. [119] And the sorcerers were
constrained to fall in prostration. [120] They said, "We
believe in the Lord of the worlds, [121] the Lord of Musa
and Harun." [122]
These verses narrate the remaining part of the story of the prophet
Musa WJI U. Seeing these wonders of staves turning into serpents
and making his hand emitting strong white light, the Pharaoh should
have been convinced and have believed in Musa WILL as the logic

15
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 111 - 122
and sense demanded. But it is the common practice of the wrong-doers
that they always seek false interpretations of the truth in order to
conceal it, the Pharaoh and his people belied him instead, and said to
the people that he was a great sorcerer and that he wanted to expel
them from their homes and take over the rule of the country. The
people of the Pharaoh suggested:
أَرْجِهُ وَآَخَاهُ وَأَرْسِلُ فِى الْذَلِنِ حَاشِرِيْنَ - يَأْتُوُكَ بِكُلِّ سُجِرٍ عَلِيْمٍ (١١١-١١٢)
"leave him and his brother alone for a while, and send men to
the cities to collect and bring to you every expert sorcerer-
111,112.".
The people of the Pharaoh said that there were many expert sorcerers
in their cities who were capable of defeating Musa WIde.
Some soldiers should be sent to collect and bring the sorcerers for
this purpose. Sorcery and magic, being the custom of the day, the
sorcerers enjoyed a high status among people. Allah sent Musa Wul ale
with the miracles of the staff and white-lit hand so that people may
clearly observe the misery of the sorcerers after entering into a contest
with Musa WJIne. It is the usual practice of Allah that He sends His
prophets with miracles that are appropriate to the demand of the time.
For instance, in the time of the prophet 'Isa (the Jesus), Greek philos-
ophy and medical sciences were at their zenith. He was, therefore,
sent with the miraculous powers of restoring the sight of those who
were born blind and cure the lepers instantly with a touch of his hand.
In the time of the Holy Prophet & the Arabs were boastful of their
oratory and linguistic capabilities. The Holy Qur'an was sent as the
greatest of all miracles of the Holy prophet. It's diction and style so
bewildered the Arabs that they instantly acknowledged a super
human element in it. The sorcerers came to Pharaoh and said:
إِنَّ لَنَا لَآَجُرًّا إِنْ كُنَّا نَحْنُ الْغَالِبِيْنَ
"There must be a reward for us, if we are the victors." (113)
He said,
نَعَمْ وَإِنَّكُمُ لِنَ الْمُرَّبِيْنَ
"Yes, and of course, you will be among the closer ones." (114)
The sorcerers were invited from all over the country. When they all

16
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 111 - 122
came to Pharaoh they asked him of some reward if they gain victory
over Musa WI ol. . He promised that in addition to their reward they
shall be included among those close to him. The historical reports
about the number of these sorcerers give us different information.
These give us a number from nine hundred to three hundred thou-
sand. The quantity of the staves and strings used in this contest is
reported to be as great as was loaded on three hundred camels. (Qurțubi)
It may be noted that the first thing the sorcerers did, was to have
an assurance about the reward they will get in return of their perfor-
mance. It is because worldly people are always after worldly gains.
They do nothing unless they are sure of their gains, while on the
contrary, the prophets and their disciples always declare:
وَمَّا أَسْتَلُكُمُ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ إِنْ أَجْرِىَ إِلَعَلَى رَبِّ الْعُلَمِيْنَ
I do not ask you for a reward, as my reward is with the Lord
of all the worlds.' (26:109)
That is, the prophets of Allah preach and convey the message of
Allah only for the good and guidance of people and they seek no finan-
cial gain against it. They seek their reward from Allah alone. After
this discourse with Pharaoh the sorcerers got the place and date fixed
for the great encounter. An open land was chosen for the purpose and
the time was fixed after the sunrise on their festival Day. It is also
قَالَ مَوْعِدُكُمُ يَوْمٌ : said عليه السلام mentioned in a verse of the Holy Qur'an: Musa
your appointed day is the day of 'zinah' so that" الزّيْئَةٍ وَأَنْ يُّحْشَرَ النَّاسُ ضُحى
people may be gathered after sunrise." (20:59)
Some reports say that the prophet Musa WILL had a short
conversation with the chief of the sorcerers and asked him if they
would accept the faith in case he defeated them? He said that there
was no question of their being defeated as they possessed such great
magical powers that could not be overcome by any one. And in case
'you bring defeat to us we shall declare our faith openly in the pres-
ence of the Pharaoh'. (Mazhari and Qurțubi)
They said,
قَالُوا يُمُوسَى ◌ِّقّا أَنْ تُلْقِىَ وَإِمَّا أَنْ نَّكُوْنَ نَحُنُ الْلُفِيْنَ
"O Musa either you throw (first) or shall we be the ones to
throw."

17
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 111 - 122
The Arabic word: " ul 'ilqa' means to drop something down. On the
day of encounter the sorcerers asked the prophet Musa WI _Le if he
would drop down his staff first or should they throw theirs first? This
question of the sorcerers was perhaps to show their complacency about
their art, though the mode of their sentence indicated that they
wanted to start first, but for giving an impression of power to their
opponent they put that question. Since the prophet Musa WJILL had
nothing to fear about, he invited them saying 'you drop.'
Ibn Kathir has said that the prophet Musa WILL behaved with
them politely by inviting them to have their turn first. The effect of
this behaviour was that they accepted the faith after their defeat. Here
we are faced with a question. The sorcery is an impermissible act,
specially when it is used to oppose a prophet sent by Allah it becomes
an act of infidelity. How then the prophet Musa WILLe gave permis-
sion of magic to the sorcerers by saying 'you drop'? With a little
thought we can find the answer. It was certain that the sorcerers will
show their magic by all means. The point of conversation was to decide
who should start the contest. The prophet Musa WI ale allowed them
to begin. Another advantage of this strategy was that the people could
see their performance and the sorcerers had all the time to show their
art and turn the staves into snakes. Then the staff of the prophet
Musa WJILL should turn into a serpent and eat up all the snakes,
thus the open defeat of magic should be exhibited before the people.
(Bayan- al- Qur'an)
فَلَمَّاَ اَلْقَوْا سَحَرُوًا أَعْيُنَّ النَّاسِ وَاسْتَرْهَبُوُهُمْ وَجَاءُوْا بِسِخُرٍ عَظِيْمٍ
So, when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people,
and made them frightened, and came out with great sorcery.
(116)
This verse indicates that this demonstration of their magic was
just a bewitching of the eyes of the people which made them see the
staffs and strings as snakes leaping on the ground, while the strings
and the staffs did not change physically. It was a kind of mesmerism
hypnotising the minds of the onlookers. This does not mean that
sorcery is confined only in this kind and that it cannot change some-
thing into another, as we do not have any proof against it. On the
contrary, many forms and kinds of magic have been taken as being

18
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 123 - 127
reality. The terms magic and sorcery are usually applied for all the
acts that seem to be happening in unusual way. Sleight of hand, tele-
pathic influences and mesmerism are sometimes called magic. Trans-
formation of one thing into another through magic may be a possibility
but we have no valid reason or proof for or against it.
The next verse 117 said, ◌َوَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلى مُؤْشَى أَنْ أَلْقِ عَصَاكَ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلْقَفُ مَايَا فِكُون "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 WI ale 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 WILLe. Next, the verse said:
فَوَقَعَ الْحَقُّ وَبَطَلَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُوْنَ . فَغُلِبُوْا ◌ُنَالِكَ وَ أُنْقْلَبُوْاْ صَاغِرِيْنَمَوَأَلُّفِىَ
السَّخْرَةُ سَجِدِيْنَ ، قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْعَالَيْنَ رَتٍ مُؤْسِى وَ هَارُوْنَه
"So, the truth prevailed and what they were doing became a
nullity. So there they were overcome and turned humiliated.
And the sorcerers were constrained to fall in prostration. They
said, "We believe in the Lord of the worlds, the Lord of Musa
and Harun."
The sorcerers were so overawed by the miracle of the prophet Musa
JILL that they fell in prostration. This may also imply that Allah
blessed them with favour and put them in prostration. They added the
phrase, the Lord of Musa WJIale and Harun after saying, the Lord of
the worlds, to make it clear that the Lord worshipped by Musa Mulle
and Harun is, in fact, the Lord of the Universe, and not the Pharaoh as
he pretended to be.
Verses- 123 - 127
قَالَ فِرُعَوْنُ أَمَنْتُمْ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَنَّ اذَنَ لَكُمْ إِنَّ هَذَا لَكُرُ مَّكَرْتُهُ فِى
الْمَدِيْنَةِ لِتُخْرِجُوا مِنْهَا أَهْلَهَا فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُوْنَ ﴿١٢٣) لَأُ قَطِّعَنَّ
اَيِّدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ مِّنْ خِلَافٍ ثُمَّ لَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ أَجْمَعِيْنَ ﴿١٢٤﴾ قَالُاَ

19
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 123 - 127
إِنَّا إِلَى رَبِّنَا مُنْقَلِبُونَ ﴿١٢٥) وَمَا تَنْقِمُ مِنََّ إِلَّ أَنْ امَنَّا بِابْتِ رَبِّنَا
لمَّ جَاءَتْنَاهِ رَبَّنَا آَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًا وَتَوَقَّنَا مُسْلِمِيْنَ ﴿١٢٢) وَقَالَ
الْمَلَا مِنُ قَوْمِ فِرْعَوْنَ اتَذَرُ مُؤْسَى وَقَوْمَةً لِيُفْسِدُوْا فِى الْأَرْضِ
وَيَذَرَكَ وَالِهَتَكَ، قَالَ سَنُفَقِلُ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ وَ نَسْتَحُى نِسَاءَهُمْ وَإِنَّا
فَؤُقَهُمْ قُهِرُونَ ﴿١٢٧)
The Pharaoh said, "You have believed in him before I
permitted you. No doubt, this is a device you have devised in
the city, so that you may expel it's people from there. Now
you shall know (it's end). [123] I shall certainly, cut apart
your hands and your legs from opposite sides. Then I shall
crucify you all together." [124] They said, "We are surely to
return to our Lord. [125] You punish us for no other reason
but that we have believed in the signs of our Lord when they
came to us. "O our Lord, pour out patience upon us and let
the death take us while we are Muslims ( the faithful)." [126]
And the chiefs of the people of the Pharaoh said, "Do you
leave Musa WULL and his people that they spread disorder
in the land while he leaves you and your gods?" He said, " We
shall slaughter their sons and let their women live. And we
have full power over them." [127]
The foregoing verses had a detailed account of the contest between
the prophet Musa WI u and the sorcerers and that after their defeat
the sorcerers declared their faith in Allah. Some historical reports say
that subsequent to their declaration of faith in Allah, six hundred
thousand more people followed suit and declared their belief in Allah.
Before this open contest there were only two individuals believing in
Allah. Now a great army of people became Muslims. It was, obviously
an embarrassing situation for the Pharaoh. Like a clever politician he
managed to conceal his state of mind before the people, and changed
the situation by putting the blame of conspiracy and rebellion on the
sorcerers. He claimed that they had joined hands with Musa XJlade
and Harun in order to create disorder in the country. Then he said to
the sorcerers, "You have believed in him before I permitted you." This
was a threat to the sorcerers on the one hand, and on the other, he
tried to convince his people that the sorcerers made a hasty decision in

20
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 123 - 127
accepting their faith and fell prey to the trap of Musa WIde and
Harun. Otherwise, he would have also believed in him in case Musa Le
> land Harun proved truthful in their claim.
It was a clever design of Pharaoh. He tried to keep his people stay
in their former ignorance and make people believe that the contest
was pre-plotted between the prophet Musa WI Le and the sorcerers.
He cleverly twisted the fact that the miracle of Musa WJILe and the
open conversion of the sorcerers to the true Faith was purely to expose
the ignorance and falsehood of the Pharaoh. He turned it into a polit-
ical issue by saying, "So that you may expel it's people from there." He
wanted to make his people believe that they planned the whole matter
to gain power over the country and expel the people from there.
After making all these strategic statements he threatened the
sorcerers, first, with an indefinite remark saying, "Now you shall know
لَا قَطِعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمُ وَاَرْجُلَكُمْ مِنْ ,your end)". Further specifying the threat, He said)
I shall surely, cut your hands and legs from the" خِلافٍ ثُمَّ لَاُ صلِّبِنَّكُمُ اَجْمَعِيْنَ
opposite sides. Then I shall crucify you all together." By cutting from
the opposite sides he meant the right hand and the left foot so that
they are made completely disabled and invalid.
The Pharaoh made all the efforts that he could to control his
people. The belief in Allah, or "Iman' as it is called by the Qur'an, is a
great power. When it finds it's way into one's heart, one finds himself
as powerful as to face the whole world and all the forces gathered
together against him. This was a great change. Only a few hours ago,
the sorcerers were the worshippers of Pharaoh, but having faith in
Allah they demonstrated such a great power and courage that in
response to all the threats to their lives by the Pharaoh, they only said
with perfect satisfaction that, in that case, SKAL' es ghet "To our Lord
we are sure to return."
The sorcerers were fully aware of Pharaoh's power and authority
over them. They did not say that Pharaoh will not be able to kill them
because of their new faith. Their answer was to suggest that the whole
life of this temporary world had no value in their eyes. Their satisfac-
tion was due to the fact that they were sure of meeting the Lord of the
worlds after passing away from this world. There they shall get an
everlasting life of peace and comfort.

21
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 123 - 127
Another interpretation of their answer is that though the Pharaoh
had all the power to finish their life, but soon he will be presented
before the Lord of the worlds where he shall be taken to account for
his despotism. In another verse, the following statement is also
فَاقْضِ مَّا أَنْتَ قَاضٍ إِنَّا تَقْضِىُ لهذهٍ الْحَيلوةَ الدُّنيا , included in the answer of the sorcerers
"You may pass any judgement you can against us, but your judgement
will be restricted to this worldly life." (72:20) This also shows their total
indifference towards the temporary life of this world. This great
change in their thought and action was the result of their true faith in
Allah. In addition to this, their faith opened the door of knowledge and
wisdom upon them which is manifest from their invocation to Allah at
this occasion. They prayed, ◌َرَبَّنَا أَفُرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًا وَّ تَوَقَّنًا مُسْلِمِين "O Allah! Shower
upon us patience and let death take us while we are Muslims." This
prayer is not only a manifestation of knowledge and wisdom, but also
the best means of getting out of the difficulty they were in. It is
because perseverance and patience are the only keys to success over
one's enemy.
The report of the commission formed for investigating the causes
and effects of the World War has remarked that the Muslims who
observe faith in Allah and in the Hereafter are the most valiant and
brave people in the battle field, and the most patient in the times of
difficulty because they have faith in Allah and in the Hereafter. This is
why the German military officials, expert in military sciences, emphat-
ically suggested that they should create honesty and sense of account-
ability in the Hereafter among their soldiers, as they are the great
source of strength and courage. (Tafsir al-Manar)
It Was A Miracle
The instant perfect change of mind of the sorcerers was, in no way,
a lesser miracle than the other miracles of the prophet Musa >Jude
Those who led a life of infidelity and ignorance for their whole life
were instantly changed into the most cognizant, knowledgeable and
true Muslims, as faithful as to readily sacrifice their life for their faith.
It is a pity that the Muslims and the Muslim states are trying all other
ways and means to make themselves powerful and strong, but have
become neglectful of the real source of power and strength. That is
faith, perseverance and patience.

22
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 123 - 127
Pharaoh was frightened
It is to be noted that the Pharaoh was in some degree successful in
keeping his ignorant people in their former ignorance through his
clever and false statements, but at the same time, they strangely
noted that all the fury and rage of Pharaoh was limited to the
sorcerers only. He did not dare say a word against the prophets Musa
XJI ude and Harun who were his real opponents. This is obvious from
أَتَذَهُ مُوسَى وَقَوُمَهْ لِيُفْسِدُوا فِى الْأَرْضِ وَيَذَرَكَ وَالِهَتَكَ : the following statement of his people
"Do you leave Musa WJI ale and his people alone to spread disorder in
the land, even when he abandons you and your gods?"
Pharaoh had no convincing answer to this question. He only said,
We shall slaughter their sons and let" سُقَتِلُ ابْنَاءَ هُمْ وَنَسْتَحْى نِسَاءَهُمْ وَإِنَّا فَوْقَهُمْ قَاهِرُوْنَ
their women live, and we have full power over them."
According to the commentators of the Holy Qur'an, Pharaoh tried
to satisfy his people saying that by killing their males and leaving
their women alive, he shall totally eliminate them within a period of
time. Their women shall be spared to serve his people as maid
servants. In fact, Pharaoh was so frightened by the miracle of the
prophet Musa WI -le that even at this occasion when he was threat-
ening to kill all the men of Israelites, he could not utter a single word
of threat against Musa and Harun JI + Maulana Rumi said :
هرکه ترسید از حق و تقوی کزید
ترسید ازوي جن و انس و هرکه دید
"Whoever adopts 'Taqwa' and fears Allah is feared by all
human beings and spirits" .
The above statement of Pharaoh's people, 'Even when he abandons
you and your gods' makes us understand that Pharaoh himself used to
worship other gods, even though he claimed to be the god of his people.
The law about killing of the males of the Israelites and leaving their
women alive was now promulgated the second time. The first time it
was put into force prior to the birth of the prophet Musa WILLe. He
was witnessing the failure of this law up to this day which was evident
from the huge crowd of the Israelites present at this occasion. When

23
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 128 - 132
Allah intends to bring disgrace to a people, all they contrive leads to
nothing but disaster. We shall soon see that this tyranny and oppres-
sion, at last, led him and his people to an ignominious end.
Verses 128-132
قَالَ مُؤْسِى لِقَوْمِهِ اسْتَعِينُوا بِاللهِ وَاصْبِرُواْ إِنَّ الْأَرْضَ لِلْهِ
يُؤْرِتُهَا مَنْ تَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ، وَ الْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَقِيْنَ ﴿١٢٨﴾
قَالُؤْا أُؤْذِيْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَأْتِيَنَا وَمِنْ أَبَعْدِ مَا جِئْتَنَاء قَالَ
عَسَى رَبُّكُمْ آَنْ تُهُلِكَ عَدُوَّكُمْ وَيَسْتَخْلِفَكُمْ فِى الْأَرْضِ
فَيَنْظُرَ كَيْفَ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١١٩٨﴾ وَلَقَدْ آَخَذُنَّا الَ فِرُعَوُنَ بِالسّنِيْنَ
وَ نَقْصٍ مِنَ الثَّمَرَتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ ﴿ ١٢) فَإِذَا جَاءَتُهُمُ
الْحَسَنَةُ قَالُوا لَنَا هَذٍ وَإِنْ تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ تَطَّيَّرُوا بِمُسِى وَمَنُ
تَّعَد، الّ إِنَّا ظِرُهُمُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَ لكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعُلَمُوْنَ
﴿١٣١﴾ وَقَالُوا مَهُمَا تَأْتِنَا بِهِ مِنْ آيَةٍ لِتَسْحَرَنَا بِهَا فَمَا نَحْنُ
لَكَ بُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿١٣٢﴾
And Musa said to his people," "Seek help from Allah and
be patient. Surely, the land belongs to Allah. He lets
whomsoever He wills, from among His slaves, inherit it.
And the end-result is in favour of the God-fearing." [128]
They said, "We were persecuted before you came to us,
as well as, after you have come to us." He said, "It is
likely that your Lord will destroy your enemy and
make you successors in the earth, then He will see how
you act." [129]
And We seized the people of the Pharaoh with years of
famine and loss of fruits, so that they may take lesson.
[130] So when something good came to them they said,
"This is our right.' And if they suffered from something
evil, they ascribed it as an ill omen to Musa and those
with him. Listen, their omen lies with Allah only, but
most of them do not know. [131]
And they said, "whatever sign you bring to us to

24
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 128 - 132
enchant us therewith, we are not going to believe in
you." [132]
After being defeated by the prophet Musa, W.JILL Pharaoh
enforced the law of killing the male children of the Israelites. They
were greatly alarmed of the punishment they had experienced before
عليه السلام The prophet Musa عليه السلام the coming of the prophet Musa
was also mindful of this fact. Out of his kindness, he offered two wise
solutions to the Israelites. He said to them that only way of getting out
of this trial was, firstly, to seek help from Allah and, secondly, to
remain patient until the things change into their favour. He also
promised them that they shall inherit the whole land if they faithfully
observed the two instructions. This is what the verse said: tu !
Seek help from Allah and be" وَاصْبُوَا( إِنَّ الْآَرْضَ لِلَّهِ يُورِثُهَا مَنْ تَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادٍِ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِيْنَ
patient; surely, the land belongs to Allah, He lets whomsoever He wills
inherit it, from among his servants." This implies that all the lands
belong to Allah, and He lets whomsoever He wills inherit the land.
And decidedly the end result is for the God-fearing. So, if they observe
'Taqwa' (keep away from disobedience) by acting upon the two instruc-
tion offered above they shall ultimately rule the whole country.
The Only Way To Success
A little reflection over the above two teachings of the prophet Musa
JI ale will show that it is the sovereign remedy which never fails
against any difficulty. The first ingredient of this recipe is seeking
help from Allah which is the essence of the remedy. It is for the
obvious reason that if the Creator of the universe comes to one's help
who is there to stop Him? Maulana Rumi said in a couplet:
خاك و بادو آب وآتش بنده اند
بامن وتو مرده باحق زنده اند
"The earth, the air, the water and the fire, all are servants of
Allah. To me and to You they are dead, but to Allah they are
full of life."
It is reported in a Hadith: When Allah wills to do something every-
thing turns in favour of that purpose. Therefore, nothing is more
powerful against an enemy than seeking Allah's help with all the
sincerity of one's heart. Simply uttering out some formula words for
seeking help are not enough.

25
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 128 - 132
The second important ingredient of the recipe is being patient. The
Arabic word 'Sabr' rendered as patience literally signifies to keep
oneself under one's control against unfavourable happenings. It is
common knowledge that nothing significant can be achieved without
undergoing difficulties and hardships. One who readily prepares
himself to face hardships is generally successful in most of his objec-
tives. The Holy Prophet , said in a Tradition, "No greater blessing
has been given to any one other than patience." (Abu Dawud)
The Israelites who seemed to have no conception of such matters
could not understand how patience alone could free them from
Pharaoh's punishment and bring them success against him. They
blamed the prophet Musa عليه السلام saying:
قَالُّا أُوْفِيْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَأْتِيَّنَا وَمِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جِنْتَنَا
'We have been persecuted before you came to us as well as
after you came to us."
What they meant, perhaps, was that they were looking for a
prophet to deliver them from the oppression of the Pharaoh, but their
fate remained unchanged even after he came to them. The prophet
Musa عليه السلام answered to them:
عَسَى رَبُّكُمْ آَنْ يُّهُلِكَ عَدُّكُمْ وَيَسْتَخْلِفَكُمُ فِى الْأَرْضِ فَيَنْظُرَ كَيْفٌ تَعْمَلُوْنَ
'It is likely that your Lord will destroy your enemy and make
you successors in the earth that He may see how then, you
act.'
Sovereignty is a test
The last phrase of the verse has provided with a wise observation
that sovereignty or dominion is not in itself an aim or objective but a
means to achieve the objective of making peace and justice prevail in
the land. Sovereignty or dominion is a sacred trust bestowed upon by
Allah for making good prevail over evil. The verse has warned them
that, in case they are bestowed this trust, they should not forget the
ill fate of those who were before them.
Though the direct addressee of the verse are the Israelites, but
indirectly the verse has thrown a warning to all those trusted with
rule or dominion. Sovereignty or power, in fact, belongs to Allah alone.
Allah has made man his deputy on the earth. He is the One who desig-

26
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 128 - 132
nates man with power and takes it away when He so wills. This is
what the following verse means:
تُؤْتِى المُّكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتَنْزِعُ الُْكَّ ◌َِةٌ تَشَاءُ
"You give power to whom You please, and You strip off power
from whom You please." (3:26)
The power and rule, therefore, is a test for the rulers to see how
far they have fulfilled their duty of establishing peace and justice and
making good prevail over evil.
Abu Hayyan in his Tafsir Al-Bahr-al Muhit has included the
following event under the comments on this verse: 'Amr ibn 'Ubaid
once visited Mansur, the second caliph of the Abbaside dynasty, prior
to his designation to caliphate and recited this verse: 'It is likely that
Allah will destroy your enemy and make you successor in the earth.'
This was a sort of prediction by 'Amr ibn 'Ubaid of his succession to
the throne. Soon after Mansur succeeded to the throne and became the
Caliph. 'Amr ibn 'Ubaid came to the Caliph again. Mansur reminded
him of the prediction made by him. Amr ibn 'Ubaid instantly
answered, "Well, the first part of the prediction has come true and you
have become the Caliph, but the second part of it still remains unful-
filled. The verse also contains this phrase, 3 2 ko "Then, He will
see how you act." Amr ibn 'Ubaid suggested that gaining power is not
a matter of pride because thereafter, Allah judges the acts of those in
authority and sees how they make use of this trust.
The next verses speak of the events that led Pharaoh and his
people to a number of calamities sent to them as punishment and
finally led them to their death. The first heavenly punishment came
to them in the form of famine. According to historical reports this
famine lasted for seven years.
"And We seized the people of the Pharaoh with years of famine and
loss of fruits, so that they may take lesson. So when something good
came to them they said, "This is our right.' And if they suffered from
something evil, they ascribed it as an ill omen to Musa WIale and
those with him. Listen, their omen lies with Allah only, but most of
them do not know."
The first verse has described the famine with two phrases: 'years of