Indexed OCR Text

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Sūrah Ța-Ha : 20 : 45 - 50
Sayyidna Musa Sell called upon the Pharaoh to embrace the
True Faith and also to deliver the Bani Isra'il from bondage
This shows that the prophets have the duty of guiding mankind
towards their salvation as well as to liberate their people from worldly and
economic bondages. Therefore, in this verse Sayyidna Musa Sa is
reminded of both these duties.
God created everything; and everything is performing the
functions assigned to it by Him
This point calls for some elucidation which is given in the following
lines. The guidance which Allah gives to the prophets and which is in the
nature of a duty imposed upon them is a special kind of guidance which is
addressed only to human beings and Jinns who are gifted with intellect.
There is also another kind of guidance known as guidance of Takwin
(creation) which every created thing possesses. Allah has given to fire,
water, earth and air, and their compounds a special kind of feeling and
perception which are not of the same nature as given to human beings
and Jinns. This is the reason why the laws governing things which are
permissible and those which are forbidden do not apply to them. Through
this feeling and perception Allah has assigned duties to all created things
and in obedience to this command of Takwin and guidance, the earth, the
sky and every other created thing is busy performing its allotted tasks.
Air, water, fire and earth are all fulfilling the purpose for which they
were created. They do not deviate from their destined course except by the
command of Allah. And when He so commands the fire turns into a bed of
flowers (as for Sayyidna Ibrahim CEI), and water acts as fire as for the
people of Sayyidna Nuh 71:25 - أُغْرِقُوا فَأُدْخِلُوا نَارًا) الكلا).Who has taught a
newly born baby to draw milk from its mother's breast or to cry when
hungry or in pain? It is this same Divine guidance which every created
thing receives without any formal training.
In brief, every created thing has been programmed, by Allah, with a
guidance of Takwin (creation) which it is genetically bound to follow and
deviating from the same is beyond its power. The other kind of guidance
which is given to the human beings and to Jinns is not inherent in the
nature and thus, is not compulsory but optional. It is this freedom of
choice which renders them liable to reward for good deeds and to
punishment for their sins. The verse أَعْظى كُلَّ شَىْءٍ خَلْقَ، ثُمَّ هَدى (who gave

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Surah Ța-Ha : 20 : 51 - 59
everything its shape then guidance - 20:50) refers to the guidance of
.(تكوينى هدايت) Takwin
Sayyidna Musa Mal reminded the Pharaoh, at the first place, of those
acts of Allah Ta'ala which are obviously done by Him alone and about
which no one else could claim that he has performed them. The Pharaoh
totally unable to refute this argument, and in his confusion asked
Sayyidna Musa &Cel a question which was designed to entangle him into
giving a reply that would greatly offend the Egyptians. The question was:
how did the people of bygone ages stand who all worshipped idols, and
what was their fate? The Pharaoh's purpose was that if Sayyidna Musa
replied (as the Pharaoh surmised he would) that they were all
misguided and deserving of Hell, then he could instigate his people
against the latter. But the reply which Sayyidna Musa Sua gave was so
wise and discreet that the Pharaoh's evil design was completely
frustrated.
Verses 51 - 59
قَالَ فَمَا بَالُ الْقُرُونِ الأُولى ﴿٥١﴾ قَالَ عِلْمُهَا عِنْدَ رَبِّىُ فِىُ كِتْبٍ ،
لاَ يَضِلُّ رَبِّى وَلاَ يَنْسَى ﴿٢°ُ﴾ الَّذِىُ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ مَهْدًا
وَّسَلَكَ لَكُمْ فِيْهَا سُبُلاً وَ اَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءٌ ، فَآَخْرَجُنَا بِهِ اَزْوَاجًا
مِّنُ نَّبَاتٍ شَتَّى ﴿٣°﴾ كُلُوْا وَارُعَوْا أَنْعَامَكُمُ ﴿ إِنَّ فِىُ ذلِكَ لَأَيْتٍ
لِأُولِى النُّھی ﴿٤°﴾ مِنْهَا خَلَقُنُكُمْ وَفِيْهَا نُعِيْدُكُمْ وَمِنْهَا نُخْرِ جُكُمْ
تَارَةً أُخْرِى ﴿٥٥﴾ وَلَقَدْ آَرَيْنِهُ أَيْتِنَا كُلَّهَا فَكَذَّبَ وَاَبى ﴿٥٦﴾ قَالَ
اَجِئْتَنَا لِتُخْرِجَنَا مِنْ أَرْضِنَا بِسِحْرِكَ يُمُوُسى ﴿٥٧﴾ فَلَنَأْتِيَنَّكَ
بِحُرٍ مِّثْلِهِ فَاجْعَلْ بَيْثَنَا وَبَيْنَكَ مَوْعِدًا لاَّ نُخْلِفُهُ نَحْنُ وَلَآ أَنْتَ
مَكَانًا سُوَّى ﴿٥٨﴾ قَالَ مَوْعِدُكُمْ يَوْمُ الزِّيْنَةِ وَأَنْ يُحْشَرَ النَّاسُ
:
ضُحى ﴿٥٩﴾
He said, "Then, what about the earlier generations?" [51]

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Surah Ța-Ha : 20 : 51 - 59
He replied, "The knowledge about those is, in a book,
with my Lord. My Lord does neither err nor forget. [52]
(He is) the One who made the earth a cradle for you and
made for you therein pathways to move, and sent down
water from the heavens and brought out, with it, pairs
of different vegetations: [53] Eat, and graze your cattle.
Surely, in that there are signs for the people of
understanding." [54]
From this (earth) We created you and in this we shall
put you back and from this We shall raise you up once
again. [55]
And We showed him (the Pharaoh) all Our signs, yet he
belied and refused. [56] Said he, "Have you come to us to
drive us out of our land with your sorcery, O Musa? [57]
We will, then, bring to you a similar sorcery. So, make,
between you and us, an appointment not to be backed
out, neither by us nor from you - at an even place." [58]
He (Musa) said, "Your appointment is the festival day
and that the people are assembled at forenoon." [59]
Commentary
Verse 51 tells us that the Pharaoh had asked the question regarding
the end of earlier people. If Sayyidna Musa & had given a
straightforward answer that they were misled and will go to Jahannam,
then the Pharaoh would have got a chance to scorn that it was not just
him whom Sayyidna Musa Meal was blaming but all their ancestors as
well. Naturally such a situation would have created doubts in the minds
of people. Therefore Sayyidna Musa
gave such an answer which was
full of wisdom and did not give any chance to the Pharaoh for misleading
the people. He said (as mentioned in verse 52) that only Allah knows their
end. He never makes a mistake nor does He forget things. The words "My
Lord does neither err" mean that it is inconceivable that Allah wills one
thing and something different should happen.
The word lji (pairs) used in verse 53 is used here in the sense of
"Kinds" or "Species", and the word _ is the plural of the word cus which
means "different" or "diverse". The verse means that Allah has created so
many kinds of plants that they are beyond human reckoning and each of
them contains special properties which make them invaluable to man for

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Surah Ța-Ha : 20: 51 - 59
his well-being. It is impossible for man to comprehend completely all the
properties and uses of all the plants created by Allah Ta'ala. For centuries
scientists have been working to find out all about them and researches
have revealed a great deal about their properties. However it is impossible
to claim that whatever we know at present is the last word.
The next verse (54) says إِنَّ فِىُ ذلِكَ لَايتٍ لِأُولِى النُّهى (Surely, in that there are
signs for the people of understanding. (20:54). The word Ul is the plural
of { (nuhyah) which is used in the same sense as Jie ('aql: Intelligence)
because it enables wise and intelligent persons to avoid harmful acts.
The composition of every human being contains, together with
the seed, the earth of the place when he will be buried
The words & 4 (From this We created you) in verse 55 means
that Allah created you from the earth. This verse is addressed to all
mankind although it is known that man is created from seed and not from
earth, except Sayyidna 'Adam &
I who was created directly from earth.
One possible explanation for this is that since Sayyidna 'Adam Seal is the
father of all mankind and was himself created from earth, therefore all
his descendants have been similarly described. Others have said that the
seed itself is made of earth therefore anything created from the seed is in
fact created from the earth. According to Imam al-Qurtubi Js Ul , the
text of the Qur'an clearly indicates that man is created from the earth.
By words & t&' (at an even place) in verse 58 the Pharaoh proposed
that the contest between Sayyidna Musa Seal and his own magicians
should be held at a place which should, as far as possible, be within easy
access of the Egyptians, Sayyidna Musa SE and the Bani Isra'il. The
latter readily accepted this proposal and fixed the day and the time for the
contest by suggesting مَوْعِدُكُمُ يَوْمُ الزِّيْنَةِ وَأَنْ يُحْشَرَ النَّاسُ ضُحى (Your appointment is
the festival day and that the people are assembled at forenoon - 20:59).
aj has been explained differently by different authorities. Some say it
was a special festival when the Egyptians, attired in beautiful dresses,
gathered outside the towns, while others say that it was a Saturday (
" JI), and according to some others it was the tenth day of Muharram
.(عَاشُورًا)

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Surah Ța-Ha : 20 : 60 - 76
The great advantage in fixing for the contest
It was a wise move on the part of Sayyidna Musa
to fix festival
day as the day of contest when all Egyptians, high and low, were
expected to assemble at an appointed place. There was also a point in
fixing early forenoon as the time for the contest because this is the time
when people, having finished their daily chores, are free to engage in
other things. Also daylight and visibility are at their best in the early
forenoon and people, while dispersing after witnessing a momentous
event, spread the news far and wide. Thus when, with Allah's help,
Sayyidna Musa &Cal inflicted a crushing defeat on the Egyptian
magicians, the story became known the same day to people living in far
flung places.
Magic - its truth, forms and the rules governing it
For a detailed discussion on this subject reference may be made to the
story of Harut and Marut in Surah Al-Baqarah at page 265 to 278 of
Ma'ariful Qur'an vol. I.
Verses 60 - 76
فَتَوَلَى فِرْعَوْنُ فَجَمَعَ كَيْدَهُ، ثُمَّ أَتَّى ﴿٢﴾ قَالَ لَهُمُ مُّوُسَى وَيُلَكُمْ
لاَتَفْتَرُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا فَيُسُحِتَكُمُ بِعَذَابٍ ، وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنِ افْتَرِى
﴿٦١ ﴾ فَتَنَازَعُوَّا أَمْرَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمُ وَسَرُوا النَّجُوى ﴿٦٢﴾ قَالُوَاْ إِنْ هُذَينٍ
لَسْحِرْنِ يُرِيُدنِ أَنْ يُخْرِجِكُمْ مِّنَ اَرْضِكُمْ بِسِحْرِهِمَا وَيَذْهَبَا
بِطَرِيْقَتِكُمُ الْمُثُلِى ﴿٦٣﴾ فَأَجْمِعُوا كَيْدَكُمْ ثُمَّ اثْتُوا صَفًّاٌ وَقَدْ
أَفْلَحَ الْيَوْمَ مَنِ اسْتَعلى ﴿٦٤﴾ قَالُوْا يُمُوُسِى إِمَّ أَنْ تُلْقِىَ وَإِمَّ أَنْ
نَّكُوْنَ اوَّلَ مَنْ الْقُّى ﴿٦٥﴾ قَالَ بَلْ الْقُوْاَ فَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمْ وَعِصِيُّهُمْ
يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ سِحْرِهِمْ أَنَّهَا تَسُمى ﴿٦٦﴾ فَوْجَسَ فِى نَفْسِهِ خِيْفَةٌ
مُوسى ﴿٦٧﴾ قُلْنَا لاَتَخَفُ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْأَعلى ﴿٦٨﴾ وَاَلْقِ مَا فِىُ
يَمِيْنِكَ تَلْقَفُ مَا صَنَعُوا إِنَّمَا صَنَعُوا كَيْدُ سْحِرٌٍ وَلاَ يُفْلِحُ

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Surah Ța-Ha : 20 : 60 - 76
السُّحِرُ حَيْثُ أَتى ﴿٦٩﴾ فَأُلْقِىَ السَّحَرَةُ سُجَّدًا قَالُوًّا أمُّنَّا بِرَبٍّ
هُرُوُنَ ومُؤُسى ﴿.٧﴾ قَالَ أُمُنْتُمْ لَهْ قَبْلَ أَنْ أَذَنَ لَكُمُ ﴿ إِنَّه،
لَكَبِيْرُكُمُ الَّذِىُ عَلَّمَكُمُ السِّحُرَّ فَلَأُ قَطِّعَنَّ اَيْدِيَكُمْ وَارْجُلَكُمْ مِّنْ
خِلاَفٍ وَلَأُ وصَلِيَتَّكُمْ فِىُ جُذُوْعِ النَّخْلِ، وَلَتَعْلَمُنَّ أَيُّنَا أَشَدُّ عَذَابًا
وَأَبْقُى ﴿٧١﴾ قَالُوا لَنْ تُؤْثِرَكَ عَلَى مَا جَآءَنَا مِنَ الْبَيِّنْتِ وَالَّذِىُ
فَطَرَنَا فَاقْضِ مَآ أَنْتَ قَاضٍ + ◌ِنَّمَا تَقْضِىُ هُذِهِ الْحَيْوةَ الدُّنْيَا ﴿٣°﴾
إِنَّ امُنَّا بِرَبِنَا لِيَغْفِرَلَنَا خَطْيْنَا وَمَآ أَكْرَهُتَنَا عَلَيْهِ مِنَ السِّحْرِ، وَاللهُ
خَيْرٌّ وَّأَبْقَى (٧٣) إِنَّهُ مَنْ يَّأْتِ رَبَّهَ مُجْرِمًا فَإِنَّ لَهْ جَهَنَّمَءُ
لاَيَمُوتُ فِيْهَا وَلاَ يَحْيِى ﴿٧٤﴾ وَمَنْ يَّأْتِهِ مُؤْمِنًا قَدْ عَمِلَ الصُّلِحتِ
فَأُولِكَ لَهُمُ الدَّرَجِتُّ الْعُلى ﴿١٥﴾ جَنْتُ عَدْنٍ تَجْرِىُ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا
الأَنْهُرُ خلِدِيْنَ فِيْهَا* وَذُلِكَ جَزَّؤًا مَنْ تَزَكّى ﴿٢٦﴾
So, the Pharaoh turned back, and put his plot together,
then came. [60] Musa said to them, "Pity on you, do not
fabricate a lie against Allah, lest He uproots you with a
punishment. And loser is he who fabricates a lie." [61]
Then, they disputed among themselves in their matter
and kept their talk secret. [62] Said they, "Certainly,
these two are sorcerers who wish to drive you out from
your land and do away with your excellent way of life.
[63] So, make your plot firm and come forth in one row.
And successful today is he who stands high." [64]
They said, "O Musa, either you throw, or shall we be the
first to throw?" [65] He said, "Rather, you throw." Then,
suddenly their ropes and sticks seemed to him, due to
their magic, as if they were running. [66] So, Musa con-
cealed some fear in his heart. [67] We said, "Do not be
scared. Certainly, you are to be the upper most. [68] And
throw what is in your right hand, and it will devour
what they have concocted. What they have concocted is
but a sleight of a magician. And the magician does not

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succeed wherever he comes from."[69]
So, the magicians were led (by the truth) to fall in
prostration. They said, "We have (now) believed in the
Lord of Harun and Musa." [70] He (the Pharaoh) said,
"You have believed in him before I permit you. He is, in
fact your chief who has taught you the magic. So I will
certainly cut apart your hands and your legs from
opposite sides and will crucify you on the trunks of
palm-trees, and you shall know who of us is more
severe in punishment, and more lasting." [71]
They said, "We will never prefer you over the clear signs
that have come to us and over Him who has created us.
So, do whatever you are to do. You will do only for this
worldly life. [72] We have believed in our Lord, so that
He forgives us from our sins and from the magic you
had compelled us on. And Allah is the best and
everlasting." [73]
Surely whoever comes to his Lord as a sinner, for him
there is Jahannam wherein he neither dies nor lives.
[74] And whoever comes to Him as a believer having
done righteous deeds, for such people there are the
highest ranks, [75] the eternal gardens beneath which
rivers flow, where they shall live for ever. And that is
the reward for one who has purified himself. [76]
Commentary
The words 'a's . (and put his plot together) in verse 60 indicate
that the Pharaoh assembled his magicians and their tools. According to
Sayyidnā Ibn 'Abbas
there were seventy two magicians but others
have put their number at figures which vary from four hundred to nine
hundred thousand. Their leader was a blind man whose name was
.(شمعون) Shamun
Sayyidna Musa's && prophetic address to the magicians
Before the start of the contest Sayyidna Musa Al addressed some
words of friendly advice to the magicians to warn them of divine
punishment if they persisted in denying God's miracles and other
manifestations of His power. His actual words were:
وَيُلَكُمُ لاَ تَفْتَرُوْا عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا فَيُسُحِتَكُمُ بِعَذَابٍ وَّقَدْ خَابَ مَنِ افْتَرَى

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Pity on you, do not fabricate a lie against Allah, lest He uproots
you with a punishment. And loser is he who fabricates a lie -
20:61.
It was hardly to be expected that the magicians who had entered the field
with all the might of the Pharaoh-behind them would pay any heed to
Sayyidna Musa's A words of advice. However, the prophets and their
followers possess a hidden power so that their plain and simple words
penetrate the most unruly and perverse minds, and the address of
Sayyidna Musa del caused discord and dissensions among the
magicians, some of whom thought that these could not be the words of a
magician but of a higher being and were therefore, against the contest.
But others were adamant, ◌ُفَتَنَازَعُوًا أَمْرَهُمُ بَيْنَهُم (then, they disputed among
themselves in their matter - 20:62) , وَأَسَرُوا النَّجُوى (and kept their talk secret -
20:62). Ultimately their unanimous decision was to proceed with the
contest because, in their opinion, Sayyidna Musa 8 and Sayyidna
Harun
were both magicians who wished to drive away the Pharaoh
and his men from Egypt by their magic and to eradicate their ideal way of
life. This decision of theirs is mentioned in verse 63 in the following words:
إِنْ هُدينٍ لَسْحِرْنٍ يُرِيُدنِ آَنْ يُخْرِ جُمُ مِّنْ آَرْضِكُمْ بِسِحْرِهِمَا وَيَذْهَبَا بِطَرِيُقَتِكُمُ
الْمُغُلِى
Said they, "Certainly, these two are sorcerers who wish to drive
you out from your land and do away with your excellent way of
life. (20:63)
The word '' is the feminine of jei which means "most excellent". The
meaning is that the Egyptians believed that their religion which regarded
the Pharaoh as god was the best and Sayyidna Musa Sel and Sayyidna
Harun ce
wanted to destroy it and supplant their own religion in its
place. The word a,b (translated in the text as 'way of life') is also used to
describe the chiefs and leading citizens and according to Sayyidna Ibn
'Abbas 4ee
and Sayyidna 'Ali 4
the word has been used here in this
sense namely that these two men wished to finish off all their leaders and
important citizens and it was therefore, the duty of the Egyptian
magicians to unite and use their best endeavours to defeat the enemy
- So, make your plot firm and forth in one row) فَاَجُمِعُوا كَيْدَكُمْ ثُمَّ اثْتُوا صَفًّا
20:64). Formation of troops in ranks in battle has an unsettling effect on
the enemy, so the Egyptian magicians arranged themselves in ranks for

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the contest.
The Egyptians were confident of their success and in a mood of
complacency asked Sayyidna Musa See whether he would like to make
the first move or whether they should initiate the contest. Sayyidna Musa
invited them to start the contest (Rather, you throw - 20:66) and
there were several reasons for this. In the first place the Egyptians
showed courage when they invited Sayyidna Musa Seal to open the battle
and this offer called for an equally generous and chivalrous response.
Secondly by making the offer the Egyptians showed their confidence in
the outcome of the contest and implied as if they had already won it. On
his side Sayyidna Musa fall, by his counter-offer, sought to convey to the
Egyptians that he regarded the result of the game as a foregone
conclusion in his own favour. And finally he wished to see the tricks of the
Egyptians before he planned his own strategy. So, with these
preliminaries over, the Egyptians cast their staffs and ropes on the
ground and it appeared to the onlookers as if they had turned into snakes
and were running about.
Their ropes and sticks seemed to him, due to) يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ سِحْرِهِمْ أَنَّهَا تَسُمى
their magic, as if they were running - 20:66). The verse shows that the
Egyptian magicians had cast a hypnotic spell on the onlookers to whom it
appeared that the staffs and the ropes had turned into snakes and were
running about on the ground, whereas in fact no such transformation
had taken place.
- So Musa concealed some fear in his heart) فَاَوْجَسَ فِى نَفْسِهُ خِيفَةً مُّوُسی
20:67.). The sight of so many snakes crawling around evoked a sense of
fear in Sayyidna Musa SCA which he did not reveal to anyone. Even if
this fear was for his own personal safety then it can be regarded as a
natural human reaction to a dangerous situation and does not conflict
with the mission of prophethood. It is clear, however, that the fear which
he felt was not for his own life. His apprehension was that if the immense
crowd, which had assembled to see the contest, sensed that the Egyptian
magicians had the upper hand then the purpose of his mission would be
frustrated. These doubts and fears were dispelled when in the next verse
Allah assured him لاَ تَخَفُ إِنَّكَ أنْتَ الأعلى (do not be scared. Certainly , you are
to be the upper most - 20:68).

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And throw what is in your right hand - 20:69). Allah) وَاَلْقِ مَا فِىُ يَمِيْنِكَ
commanded Sayyidna Musa Scel by means of a revelation (,) to cast
down what he held in his right hand, and when he threw down his staff
it turned into a huge snake and ate up all the imaginary snakes which
the Egyptian magicians had produced by their magic.
Conversion to Islam and bowing in prostration by the Pharaoh's
magicians
The Egyptian magicians who were masters of their art realized at
once that what they had just witnessed was not magic but a miracle
brought about by a Supreme Power. Consequently they fell in prostration
and declared openly their faith in Allah - the God of Sayyidna Musa Sel
and Sayyidna Harun 89. According to some traditions these magicians
did not raise their heads until they had seen a glimpse of heaven and
( رواه عبد بن حميد وابن أبى حاتم وابن المنذر عن عكرمه - روح) .hell
He [the Pharaoh] said, "You have believed in him) قَالَ أُمُنْتُمُ لَهُ، قَبْلَ أَنْ أَذَنَ لَكُمْ
before I permit you" - 20:71). The Pharaoh, thus disgraced before a vast
multitude, was furious and he stormed at the magicians how they dared
accept the religion brought by Sayyidna Musa Se without his prior
permission. He suspected that they all were Sayyidna Musa's & pupils
who taught them the magic and had accepted defeat in connivance with
him.
I will certainly cut apart your hands and) فَلاَ قَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمُ وَاَرُجُلَكُمُ مِّنْ خِلافٍ
your legs from opposite sides - 20:71). The Pharaoh thus threatened his
magicians with dire punishment. He said he would cut off their hands
and feet from opposite sides i.e. first the right hand, then the left foot.
This apparently was the mode of inflicting punishment under the laws of
the Pharaoh. ◌ِوَلَأُوْ صَلِّبَنَّكُمُ فِىْ جُذُوُعِ النَّخْل (And will crucify you on the trunks of
palm-trees - 20:71) He also said that after cutting off their hands and feet
he would crucify them on the trunks of palm-trees where they would
remain suspended until they died of starvation.
They said, "We will never prefer) قَالُوا لَنْ تُؤْثِرَكَ عَلى مَا جَاءَنَا مِنَ الْبَيِّنْتِ وَالَّذِىُ فَطَرَنَا
you over the clear signs that have come to us, and over Him who created
us." - 20:72). The magicians, however, stood firm and did not waver in the
face of the Pharaoh's threats. They told him plainly that they would not
give him, nor anything he said, preference over the clear proofs and the
;

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miracles which Allah had shown to them. Sayyidna 'Ikrimah 4 says that
when the magicians prostrated themselves before Allah, He gave them a
glimpse of the eminent places and the gifts which were to be their reward
in Paradise. They confirmed their belief in the one God Who created the
earth and the skies and rejected Pharaoh's claim to divinity: While
neglecting the threats of the Pharaoh they further said: "So you do what
you want and punish us in whatever manner you choose. And, "You can
punish us as long as we live but when we die we will be out of your reach.
On the other hand we are in the power of Allah both in this and after
death, and His punishment is of greater concern to us".
.(20:73 - And the magic you had compelled us on) وَمَآ أَكْرُهُتَنَا عَلَيْهِ مِنَ السِّحُرِ
The magicians now accused the Pharaoh of having forced them to practice
magic else they would not have taken it up. Here a question may arise
that the magicians came to the contest of their own free choice and had
even negotiated before hand their reward if they were victorious. How,
then, could they justify their accusation that the Pharaoh had forced
them to practice magic? A possible answer can be that whereas the
magicians, to begin with, were tempted by promises of generous rewards
for taking part in the contest they soon realized that they stood no chance
against miracles and wanted to withdraw from the contest. It was then
that the Pharaoh forced them to take up the challenge of Musa El.
Another explanation is that under a law passed by the Pharaoh
everybody was compelled to learn magic.
The propitious end of'Asiyah, the Pharaoh's wife
Qurtubi has mentioned in his commentary that while the contest
between vice and virtue was in progress, the Pharaoh's wife kept herself
informed of the minute to minute developments and when she learned
that Sayyidna Musa SA had emerged victorious, she at once declared
her adherence to the True Faith. When the Pharaoh was informed of his
wife's defection, he ordered that a huge rock be thrown upon her. When
'Asiyah saw the rock coming, she raised her eyes in supplication to Allah
who took away her soul so that the rock fell on her lifeless body.
Revolutionary change in the lives of the magicians
إِنَّهُ مَنْ يَّأْتِ رَبَّهُ مُجْرِمًا ...... وَذلِكَ جَزَؤُا مَنْ تَزَكُّى
Surely whoever comes to his Lord as a sinner, for him there is

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Jahannam .... And whoever comes to Him as a believer ... for
such people there are the highest ranks .... (20:74-76)
These words which refer to the Islamic beliefs and the hereafter have
been spoken by the magician who only recently became Muslims and who
had not yet been instructed about the principles and the obligations of the
new faith.
It was the result of their brief association with Sayyidna Musa El
that Allah, in an instant, revealed to them the mysteries of their new
faith so that they gave scarce heed to Pharaoh's threats. Thus with the
adoption of the religion of Allah they attained a state of sainthood which
is given to others after long and assiduous exertions. Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas
and 'Ubaid Ibn 'Umair 4 said it was a divine marvel that the
magicians who started the day as infidels became saints before it ended.
(Ibn Kathir)
Verses 77 - 82
وَلَقَدْ أَوْ حَيْنَا إِلَى مُؤْسِىَا أَنْ آَسُرٍ بِعِبَادِىُ فَاضْرِبُ لَهُمُ طَرِيْقًا فِى
الْبَحْرِ يَبَسًا لاَّ تَخْفُ دَرَكًا وَّلاَ تَخْشى ﴿٧٧﴾ فَتْبَعَهُمْ فِرُعَوْنُ
بِجُنُودِهِ فَغَشِيَهُمُ مِّنُ الْيَمِّ مَا غَشِيَهُمُ ﴿٢٨﴾ وَأَضَلَّ فِرُعَوْنُ قَوْمَه،
وَمَا هَدى (٧٩) يَبَنِىٌّ اِسْرَآءِيْلَ قَدُ أَنْجَيُنْكُمْ مِّنُ عَدُوِّكُمْ
وَوَعَدْنَكُمُ جَانِبَ الطَّوُرِ الْأَيْمَنَ وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَى
﴿٨٠) كُلُوْا مِنْ طَيِّئْتِ مَارَزَقُنْكُمْ وَلاَ تَطْغَوْا فِيْهِ فَيَحِلَّ عَلَيْكُمْ
غَضَبِىُ، وَمَنْ يَّحْلِلُ عَلَيْهِ غَضَبِىُ فَقَدْ هَوَى ﴿٨١﴾ وَإِّىُ لَغَفَّارْ
لِمَنْ تَابَ وَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا ثُمَّ اهْتَدى ﴿٨٢﴾
And We revealed to Musa saying, "Move out with my
servants at night, then make for them a dry path in the
sea (with the strike of your staff), neither fearing to be
caught up nor being scared (of anything else)." [77]
Then the Pharaoh chased them with his troops. So
covered they were, by that which covered them from

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the sea. [78] And the Pharaoh led his people astray and
did not show them the right path. [79]
O children of Isra'il, We delivered you from your enemy
and appointed for you the right side of the mount Tur
(Sinai) and sent down for you the Mann and Salwa: [80]
Eat from the good things We have provided you with,
and do not transgress in respect thereof, lest My wrath
befalls upon you. And the one upon whom befalls My
wrath certainly falls into destruction. [81]
And surely I am the Most-Forgiving for him who
repents and believes and acts righteously, then takes to
the right path. [82]
Commentary
The decisive defeat which he suffered in the contest between the right
and wrong and between miracle and magic broke the power of the
Pharaoh, and the Bani Isra'ile stood united under the leadership of
Sayyidna Musa Skal . Allah now commanded Sayyidna Musa Sal to take
his men out of Egypt. But this move was full of danger. First there was
the risk of pursuit by the Pharaoh, and second the river, which they had
no means of crossing, barred their flight. Allah dispelled both these fears
from Sayyidna Musa's CA mind and told him to strike his staff on the
surface of the water, and dry passageways would appear in the bed of the
river over which they could all escape, thus frustrating Pharaoh's pursuit.
This story has been narrated earlier under Hadith ul-Futun in this very
Surah.
When the time came, Sayyidna Musa &Cal struck the surface of water
with his staff and masses of water stood asunder revealing twelve dry
paths, as mentioned in Surah Ash-Shu'ara' ◌ِفَكّانَ كُلُّ فِرُقِ كَالطُّوُدِ الْعَظِيم (And
each part became like a big mountain- 26:63). The walls of water which
divided the passages were so formed that those going on one road could
see and talk to those travelling on other roads, thus imparting to them all
a sense of security.
The number of the Bani Isra'il who fled Egypt and the strength of
the Pharaoh's army
According to Ruh ul-Ma'ani Sayyidna Musa CHI embarked on his
journey towards the Red Sea with the Bani Isra'il soon after sunset.

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Earlier they had announced that one of their festivals was approaching
which they would celebrate outside the city, and on this excuse, as well as
to allay the suspicions of the Egyptians, they borrowed some jewellery
from the Copts promising to return it after the festival. At that time Bani
Isra'il numbered six hundred and three thousand, while another version
puts their number at six hundred and seventy thousand. These figures,
which may be exaggerated, have been taken from Isra'ilite traditions, but
one thing appears certain, namely that they were divided into twelve very
populous tribes. These large numbers were also a gift from Allah because
the first arrivals in Egypt in the days of Sayyidna Yusuf & were just
the twelve brothers. Now the twelve tribes of those twelve brothers which
fled Egypt numbered well over six hundred thousand.
When the Pharaoh learned that the Bani Isra'il had taken flight, he
assembled a large army of which the advance units consisted of seven
hundred thousand horsemen and started off in pursuit. When the Bani
Isra'il saw the river barring their way ahead and the Pharaoh hot on
their heels, they cried out in despair. "Surely! We are caught". Sayyidna
Musa الخليفة consoled them with the words ◌ٍإِنَّ مَعِىَ رَبِّى سَيَهْدِين (With me is my
Lord indeed. He will guide me - 26:62). Then by the command of Allah he
struck his staff on the water and twelve dry passageways appeared on
which the twelve tribes of Bani Isra'il crossed over to the other side in
safety. The Pharaoh who saw all this was frightened but he urged his
men on by declaring that the dry paths were formed because the river
stopped flowing on account of the awe which it felt in his presence.
Saying so, he spurred his horse into the river ordering his army to follow
him. When they were all in the middle, Allah commanded the river to
resume its flow and water covered them over. (Ruh ul-Ma'ani)
And appointed for you the right side of the) وَوَعَدُنكُمُ جَانِبَ الطُّوْرِ الْآَيَمَنَ
mount Țur. (20:80)) After their deliverance from the threat of the Pharaoh,
and when they were safe across the river, Allah made a promise to
Sayyidna Musa Sel and through him to the Bani Isra'il that they should
move to the right side of the mount of Tur so that Sayyidna Musa Sel
might be given the Torah and so that they might witness him speak with
Allah.
- .And sent down for you the Mann and Salwa) وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوى
20:80) This incident occurred when, having crossed the river, they were

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commanded to enter a sacred city, but they refused and as punishment
they were confined to a valley which is known as the valley of Tih (Sinai).
They stayed there for forty years and in spite of the punishment which
they were undergoing they continued to receive gifts from Allah, and the
Mann and Salwa (a special kind of food) was one such gifts which was
given to them for their sustenance.
Verses 83 - 89
وَمَآ أَعْجَلَكَ عَنْ قَوْمِكَ يُمُوُسى ﴿٨٣﴾ قَالَ هُمْ أُوْلاَءٍ عَلَى أَثَرِىُ
وَعَجِلْتُ إِلَيْكَ رَبِّ لِتَرُضِى ﴿٤﴾ قَالَ فَإِنَّا قَدْ فَتَنَّا قَوْمَكَ مِنْ"
بَعْدِكَ وَاَضَلَّهُمُ السَّامِرِىُّ ﴿٨٥﴾ فَرَجَعَ مُوسَى إِلَى قَوْمِهٍ غَضُبَانَ
اسِفًا، قَالَ يُقَوْمِ آَلَمُ يَعِدُكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ وَعْدًا حَسَنًا ، أَفَطَالَ عَلَيْكُمُ
الْعَهُدُ أَمْ آَرَدُمُ أَنْ يَّحِلّ عَلَيْكُمْ غَضَبْ مِّنْ رَّبِّكُمْ فَاخْلَفْتُمُ مَّوْ عِدِى
﴿٨٦ ﴾ قَالُوا مَآ أَخْلَفْنَا مَوْعِدَكَ بِمَلْكِنَا وَلكِنَّا حُمِّلْنَا أَوْزَارًا مِّنُ زِيْنَةٍ
الْقَوْمِ فَقَذَفْتُهَا فَكَذَلِكَ الْقَى السَّامِرِىُّ ﴿١٧﴾ فَأَخْرَجَ لَهُمُ عِجْلاً
جَسَدًا لَّهُ خُوَارْ فَقَالُوا هُذَآ إِلْهُكُمْ وَإِلَهُ مُوسى، فَنَسِىَ ﴿٨٨) أَفَلاَ
يَرَوْنَ اَلاَّ يَرْجِعُ إِلَيْهِمْ قَوْلاً ا وَّلاَ يَمْلِكُ لَهُمُ ضَرًّا وَّلاَ نَفْعًا ﴿٨٩﴾
"And what has caused you to hurry before your people,
O Musa?" [83] He said, "Here they are just behind me,
and I hurried towards You, O my Lord, so that You be
pleased." [84]
He said, "We have then put your people to test after you
(left them) and Samiri has misguided them." [85]
So, Musa went back to his people in anger and sorrow.
He said, "O my people, did your Lord not promise you a
good promise? Did then the time become too long for
you, or did you wish that wrath from your Lord befalls
you, and hence you backed out from the promise made
to me?" [86]
They said, "We did not back out, of our own volition, of

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the promise made to you, but we were burdened with
loads from the ornaments of the people; so we threw
them and so did throw Samiri." [87] Then he brought
forth for them a calf, a body with a lowing sound. Then
they said, "This is your god and the god of Musa, and he
(Musa) erred." [88]
Do they not then see that it does not respond to them
with a word, nor does it have power to harm or benefit
them? [89]
Commentary
Sayyidna Musa Bed and the Bani Isra'il, having escaped the
Pharaoh's wrath and having crossed the river in safety, proceeded on
their journey. Soon they came upon a people who worshipped idols. They
said to Sayyidna Musa Cel, "These people have adopted the idols as their
gods who are visible as well as tangible. Do give us also a god whom we
إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمُ تَجْهَلُونَ إِنَّ هَؤُلاءِ مُتَبَّرٌّ ,replied الطَ can see and touch." Sayyidna Musa
You are really an ignorant people. What these") مَّهُمُ فِيْهِ وَبطِلٌ مَّاكَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
people are in, is sure to be destroyed; and false is what they are doing." -
78:139.)
It was then that Allah commanded Sayyidna Musa due to bring his
people to the mount of Tur where he would receive the Book Torah which
would be a code and a policy document for all of them. However, he would
have to prepare himself to receive the Torah by observing a fast for thirty
days and thirty nights continuously. This period was later extended by a
further ten days so that the total period of fasting was forty days and
forty nights. Then Sayyidna Musa Seal led his people towards the mount
of Tur, but in his eagerness to receive the Torah he hastened ahead so
that he could complete his prayers and fasts for the prescribed period of
thirty days as early as possible. He appointed Sayyidna Harun & El to be
his deputy during his absence. The Bani Isra'il continued the journey at
their leisurely pace while he pushed on hoping that they would join him
in due course near the mount of Tur. In the meanwhile Samiri, by his
wiles, seduced them into adopting the calf as the object of their worship
and thus divided them into three factions. This unfortunate development
seriously impeded their progress towards the Tur.

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Surah Ța-Ha : 20 : 83 - 89
Allah questioned Sayyidna Musa
about his haste and the
wisdom behind the question
When Sayyidna Musa &# appeared before Divine Presence, Allah
questioned him as to why he had hastened ahead of his people. The
obvious purpose of the question was to inform Sayyidna Musa of the
mischief into which his people had fallen while he himself, unaware of
what had happened in his absence, was expecting their arrival at the Tur
(Ibn Kathir). On the other hand, according to Ruh ul-Ma'ani, the question
contained an implied rebuke to Sayyidna Musa * on his haste which
deprived his people of his supervision and enabled Samiri to mislead
them. His position as a prophet made it incumbent on him to stay with his
people and keep a watchful eye on them and their activities. The learned
commentator has further observed that this question implied an
indication that a leader should remain behind his people when travelling
with them, as Allah Ta'ala had ordered Lut &# to bring his people out of
the city and to remain at their back ◌ْوَاتَبِعُ اَدْبَارَهُم (follow them at the rear
-15:65)
Sayyidna Musa CHI, ignorant of Samiri's mischief, answered the
question put to him by Allah that his haste was the result of his ardent
desire to fulfill Allah's command without loss of time so as to deserve His
greater favour, and that his people were close behind him and might
arrive at any time. It was at that moment that Allah informed him of the
evil that had befallen his people and the part played by Samiri in
bringing it about.
Who was Samiri?
Some people have said that Samiri was an Egyptian Copt who lived
next door to Sayyidna Musa &Cª and had accepted the True Faith. When
Sayyidna Musa Scal took the Bani Isra'il out of Egypt he also joined the
exodus. Others have said that he was the chief of one of the clans of Bani
Isra'il called Samira which is still well-known in Syria. According to
Sayyidna Said Ibn Jubair 4
he was a Persian from the Kirman
province. Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas
says that he belonged to a nation of
cow-worshippers who somehow reached Egypt and pretended to join the
religion of Bani Isra'il whereas in actual fact he was an hypocrite
(Qurtubi). Another version is that he was a Hindu from India who
worshipped cows, adopted the religion of Sayyidna Musa Sel truly, and
later returned to his infidel faith, or had accepted the true faith in

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Surah Ța-Ha : 20 : 83 - 89
hypocrisy. Samiri's name, as generally believed, was Musa Ibn Zafar. Ibn
Jarir has related from Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 46 that Samiri was born in
the year when under the orders of the Pharaoh all male Isra'ili children
were to be killed. His mother, fearing the worst, put him in the hallow of a
cave and covered its mouth. She would visit him from time to time and
feed him as best as she could. On the other hand Allah appointed Jibra'il
SuEll to look after the child and provide him nourishment. Jibra'll El
brought honey on one finger, butter on the second finger and milk on the
third finger which he fed to the child. He lived in the cave until he grew
to manhood and, as has already been narrated above, became an
unbeliever, involved the Bani Isra'il in a great disaster and himself
suffered a terrible fate as a punishment from Allah. A poet has made a
reference to this story in the following two couplets:
عقول مربّيه وخاب المؤمل
اذا المرء لم يخلق سعیدا تحیّرت
وموسى الذى ربّاه فرعون مرسل
فموسی الذی ربّاه جبريل كافر
If a person is not fortunate in his birth then the minds of those
who bring him up are bewildered and those who attach high
hopes on him are disillusioned. Lo! The Musa whom Jibra'il
brought up became an infidel and the Musa who was raised by
the Pharaoh became the Prophet of Allah.
- ?Did your Lord not promise you a good promise) آلَمُ يَعِدُكُمُ رَبُّكُمْ وَعْدًا حَسَنًا
20:86) Sayyidna Musa Cal returned to his people full of sorrow and
anger. First of all he reminded them of the promise which Allah had made
to them that He would give them a Book for their guidance by adhering
to which they could achieve all their worldly and religious objectives. He
said that it was for the purpose of receiving the Book that he had started
out with them for the mount of Tur.
Did then the time become too long for you? - 20:86) Not) أَفَطَالَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْعَهُدُ
much time had elapsed on Allah's promise and it is inconceivable that the
Bani Isra'il could have forgotten it, or if they remembered it, there was no
reason for them to despair of its fulfillment on account of delay, thus
providing for themselves justification for the worship of the calf.
Or did you wish that wrath from your) أَمْ آَرَدْتُمُ أَنْ يَّحِلَّ عَلَيْكُمْ غَضَبٌ مِّنُ رَّبِّكُمْ
Lord befalls you? - 20:86) But since neither of the two eventualities
mentioned above could be contemplated, the only conclusion was that

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they knowingly and of their own choice invited the wrath of Allah.
They said, "We did not back out of our own) قَالُوا مَا أَخُلَفْنَا مَوْعِدَكَ بِمَلْكِنَا
volition, of the promise made to you". - 20:87) The excuse which the Bani
Isra'il offered for adopting the worship of the calf was that they did not do
so of their own choice but merely followed Samiri's example.
But we were burdened with loads from the) وَلكِنَّا حُمِّلْنَا أَوْزَارًا مِّنُ زِيْنَةِ الْقَوْمِ
ornaments of the people. - 20:87) The word jjj (awzar) is the plural of
(wizr) which means "burden". On the Day of Judgment everybody will
carry his bundle of sins on his shoulders just as one carries a load;
therefore the sin is also termed as 'wizr' (load). The word waj means
ornament and ( (the people) refers to the Egyptians from whom Bani
Isra'il had borrowed the ornaments on the pretext of wearing them on
their festival day, but which they did not return to their owners and
carried with them on their flight from Egypt. These ornaments have been
described as jjjj in the sense of "sins" because these were borrowed
articles and by not returning them to their lawful owners the Bani Isra'il
had committed a sin. From the hadith ul-futun which has been
reproduced in detail in the earlier pages it would appear that Sayyidna
Harun ME warned them about their guilt and directed them to throw all
the ornaments in a pit. According to some other versions it was Samiri
who told them that by holding on to something which did not belong to
them they were committing a sin and advised them to throw all the
ornaments in a pit, which they did.
When does the property of infidels become lawful for the
Muslims?
The non-Muslims who live in a Muslim state and abide by its laws
they are known as Dhimmis _>. Such people as well as those infidels who
have entered into a treaty with the Muslims remain in full control of their
properties and it is not lawful for the Muslims to deprive them of any part
of it. However, the properties of those infidels who are neither Dhimmis
nor have any treaty with the Muslims, and who are described by the
jurists as ) (an infidel belonging to enemy country) are lawful for
the Muslims.
That being so why did Sayyidna Harun &
describe the ornaments

146
Surah Ța-Ha : 20 : 83 - 89
borrowed by the Bani Isra'il from the Egyptians as a burden, meaning
sin, and ordered them to throw everything in a pit? One explanation,
which a majority of commentators have given is that the properties of
infidels of an enemy state carried the same status as that of spoils of war.
The law governing the spoils of war before the promulgation of the
Islamic code was that while the Muslims could forcibly dispossess the
infidels of their properties, they were forbidden to use them for their
personal benefits. All the spoils of war (che Jb) thus acquired were
collected and placed on a mound as offering where a fire from the sky -
such as lightning - consumed them and this was a sign that Allah
approved their war against the unbelievers. On the other hand if the fire
did not consume offering (the spoils of war) it was considered that Allah
did not approve their war so that the spoils were regarded as inauspicious
and nobody ever approached them. Under the Islamic Shari'ah some of
the old laws were relaxed and as a result Muslims were permitted to use
the spoils of war for their own benefit. A Hadith on this issue appears in
Şahin of Muslim. According to the laws, in force then, even if the
ornaments borrowed by the Bani Isra'il from the Egyptians were
considered as spoils of war, those could not have been allowed for the
personal benefit of Bani Isra'il. That is why everything was thrown into
the pit under the orders of Sayyidna Harun Seul.
The research conducted by Imam Muhammad رحمه الله تعالى on this issue
from a Juristic point of view is given in his book y and its commentary
by Sarakhsi. His conclusions are very weighty and closest to the truth,
namely that the property of a harbi (infidel belonging to an enemy
country) cannot be treated as spoils of war in every case. In order to be so
treated, and thereby become lawful for the Muslims, it must have been
acquired by sword in the course of a proper religious war (jihad). On the
other hand the property of a harbi (a citizen of an enemy state) which
has been acquired otherwise than in a religious war cannot be treated as
spoils of war. Such properties are however termed as ( (fai') which can
be used lawfully by the Muslims only with the consent of the owner.
Taxes imposed by an Islamic state and paid by the infidels voluntarily fall
in the definition of fai' and their use is permissible even though they have
not been acquired in the course of a religious war.
The ornaments borrowed by the Bani Isra'il did not fall in either of