قَالَ ٱلْمَلَأُ مِن قَوْمِ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَسَـٰحِرٌ عَلِيمٌ 109
Translations
Said the eminent among the people of Pharaoh, "Indeed, this is a learned magician
Transliteration
Qala al-mala'u min qawmi fir'awna inna hadha la-sahirun 'alim
Tafsir (Explanation)
The chiefs and nobles of Pharaoh's people responded to Moses and Aaron's miracles by dismissing them as mere sorcery performed by a skilled magician. This reaction reflects the stubborn rejection of the oppressive elite who refused to acknowledge the divine signs out of pride and fear of losing their power and influence. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note that this represents the archetypal response of those who reject truth: resorting to accusations and denial rather than accepting clear evidence.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the narrative of Moses's confrontation with Pharaoh in Egypt, which is a central theme throughout Surah Al-A'raf and the Quran. The context is Pharaoh's court after Moses and Aaron performed the miracle of the staff transforming into a serpent. The elite's dismissal of the signs as sorcery demonstrates how those invested in falsehood attempt to rationalize away divine miracles.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The greatest sorcery is eloquence (al-sawlah)' (Ad-Daylami). Additionally, there are hadiths warning against the deception of the powerful and the elite turning people away from truth, as seen in various narrations in Sahih Bukhari regarding the arrogance of Pharaoh's court.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that those who cling to worldly power and prestige will resort to denial and false accusations when confronted with truth, demonstrating that rejecting divine guidance often stems from spiritual blindness rather than intellectual inability. Modern readers should reflect on how vested interests and ego can prevent us from accepting truth, and maintain humility to recognize signs of wisdom regardless of their source.
Related Ayahs
ٱتَّبِعُوا۟ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ ۗ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ
Follow, [O mankind], what has been revealed to you from your Lord and do not follow other than Him any allies. Little do you remember.
۞ وَوَٰعَدْنَا مُوسَىٰ ثَلَـٰثِينَ لَيْلَةً وَأَتْمَمْنَـٰهَا بِعَشْرٍ فَتَمَّ مِيقَـٰتُ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً ۚ وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِأَخِيهِ هَـٰرُونَ ٱخْلُفْنِى فِى قَوْمِى وَأَصْلِحْ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ سَبِيلَ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ
And We made an appointment with Moses for thirty nights and perfected them by [the addition of] ten; so the term of his Lord was completed as forty nights. And Moses said to his brother Aaron, "Take my place among my people, do right [by them], and do not follow the way of the corrupters."
أَوْ تَقُولُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَآ أَشْرَكَ ءَابَآؤُنَا مِن قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا ذُرِّيَّةً مِّنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ ۖ أَفَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ ٱلْمُبْطِلُونَ
Or [lest] you say, "It was only that our fathers associated [others in worship] with Allāh before, and we were but descendants after them. Then would You destroy us for what the falsifiers have done?"
وَمِن قَوْمِ مُوسَىٰٓ أُمَّةٌ يَهْدُونَ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَبِهِۦ يَعْدِلُونَ
And among the people of Moses is a community which guides by truth and by it establishes justice.