لَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُم مِّنْ خِلَـٰفٍ ثُمَّ لَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ 124
Translations
I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides; then I will surely crucify you all."
Transliteration
La-uqatti'anna aydiyakum wa-arjulakum min khilaf thumma la-usallibannakum ajma'in
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah records Pharaoh's threat of severe punishment against the magicians who believed in Moses and Allah. The phrase 'cut off your hands and feet from opposite sides' refers to amputation of the right hand and left foot (or vice versa) as a form of brutal execution, followed by crucifixion. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note this represents Pharaoh's arrogant desperation when confronted with the truth, and the magicians' steadfastness in faith despite this terrifying threat demonstrates their sincere belief and willingness to sacrifice everything for Allah.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative of Moses and Pharaoh in Meccan Surah Al-A'raf, specifically recounting the famous contest between Moses and Pharaoh's magicians. The context shows Pharaoh's response after his magicians witnessed the miracle of the staff becoming a serpent and consequently believed in Allah, rejecting Pharaoh's false claims to divinity.
Related Hadiths
While no specific hadith directly quotes this ayah's consequence, Sahih Muslim contains hadiths about the magicians' eventual acceptance of faith and their readiness for martyrdom, exemplifying the principle mentioned in Surah Al-'Ankabut (29:10) regarding trials and steadfastness.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true faith in Allah empowers believers to face even the most terrifying threats with courage and resolve. For modern readers, it illustrates that material power and physical threats are ultimately insignificant against sincere conviction in divine truth, encouraging steadfastness in faith regardless of worldly consequences.
Related Ayahs
وَلَمَّا وَقَعَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلرِّجْزُ قَالُوا۟ يَـٰمُوسَى ٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ بِمَا عَهِدَ عِندَكَ ۖ لَئِن كَشَفْتَ عَنَّا ٱلرِّجْزَ لَنُؤْمِنَنَّ لَكَ وَلَنُرْسِلَنَّ مَعَكَ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ
And when the punishment descended upon them, they said, "O Moses, invoke for us your Lord by what He has promised you. If you [can] remove the punishment from us, we will surely believe you, and we will send with you the Children of Israel."
وَلَا تَقْعُدُوا۟ بِكُلِّ صِرَٰطٍ تُوعِدُونَ وَتَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِهِۦ وَتَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا ۚ وَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟ إِذْ كُنتُمْ قَلِيلًا فَكَثَّرَكُمْ ۖ وَٱنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ
And do not sit on every path, threatening and averting from the way of Allāh those who believe in Him, seeking to make it [seem] deviant. And remember when you were few and He increased you. And see how was the end of the corrupters.
فَلَمَّا نَسُوا۟ مَا ذُكِّرُوا۟ بِهِۦٓ أَنجَيْنَا ٱلَّذِينَ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلسُّوٓءِ وَأَخَذْنَا ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ بِعَذَابٍۭ بَـِٔيسٍۭ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْسُقُونَ
And when they [i.e., those advised] forgot that by which they had been reminded, We saved those who had forbidden evil and seized those who wronged, with a wretched punishment, because they were defiantly disobeying.
قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوٓا۟ إِنَّا بِٱلَّذِىٓ ءَامَنتُم بِهِۦ كَـٰفِرُونَ
Said those who were arrogant, "Indeed we, in that which you have believed, are disbelievers."