قَالَ لَهُم مُّوسَىٰٓ أَلْقُوا۟ مَآ أَنتُم مُّلْقُونَ 43
Translations
Moses said to them, "Throw whatever you will throw."
Transliteration
Qala lahum Musa alqu ma antum mulqun
Tafsir (Explanation)
In this ayah, Prophet Musa (Moses) commands the magicians of Pharaoh to cast down their ropes and staffs first, demonstrating confidence in the miracle Allah would grant him. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note that Musa's calm directive reflected his unwavering faith that Allah's truth would prevail over their deception, and it also served as a fair challenge allowing the magicians to display their craft before his staff would consume their illusions (as mentioned in the following ayah).
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative describing the confrontation between Prophet Musa and Pharaoh's magicians at the Egyptian court. The Surah recounts this historical event to remind believers of Allah's power over falsehood and to console the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) regarding the opposition he faced from Meccan disbelievers. The magicians were summoned by Pharaoh to counter Musa's miraculous signs.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly quotes this ayah, Sahih Muslim contains traditions about the superiority of prophetic miracles over magic, reinforcing the theme that divine signs transcend human deception. The broader context relates to hadiths warning against magic (sihr) as a grave sin, found in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to face opposition with certainty in Allah's truth rather than fear, and to recognize that genuine divine guidance will always overcome human artifice and worldly power, no matter how impressive it may appear on the surface.