فَلَنَأْتِيَنَّكَ بِسِحْرٍ مِّثْلِهِۦ فَٱجْعَلْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكَ مَوْعِدًا لَّا نُخْلِفُهُۥ نَحْنُ وَلَآ أَنتَ مَكَانًا سُوًى 58
Translations
Then we will surely bring you magic like it, so make between us and you an appointment, which we will not fail to keep and neither will you, in a place assigned."
Transliteration
Fa-lanatiyannak bisihrin mithlihi faj'al baynanā wa baynaka maw'idan lā nukhlifu-hu nāḥnu wa lā anta makānan suwā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah represents the sorcerers' confident challenge to Prophet Musa (Moses), declaring they will bring magic equal to his miracles and proposing a neutral meeting place where both parties can demonstrate their powers. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note this reflects the sorcerers' arrogance and their misattribution of divine miracles to mere sorcery, setting the stage for the ultimate confrontation where their magic will be proven false against the truth of Allah's signs.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the narrative of Musa's confrontation with Pharaoh's court in Surah Taha, specifically during the challenge between Musa and the sorcerers of Egypt. The context illustrates how those who reject divine truth often resort to deception and false equivalencies, attempting to match the miraculous with the mundane.
Related Hadiths
While no directly related hadith exists for this specific ayah, Surah Taha's narrative is referenced in various hadith collections discussing Musa's mission. The Qur'an itself (20:65-71) describes the outcome where the sorcerers ultimately believed in Allah after witnessing the staff miraculously consume their ropes and staffs.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that those who reject Allah's signs often respond with false confidence and attempt to equate the miraculous with human deception, yet truth ultimately prevails when confronted openly. Modern readers should recognize that truth need not fear comparison with falsehood, and confident reliance on Divine guidance overcomes worldly opposition.