قَالُوٓا۟ إِنْ هَـٰذَٰنِ لَسَـٰحِرَٰنِ يُرِيدَانِ أَن يُخْرِجَاكُم مِّنْ أَرْضِكُم بِسِحْرِهِمَا وَيَذْهَبَا بِطَرِيقَتِكُمُ ٱلْمُثْلَىٰ 63
Translations
They said, "Indeed, these are two magicians who want to drive you out of your land with their magic and do away with your most exemplary way [i.e., religion or tradition].
Transliteration
Qaalū in hādhāni lasāḥirāni yurīdāni an yukhrijākum min arḍikum bisḥirihimā wa yadhhabā biṭarīqatikum al-muthlā
Tafsir (Explanation)
The sorcerers of Pharaoh's court accused Musa and Harun of being magicians seeking to expel them from Egypt through magic and to destroy their way of life (the established customs and religion). Ibn Kathir explains that the sorcerers, threatened by the signs of Allah performed through the prophets, resorted to accusation and slander rather than acknowledging the truth, demonstrating how those who reject faith often resort to ad hominem attacks and false accusations when confronted with divine evidence.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs in the narrative of Musa's confrontation with Pharaoh and his court in Surah Taha. The context is Pharaoh's magicians witnessing the miraculous staff of Musa transforming into a serpent, prompting them to falsely attribute this to sorcery rather than acknowledging it as a sign from Allah. This represents a broader Meccan theme of how disbelievers respond to prophetic signs.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly references this specific statement, Sahih Bukhari contains reports of the Prophet (ﷺ) explaining that the magicians of Pharaoh did eventually believe after witnessing the truth (20:70-71), illustrating that even those initially hostile can recognize divine truth when it becomes undeniable.
Themes
Key Lesson
When confronted with undeniable truth, the spiritually blind often resort to slander and false accusations rather than admit their error; believers should expect such resistance when calling people to Allah's way, yet remain steadfast knowing that truth ultimately prevails, as demonstrated when these very magicians later believed.
Related Ayahs
يَـٰبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ قَدْ أَنجَيْنَـٰكُم مِّنْ عَدُوِّكُمْ وَوَٰعَدْنَـٰكُمْ جَانِبَ ٱلطُّورِ ٱلْأَيْمَنَ وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْمَنَّ وَٱلسَّلْوَىٰ
O Children of Israel, We delivered you from your enemy, and We made an appointment with you at the right side of the mount, and We sent down to you manna and quails,
وَمَن يَأْتِهِۦ مُؤْمِنًا قَدْ عَمِلَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمُ ٱلدَّرَجَـٰتُ ٱلْعُلَىٰ
But whoever comes to Him as a believer having done righteous deeds - for those will be the highest degrees [in position]:
قَالَ يَبْنَؤُمَّ لَا تَأْخُذْ بِلِحْيَتِى وَلَا بِرَأْسِىٓ ۖ إِنِّى خَشِيتُ أَن تَقُولَ فَرَّقْتَ بَيْنَ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ وَلَمْ تَرْقُبْ قَوْلِى
[Aaron] said, "O son of my mother, do not seize [me] by my beard or by my head. Indeed, I feared that you would say, 'You caused division among the Children of Israel, and you did not observe [or await] my word.'"
قَالَ بَلْ أَلْقُوا۟ ۖ فَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمْ وَعِصِيُّهُمْ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ مِن سِحْرِهِمْ أَنَّهَا تَسْعَىٰ
He said, "Rather, you throw." And suddenly their ropes and staffs seemed to him from their magic that they were moving [like snakes].