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.