قَالُوا۟ يَـٰمُوسَىٰٓ إِمَّآ أَن تُلْقِىَ وَإِمَّآ أَن نَّكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَلْقَىٰ 65
Translations
They said, "O Moses, either you throw or we will be the first to throw."
Transliteration
Qālū yā mūsā immā an tulqī wa immā an nakūna awwala man alqā
Tafsir (Explanation)
The magicians of Pharaoh respond to Prophet Musa's challenge with confidence, saying they will either cast first or give him the choice to cast first. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this demonstrates their arrogance and false certainty in their magical abilities, not realizing they were about to witness a divine miracle that would expose the falsehood of their craft. This moment precedes their humbling defeat when Musa's staff becomes a serpent and swallows their magical ropes and staffs.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the narrative of Musa's confrontation with Pharaoh and his magicians (20:57-76). The magicians had been summoned to counter Musa's miraculous signs, and this exchange represents their arrogant response before the decisive miracle that would convert them to faith in Allah.
Related Hadiths
While no specific hadith directly quotes this ayah, the broader narrative of Musa's miracle is referenced in various hadith collections discussing the signs of prophethood and Allah's protection of His messengers. See Surah Taha 20:65-71 for the complete narrative of the magicians' conversion.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that human arrogance and reliance on worldly skills blind people to divine truth; the magicians' confidence in their abilities prevented them from recognizing the supremacy of Allah's signs until they witnessed the miracle directly.