قَالَ بَلْ أَلْقُوا۟ ۖ فَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمْ وَعِصِيُّهُمْ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ مِن سِحْرِهِمْ أَنَّهَا تَسْعَىٰ 66
Translations
He said, "Rather, you throw." And suddenly their ropes and staffs seemed to him from their magic that they were moving [like snakes].
Transliteration
Qala bal alqu fa-iza hibāluhum wa-`isiyyuhum yukhayyal ilayhi min sihrihim annaha tasʿā
Tafsir (Explanation)
When Musa commanded the magicians to cast their ropes and staffs, Allah caused them to appear to Musa as if they were moving and crawling like snakes due to their magic, though the ropes and staffs remained lifeless objects. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this was an optical illusion created by the magicians' sorcery—a test of Musa's resolve—but the reality was that nothing actually moved; rather, Allah allowed a deception to appear to Musa's sight. This demonstrates that magic operates through illusion and deception, not through actual supernatural transformation.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the famous confrontation between Prophet Musa and Pharaoh's magicians at the royal court. The context is the challenge where Pharaoh's sorcerers attempted to compete with Musa's miracle (the staff becoming a serpent), demonstrating the stark difference between magic (which creates illusions) and divine miracles (which are real transformations).
Related Hadiths
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said, 'The greatest magic is deception' (related in various collections). Additionally, authentic hadith collections mention that magic does not harm the believers who rely upon Allah and His protection.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that while magic may create convincing illusions to deceive the eye, it has no real power against the truth and divine reality; believers should recognize that reliance on Allah and truth will ultimately triumph over deception and falsehood, no matter how convincing it may appear.
Related Ayahs
وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى مَنْ أَسْرَفَ وَلَمْ يُؤْمِنۢ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ رَبِّهِۦ ۚ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ أَشَدُّ وَأَبْقَىٰٓ
And thus do We recompense he who transgressed and did not believe in the signs of his Lord. And the punishment of the Hereafter is more severe and more enduring.
قَالَ ءَامَنتُمْ لَهُۥ قَبْلَ أَنْ ءَاذَنَ لَكُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَكُمُ ٱلسِّحْرَ ۖ فَلَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُم مِّنْ خِلَـٰفٍ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ فِى جُذُوعِ ٱلنَّخْلِ وَلَتَعْلَمُنَّ أَيُّنَآ أَشَدُّ عَذَابًا وَأَبْقَىٰ
[Pharaoh] said, "You believed him [i.e., Moses] before I gave you permission. Indeed, he is your leader who has taught you magic. So I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will crucify you on the trunks of palm trees, and you will surely know which of us is more severe in [giving] punishment and more enduring."
فَأَكَلَا مِنْهَا فَبَدَتْ لَهُمَا سَوْءَٰتُهُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِن وَرَقِ ٱلْجَنَّةِ ۚ وَعَصَىٰٓ ءَادَمُ رَبَّهُۥ فَغَوَىٰ
And they [i.e., Adam and his wife] ate of it, and their private parts became apparent to them, and they began to fasten over themselves from the leaves of Paradise. And Adam disobeyed his Lord and erred.
قَالَ فَإِنَّا قَدْ فَتَنَّا قَوْمَكَ مِنۢ بَعْدِكَ وَأَضَلَّهُمُ ٱلسَّامِرِىُّ
[Allāh] said, "But indeed, We have tried your people after you [departed], and the Sāmirī has led them astray."