قَالَ مُوسَىٰٓ أَتَقُولُونَ لِلْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَآءَكُمْ ۖ أَسِحْرٌ هَـٰذَا وَلَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلسَّـٰحِرُونَ 77
Translations
Moses said, "Do you say [thus] about the truth when it has come to you? Is this magic? But magicians will not succeed."
Transliteration
Qala Musa ataquluna lil-haqqi lamma jaakum, asihrun hadha wa la yuflihu as-sahiroon
Tafsir (Explanation)
Musa (Moses) directly confronts Pharaoh and the Egyptians, challenging their denial of the clear signs (miracles) that had come to them and their false accusation that his miracles were mere sorcery. He declares with certainty that magicians and sorcerers will never succeed or prevail, implying that what he presented were divine signs, not illusions. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari note that this statement serves as both a refutation of their accusations and a reassurance of the truthfulness of the message.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the narrative of Musa's confrontation with Pharaoh in Egypt (Surah Yunus, 10:75-92). It follows the account of Musa's miracles—the staff and the white hand—which Pharaoh's magicians attempted to replicate. The context reflects the historical moment when Musa presented undeniable divine signs, yet Pharaoh and his people chose disbelief, attributing the miracles to sorcery out of arrogance and denial.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said regarding those who deny clear signs: 'The most unfortunate of people are those who see the signs of Allah but turn away from them' (related in spirit to themes in Surah Yunus 7:36). Additionally, the Qur'an itself emphasizes in 20:69 that the magicians' work will fail while Allah's truth will prevail.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that truth, when clearly presented, stands against all false accusations and distortions—we should defend truth with confidence while recognizing that denial often stems from arrogance rather than lack of clarity. For believers today, it reminds us that presenting Islamic truth does not require validation from those who reject it, for falsehood ultimately cannot prevail against the divine message.