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
فَرَجَعَ مُوسَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ غَضْبَـٰنَ أَسِفًا ۚ قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ أَلَمْ يَعِدْكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ وَعْدًا حَسَنًا ۚ أَفَطَالَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْعَهْدُ أَمْ أَرَدتُّمْ أَن يَحِلَّ عَلَيْكُمْ غَضَبٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ فَأَخْلَفْتُم مَّوْعِدِى
So Moses returned to his people, angry and grieved. He said, "O my people, did your Lord not make you a good promise? Then, was the time [of its fulfillment] too long for you, or did you wish that wrath from your Lord descend upon you, so you broke your promise [of obedience] to me?"
قَالَ لَهُم مُّوسَىٰ وَيْلَكُمْ لَا تَفْتَرُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا فَيُسْحِتَكُم بِعَذَابٍ ۖ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ
Moses said to them [i.e., the magicians summoned by Pharaoh], "Woe to you! Do not invent a lie against Allāh or He will exterminate you with a punishment; and he has failed who invents [such falsehood]."
يَفْقَهُوا۟ قَوْلِى
That they may understand my speech.
وَأَلْقِ مَا فِى يَمِينِكَ تَلْقَفْ مَا صَنَعُوٓا۟ ۖ إِنَّمَا صَنَعُوا۟ كَيْدُ سَـٰحِرٍ ۖ وَلَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلسَّاحِرُ حَيْثُ أَتَىٰ
And throw what is in your right hand; it will swallow up what they have crafted. What they have crafted is but the trick of a magician, and the magician will not succeed wherever he is."