فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْحَقُّ مِنْ عِندِنَا قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَسِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ 76
Translations
So when there came to them the truth from Us, they said, "Indeed, this is obvious magic."
Transliteration
Falamma jaa'ahum al-haqqu min 'indina qalou inna hadha li-sihrun mubin
Tafsir (Explanation)
When the truth (the Qur'an and clear signs) came to them from Us, the disbelievers of Pharaoh's people rejected it by claiming it was nothing but manifest sorcery. Ibn Kathir explains that this was their deliberate denial despite the clarity of the miracles, as they attributed the truth to magic out of arrogance and haughtiness. Al-Qurtubi notes that this response exemplifies how those who reject truth often resort to baseless accusations rather than engaging with the evidence presented to them.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the narrative of Surah Yunus, which recounts the story of Prophet Musa (Moses) and his confrontation with Pharaoh and his sorcerers. The context depicts the moment when Musa presented the clear signs and miracles before Pharaoh's court, yet they dismissed these undeniable proofs as sorcery—illustrating the hardness of their hearts and their predetermined rejection of faith.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The most wretched of people are those who witnessed the miracles and still disbelieved' (related in various compilations). Also relevant is the hadith: 'The sign of hypocrisy is when a person rejects the truth when it comes to him' (Sahih Bukhari).
Themes
Key Lesson
When confronted with clear truth, we must examine our hearts for hidden arrogance or prejudice that may cause us to reject it. Dismissing truth through excuses and false accusations—rather than sincere investigation—is a sign of spiritual blindness that we should guard against in our own lives.
Related Ayahs
قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِن كُنتُ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّى وَءَاتَىٰنِى رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِهِۦ فَعُمِّيَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنُلْزِمُكُمُوهَا وَأَنتُمْ لَهَا كَـٰرِهُونَ
He said, "O my people, have you considered: if I should be upon clear evidence from my Lord while He has given me mercy from Himself but it has been made unapparent to you, should we force it upon you while you are averse to it?
ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ كَذَبُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۚ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ
See how they will lie about themselves. And lost from them will be what they used to invent.
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْكَفَرَةُ ٱلْفَجَرَةُ
Those are the disbelievers, the wicked ones.
فَتَوَلَّوْا۟ عَنْهُ مُدْبِرِينَ
So they turned away from him, departing.