Moses said to them: “Throw whatever you are going to throw!” So they threw their ropes and staffs, and said: “By Pharaoh’s might, it is we indeed who will prevail.” Then Moses threw his staff, and it swallowed up their false devices. The sorcerers fell down prostrating themselves, and said: “We believe in the Lord of all the worlds, the Lord of Moses and Aaron. (Pharaoh) said: “You believe in Him even before I have given you permission! Surely, this one must be your master who has taught you witchcraft! But in time you shall come to know. I shall most certainly have your hands and feet cut off on alternate sides, and I shall most certainly crucify you all.” They said: “No harm (can you cause us). To our Lord we shall indeed return. We certainly hope that our Lord will forgive us our sins, since we are the first who have believed.” (The Poets: Al-Shu’ara: 26: 43-51)
The passage we are looking at today describes the encounter between Moses and Pharaoh’s sorcerers in front of the gathered masses who were promised an eventful day that would inevitably end in clear victory for the sorcerers. It all begins with an ordinary scene, yet it gives us a feeling that Moses was perfectly reassured that he represented the truth. Hence, he cared little for the multitude of sorcerers gathered from all over Egypt, ready to use all their skills to prove Pharaoh’s case. His reassurance is reflected in his allowing them to be the first to start: “Moses said to them: Throw whatever you are going to throw!”
His words imply that whatever they could produce was of little interest to him. On their part, the sorcerers mustered their best efforts and skills, starting the match in Pharaoh’s name and with his help: “So they threw their ropes and staffs, and said: ‘By Pharaoh’s might, it is we indeed who will prevail.’” The surah does not tell us what happened to their ropes and staffs, which is detailed in Surahs 7 and 20, “The Heights” and “Ta Ha” respectively. Thus it retains the atmosphere of reassurance and steadfastness in support of the truth. The surah moves straight to tell us of the result of the encounter, since this is its main purpose: “Then Moses threw his staff, and it swallowed up their false devices.”
This was a great surprise to the sorcerers who could not expect anything of the sort. They had mustered all their power, using their best skills in an area in which they were the undisputed masters. What they produced was the best any sorcerers could produce. Besides, they were many, gathered from all over Egypt, while Moses stood alone, with nothing in his hand other than his staff. Yet it immediately swallowed in a fast movement all they could produce. Besides, they were fully aware that magic relied on delusion, but his staff swallowed their ropes and staffs for real, leaving nothing of them. Had Moses used a trick of magic, their ropes and staffs would have remained there after an imaginary scene suggesting that they were being swallowed. But as they looked around, they could see nothing remaining of their ropes and staffs. Hence, they had no choice but to submit to the clear truth staring them in the eye. They were the first to know that it was the truth: “The sorcerers fell down prostrating themselves, and said: We believe in the Lord of all the worlds, the Lord of Moses and Aaron.”
Only a moment earlier they were ready to lend their skills for pecuniary gain, looking forward to handsome wages for their skilful manipulation. The question of faith and principle meant little to them. But now as the truth touches their hearts, they undergo a complete transformation. They are shaken to the depth of their hearts, removing the long history of a life in falsehood. Within a brief moment, their hearts are clear, ready to respond to the truth, full of faith. Thus, they voluntarily prostrate themselves and repeat the words declaring their unshakable faith: “We believe in the Lord of all the worlds, the Lord of Moses and Aaron.”
The human heart is greatly amazing. A single touch on the right spot changes it completely. The Prophet states the truth as he says: “Every human heart is held within two fingers in God’s hand: He sets it straight or leaves it to stray, as He pleases.” (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim). Thus, the hired sorcerers were transformed into a group of the best believers, in front of the assembled masses as well as Pharaoh and his noble chiefs. They did not think of the consequences that their declaration of conversion to faith would produce. They cared little for Pharaoh’s reaction or what he would do to them.
Such a transformation must have meant a great blow to Pharaoh and his chiefs. The masses were led to believe the great lie reiterated by Pharaoh’s men that Moses, the Israelite, was a mere sorcerer who wanted to take over their land by means of his sorcery. If he won, he would give power to his own people. But the sorcerers were sure to overpower him and put him in his place, or so they were told. The masses were witnesses as the great encounter unfolded, with the sorcerers producing their trick in Pharaoh’s name and under his protection. But in no time, they were utterly defeated, acknowledging their defeat, declaring that Moses delivered the message of the truth, and that they themselves now believed in God, the Lord of all the worlds who gave Moses his message. Their transformation meant that they disowned Pharaoh worship only a brief moment after they were expecting to receive their wages from him.
This transformation represented a real threat to Pharaoh, as it deflated the legend on which his power relied, namely the legend that he was a deity, or the son of some gods. The sorcerers declared the transformation at a time when sorcery was a sacred profession preserved for priests throughout Egypt. It was these very sorcerers that now declared their belief in the Lord of all worlds who gave Moses and Aaron their message. The masses always followed the priests in their beliefs. If these were to abandon Pharaoh, what would be left for him except brute force? Such force cannot, on its own, provide reliable support to protect a regime or government.
We can then imagine the panic that affected Pharaoh and his chiefs as they witnessed the declaration by the sorcerers and their profound, unshakable belief in God, before whom they now prostrated themselves.
What was Pharaoh to do in reply? We will look at this next week, God willing.