Surah TaHa ayat 66 Tafsir Quran 20:66

﴿قَالَ بَلْ أَلْقُوا ۖ فَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمْ وَعِصِيُّهُمْ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ مِن سِحْرِهِمْ أَنَّهَا تَسْعَىٰ﴾
[ طه: 66]

20:66 He said, "Rather, you throw." And suddenly their ropes and staffs seemed to him from their magic that they were moving [like snakes].

He said ‘Nay you cast!’ and so they cast and lo! their ropes and their staffs ‘isiyyihim derives from ‘isūwwun but the two wāw letters have been changed into two yā’ letters with the kasra vowelling applied to both the ‘ayn and the sād appeared to him by the effect of their sorcery as though they were snakes gliding swiftly on their bellies.

But, Mussa said, you cast first, and there, their ropes and their rods seemed as though they were living serpents in motion

The Competition, Musa's Victory, and the Magician's Faith Allah, the Exalted, informs about the magicians when they met Musa, that they said to Musa, إِمَّآ أَن تُلْقِىَ ( "Either you throw first..." ) meaning, "you go first." وَإِمَّآ أَن نَّكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَلْقَىقَالَ بَلْ أَلْقُواْ ( "...or we be the first to throw" (Musa ) said: "Nay, throw you ( first )!") This means, `you magicians should go first so that we can see what magic you are going to perform and so that the true state of their affair will become obvious to the people.' فَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمْ وَعِصِيُّهُمْ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ مِن سِحْرِهِمْ أَنَّهَا تَسْعَى ( Then behold! their ropes and their sticks, by their magic, appeared to him as though they moved fast. ) In another Ayah it says that when they threw, وَقَالُواْ بِعِزَّةِ فِرْعَونَ إِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الْغَـلِبُونَ ( Then said: "By the might of Fir`awn, it is we who will certainly win!" ) 26:44 And Allah, the Exalted, says, سَحَرُواْ أَعْيُنَ النَّاسِ وَاسْتَرْهَبُوهُمْ وَجَآءُو بِسِحْرٍ عَظِيمٍ ( They bewitched the eyes of the people, and struck terror into them, and they displayed a great magic. ) 7:116 Here, He says in this Surah, فَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمْ وَعِصِيُّهُمْ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ مِن سِحْرِهِمْ أَنَّهَا تَسْعَى ( Then behold! their ropes and their sticks, by their magic, appeared to him as though they moved fast. ) They were a large numbered group and each one of them threw a stick and a rope until the valley became full of snakes piled on top of each other.
Concerning Allah's statement, فَأَوْجَسَ فِى نَفْسِهِ خِيفَةً مُّوسَى ( So Musa conceived fear in himself. ) This means that he feared for the people that they would be tested and deceived by their magic before he could even have a chance to throw what was in his right hand.
Thus, Allah revealed to him at the right moment, to throw what was in his right hand, which was the stick.
When he did so, it swallowed what they had made.
It became a huge, monstrous creature with legs, a neck, a head and fangs.
It went after these ropes and sticks until none of them remained, except that it was devoured and swallowed by this beast.
At the same time, the magicians and all of the people were watching with their own eyes, seeing this amazing event in broad daylight.
Thus, the miracle was performed and the evidence was clear.
The truth prevailed and the magic was proven to be falsehood.
This is why Allah said, إِنَّمَا صَنَعُواْ كَيْدُ سَاحِرٍ وَلاَ يُفْلِحُ السَّـحِرُ حَيْثُ أَتَى ( That which they have made is only a magician's trick, and the magician will never be successful, to whatever amount (of skill ) he may attain.) So when the magicians saw the event and witnessed it with their own eyes, while they were knowledgeable of the various tricks and methods in the sciences of magic, they knew with conviction that what Musa had done was not magic or illusionary tricks.
They recognized that it was the truth without any doubt.
They knew that no one had any power to do this except for One Who says for a thing "Be," and it is.
Therefore, when this happened, they fell down into prostration to Allah.
They said, "We believe in the Lord of all that exists, the Lord of Musa and Harun!" This is why Ibn `Abbas and `Ubayd bin `Umayr both said, "At the beginning of the day they were magicians and at the end of the day they were outstanding witnesses of faith." l The Number of Magicians Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "The magicians were seventy men who were magicians in the morning, but witnesses of faith by the time evening came." Ibn Abi Hatim also reported that Al-Awza'i said, "When the magicians fell down in prostration, Paradise was raised up before them until they were looking at it." It is reported from Sa`id bin Jubayr that he said concerning Allah's statement, فَأُلْقِىَ السَّحَرَةُ سُجَّداً ( So the magicians fell down prostrate. ) "They saw their places ( in Paradise ) made clear before them while they were in their prostration." `Ikrimah and Al-Qasim bin Abi Bizzah both said the same.

(20:66) Moses replied, "No, cast down (yours). Suddenly it so appeared to Moses that their cords and staffs were running about by the power of their magic, *40

He said, "Rather, you throw." And suddenly meaning

*40) 'In V11: 116, it was stated: " When they threw down their devices they bewitched the eyes of the people and filled their hearts with terror. " Here it is stated that it was not the common people alone who were terrified by their magic but Prophet Moses too suffered from its effect.
He not only seemed to see that the staffs and cords were running about like serpents but he also felt a dread of them.

 

The Competition, Musa's Victory, and the Magician's Faith Allah, the Exalted, informs about the magicians when they met Musa, that they said to Musa, إِمَّآ أَن تُلْقِىَ ( "Either you throw first..." ) meaning, "you go first." وَإِمَّآ أَن نَّكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَلْقَىقَالَ بَلْ أَلْقُواْ ( "...or we be the first to throw" (Musa ) said: "Nay, throw you ( first )!") This means, `you magicians should go first so that we can see what magic you are going to perform and so that the true state of their affair will become obvious to the people.' فَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمْ وَعِصِيُّهُمْ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ مِن سِحْرِهِمْ أَنَّهَا تَسْعَى ( Then behold! their ropes and their sticks, by their magic, appeared to him as though they moved fast. ) In another Ayah it says that when they threw, وَقَالُواْ بِعِزَّةِ فِرْعَونَ إِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الْغَـلِبُونَ ( Then said: "By the might of Fir`awn, it is we who will certainly win!" ) 26:44 And Allah, the Exalted, says, سَحَرُواْ أَعْيُنَ النَّاسِ وَاسْتَرْهَبُوهُمْ وَجَآءُو بِسِحْرٍ عَظِيمٍ ( They bewitched the eyes of the people, and struck terror into them, and they displayed a great magic. ) 7:116 Here, He says in this Surah, فَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمْ وَعِصِيُّهُمْ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ مِن سِحْرِهِمْ أَنَّهَا تَسْعَى ( Then behold! their ropes and their sticks, by their magic, appeared to him as though they moved fast. ) They were a large numbered group and each one of them threw a stick and a rope until the valley became full of snakes piled on top of each other.
Concerning Allah's statement, فَأَوْجَسَ فِى نَفْسِهِ خِيفَةً مُّوسَى ( So Musa conceived fear in himself. ) This means that he feared for the people that they would be tested and deceived by their magic before he could even have a chance to throw what was in his right hand.
Thus, Allah revealed to him at the right moment, to throw what was in his right hand, which was the stick.
When he did so, it swallowed what they had made.
It became a huge, monstrous creature with legs, a neck, a head and fangs.
It went after these ropes and sticks until none of them remained, except that it was devoured and swallowed by this beast.
At the same time, the magicians and all of the people were watching with their own eyes, seeing this amazing event in broad daylight.
Thus, the miracle was performed and the evidence was clear.
The truth prevailed and the magic was proven to be falsehood.
This is why Allah said, إِنَّمَا صَنَعُواْ كَيْدُ سَاحِرٍ وَلاَ يُفْلِحُ السَّـحِرُ حَيْثُ أَتَى ( That which they have made is only a magician's trick, and the magician will never be successful, to whatever amount (of skill ) he may attain.) So when the magicians saw the event and witnessed it with their own eyes, while they were knowledgeable of the various tricks and methods in the sciences of magic, they knew with conviction that what Musa had done was not magic or illusionary tricks.
They recognized that it was the truth without any doubt.
They knew that no one had any power to do this except for One Who says for a thing "Be," and it is.
Therefore, when this happened, they fell down into prostration to Allah.
They said, "We believe in the Lord of all that exists, the Lord of Musa and Harun!" This is why Ibn `Abbas and `Ubayd bin `Umayr both said, "At the beginning of the day they were magicians and at the end of the day they were outstanding witnesses of faith." l The Number of Magicians Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "The magicians were seventy men who were magicians in the morning, but witnesses of faith by the time evening came." Ibn Abi Hatim also reported that Al-Awza'i said, "When the magicians fell down in prostration, Paradise was raised up before them until they were looking at it." It is reported from Sa`id bin Jubayr that he said concerning Allah's statement, فَأُلْقِىَ السَّحَرَةُ سُجَّداً ( So the magicians fell down prostrate. ) "They saw their places ( in Paradise ) made clear before them while they were in their prostration." `Ikrimah and Al-Qasim bin Abi Bizzah both said the same.

( He said ) Moses said to them: ( Nay, do ye throw ) you first! And so they threw 72 staffs and 72 ropes. ( Then Lo! their cords and their staves, by their magic, appeared to him ) to Moses ( as though they ran ) they moved about.

[Musa (Moses)] said: "Nay, throw you (first)!" Then behold, their ropes and their sticks, by their magic, appeared to him as though they moved fast.

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