Intermediate
Musa
Surah: Ta-Ha (72)
The Sorcerers Believe Instantly — "We Will Never Prefer You Over the Clear Signs"
لَن نُّؤۡثِرَكَ عَلَىٰ مَا جَآءَنَا مِنَ ٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِ وَٱلَّذِي فَطَرَنَا فَٱقۡضِ مَآ أَنتَ قَاضٍ
— طه الآية 72
Quranic context: Al-Araf 120-126 / Ash-Shuara 46-52 / Ta-Ha 70-76
Context: Pharaoh assembled his sorcerers to face Moses. When they saw Moses' staff swallow what they had produced, the sorcerers fell prostrate in a single moment. They believed in the Lord of Moses and Aaron. Pharaoh threatened them with cutting and crucifixion: "I will cut off your hands and feet on alternate sides then crucify you." They said: "We will never prefer you over the clear signs that have come to us."
Lesson:
Context: Pharaoh assembled his sorcerers to face Moses. When they saw Moses' staff swallow what they had produced, the sorcerers fell prostrate in a single moment. They believed in the Lord of Moses and Aaron. Pharaoh threatened them with cutting and crucifixion: "I will cut off your hands and feet on alternate sides then crucify you." They said: "We will never prefer you over the clear signs that have come to us."
Lesson:
- The sorcerer knows sorcery best — when they saw what was not sorcery, they recognized the truth instantly
- True faith does not retreat before threats — contrary to what Pharaoh assumed
- They said: "Decide whatever you will decide — only this worldly life" — they did not choose the world over certainty
- The transformation from a tool of falsehood to a martyr for truth is possible in a single moment
- A lesson for the believer: when clear evidence comes, do not hesitate or negotiate
Source: Ibn Kathir (5/288); Al-Tabari (18/351); Al-Sadi
Test Yourself
Why was the faith of the sorcerers faster and firmer than others when they witnessed Moses' miracle?
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