7:111 Al-A'raaf (The Heights)

تفسير الآيتين 111 و 112 :ـ فحينئذ انعقد رأيهم إلى أن قالوا لفرعون: أَرْجِهْ وَأَخَاهُ أي: احبسهما وأمهلهما، وابعث في المدائن أناسا يحشرون أهل المملكة ويأتون بكل سحار عليم، أي: يجيئون بالسحرة المهرة، ليقابلوا ما جاء به موسى، فقالوا: يا موسى اجعل بيننا وبينك موعدا لا نخلفه نحن ولا أنت مكانا سوى. قَالَ مَوْعِدُكُمْ يَوْمُ الزِّينَةِ وَأَنْ يُحْشَرَ النَّاسُ ضُحًى * فَتَوَلَّى فِرْعَوْنُ فَجَمَعَ كَيْدَهُ ثُمَّ أَتَى .

قال ابن عباس "أرجه" أخره وقال قتادة احبسه "وأرسل" أي ابعث "في المدائن" أي في الأقاليم ومدائن ملكك "حاشرين" أي من يحشر لك السحرة من سائر البلاد ويجمعهم وقد كان السحر في زمانهم غالبا كثيرا ظاهرا واعتقد من اعتقد منهم وأوهم من أوهم منهم أن ما جاء موسى به عليه السلام من قبيل ما تشعبذه سحرتهم فلهذا جمعوا له السحرة ليعارضوه بنظير ما أراهم من البينات.

أَرْجِهْ

("Put him off"), means, "delay him (for a time)."

وَأَرْسِلْ فِى الْمَدَآئِنِ

("and send to the cities"), areas and provinces of your kingdom -- O Fir`awn,

حَـشِرِينَ

("to collect") to gather magicians from various lands. At this time, magic was the trade of the day and it was widespread and popular. They had the idea that what Musa brought was a type of magic similar to the magic that the sorcerers of their time practiced. Because of this incorrect assumption, they brought all the magicians in order to defeat the miracles that he showed them. Allah said about Fir`awn,

فَلَنَأْتِيَنَّكَ بِسِحْرٍ مِّثْلِهِ فَاجْعَلْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكَ مَوْعِداً لاَّ نُخْلِفُهُ نَحْنُ وَلاَ أَنتَ مَكَاناً سُوًى

قَالَ مَوْعِدُكُمْ يَوْمُ الزِّينَةِ وَأَن يُحْشَرَ النَّاسُ ضُحًى - فَتَوَلَّى فِرْعَوْنُ فَجَمَعَ كَيْدَهُ ثُمَّ أَتَى

(Then verily, we can produce magic the like thereof; so appoint a meeting between us and you, which neither we nor you shall fail to keep, in an open place where both shall have a just and equal chance." Musa said: "Your appointed meeting is the day of the festival, and let the people assemble when the sun has risen (forenoon)." So Fir`awn withdrew, devised his plot and then came back.) 20:58-60. Allah said,

They said ‘Put him and his brother off a while postpone any decision regarding their affair and send into the towns summoners gatherers

These verses narrate the remaining part of the story of the prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) . Seeing these wonders of staves turning into serpents and making his hand emitting strong white light, the Pharaoh should have been convinced and have believed in Musa (علیہ السلام) as the logic and sense demanded. But it is the common practice of the wrong-doers that they always seek false interpretations of the truth in order to conceal it, the Pharaoh and his people belied him instead, and said to the people that he was a great sorcerer and that he wanted to expel them from their homes and take over the rule of the country. The people of the Pharaoh suggested:

أَرْ‌جِهْ وَأَخَاهُ وَأَرْ‌سِلْ فِي الْمَدَائِنِ حَاشِرِ‌ينَ ﴿111﴾ يَأْتُوكَ بِكُلِّ سَاحِرٍ‌ عَلِيمٍ ﴿112﴾

"leave him and his brother alone for a while, and send men to the cities to collect and bring to you every expert sorcerer-111, 112."

The people of the Pharaoh said that there were many expert sorcerers in their cities who were capable of defeating Musa (علیہ السلام) .

Some soldiers should be sent to collect and bring the sorcerers for this purpose. Sorcery and magic, being the custom of the day, the sorcerers enjoyed a high status among people. Allah sent Musa (علیہ السلام) with the miracles of the staff and white-lit hand so that people may clearly observe the misery of the sorcerers after entering into a contest with Musa (علیہ السلام) . It is the usual practice of Allah that He sends His prophets with miracles that are appropriate to the demand of the time. For instance, in the time of the prophet ` Isa (علیہ السلام) (the Jesus), Greek philosophy and medical sciences were at their zenith. He was, therefore, sent with the miraculous powers of restoring the sight of those who were born blind and cure the lepers instantly with a touch of his hand. In the time of the Holy Prophet ﷺ the Arabs were boastful of their oratory and linguistic capabilities. The Holy Qur'an was sent as the greatest of all miracles of the Holy prophet ﷺ .