Al-A'raaf 7:111 · The Heights · Arabic, translation, recitation

Other English translations

Abdel Haleem (Oxford)+

"They said, ‘Delay him and his brother for a while, and send messengers to all the cities"

Pickthall (classic)+

"They said (unto Pharaoh): Put him off (a while) - him and his brother - and send into the cities summoners,"

Yusuf Ali (classic)+

"They said: "Keep him and his brother in suspense (for a while); and send to the cities men to collect-"

Tafsīr · classical commentary

Ibn Kathir

Abridged English, public domain

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,

Tafsir Saʿdi

English translation, public domain

Муса пришел к Фараону, чтобы призвать его уверовать, и сказал: «Фараон, меня отправил Великий Правитель - Господь миров. Его владения простираются на небесах и земле. Он заботливо управляет всеми творениями, руководствуясь Своими законами. Согласно одному из них, Аллах не предает Свои творения забвению, а отправляет к ним посланников, которые приносят благую весть и предостерегают. Никто не может безнаказанно лгать от Его имени и заявлять, что он - Его посланник, если в действительности это не так. И если тебе ясны качества Аллаха, то знай, что Он избрал меня и почтил Своим посланием. Это значит, что мне не подобает лгать от Его имени. Я обязан говорить одну только правду, и если я ослушаюсь Его, то меня постигнет скорое наказание, и Всемогущий Аллах схватит меня Могучей Хваткой!» Эти слова обязывали всех людей повиноваться пророку и последовать за ним. В подтверждение их правдивости он показал присутствующим ясное знамение от Аллаха. Фараон и его знать должны были принять его послание, которое включало в себя два основных требования: они должны были уверовать в Мусу, последовав за ним, и отпустить с ним сынов Исраила. Это был народ, который Аллах возвысил над остальными обитателями миров. Израильтяне были потомками пророков и выходцами из славного рода Йакуба. Пророк Муса тоже принадлежал к их числу.

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 .