Prophet Mūsā: Part 2 — The Calling and the Magicians Who Believed
Section 32 of 36 · Lives of the Prophets
The Experts Knew
What was the response of the magicians? Among all of these people who are watching, who are the experts? Who are the ones who understand what is going on? The magicians. Firʿawn is stubborn; he knows the truth.
وَجَحَدُوا۟ بِهَا وَٱسْتَيْقَنَتْهَآ أَنفُسُهُمْ ظُلْمًا وَعُلُوًّا ۚ فَٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ
“And they denied them out of sheer injustice and arrogance, though their hearts believed them (to be true). See, then, how was the fate of the mischief-makers.” (27:14)
Wa istayqanathā anfusuhum — they knew it. He knew the truth, but he does not want to believe. The people of Egypt surrounding them are followers of Firʿawn: whatever Firʿawn says, we are going to follow him.
فَٱسْتَخَفَّ قَوْمَهُۥ فَأَطَاعُوهُ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ قَوْمًا فَـٰسِقِينَ
“Thus he made fool of his people, and they obeyed him. Surely they were a sinful people.” (43:54)
He belittled his people, so they obeyed him. But the ones who had understanding of the reality of the situation were the magicians. So when they saw this, they understood that this was not magic. We are the experts in magic. We know magic from A to Z; we know everything about it. This is not magic. This is not magic. This is a miracle from Allah (swt).
فَأُلْقِىَ ٱلسَّحَرَةُ سُجَّدًا قَالُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا بِرَبِّ هَـٰرُونَ وَمُوسَىٰ
“So, the magicians were led (by the truth) to fall in prostration. They said, “We have (now) believed in the Lord of Hārūn and Mūsā.”” (20:70)
So when they saw that, their reaction was that the magicians fell down in prostration. They made sujūd to Allah (swt) and said: we believe in the Lord of Hārūn and Mūsā.