Prophet Mūsā: Part 2 — The Calling and the Magicians Who Believed
Section 35 of 36 · Lives of the Prophets
Decree Whatever You Will
These magicians had now become believers. And Firʿawn told them: I will kill you, and I will crucify you. He would kill them in a cruel way: he would chop off their arms and their legs, and crucify them on palm trees. What was the response of the magicians now?
قَالُوا۟ لَن نُّؤْثِرَكَ عَلَىٰ مَا جَآءَنَا مِنَ ٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ وَٱلَّذِى فَطَرَنَا ۖ فَٱقْضِ مَآ أَنتَ قَاضٍ ۖ إِنَّمَا تَقْضِى هَـٰذِهِ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِنَّآ ءَامَنَّا بِرَبِّنَا لِيَغْفِرَ لَنَا خَطَـٰيَـٰنَا وَمَآ أَكْرَهْتَنَا عَلَيْهِ مِنَ ٱلسِّحْرِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰٓ
“They said, “We will never prefer you over the clear signs that have come to us, and over Him who has created us. So, decide whatever you have to decide. You will decide only for this worldly life. We have put our faith in our Lord, so that He forgives us for our sins and for the magic you compelled us to perform. And Allah is the Best and Everlasting.”” (20:72–73)
They said: we will not prefer you over the clear signs that have come to us, nor over Him, Allah, who created us. So decree whatever you desire to decree; you can only decree regarding the life of this world. Verily, we have believed in our Lord, that He may forgive us our faults and the magic you compelled us to do; and Allah is better as regards reward, in comparison to yours. The reward of Allah is better than yours.