Pharaohs, Egypt and Plenty of History

Looking For Egyptian King ? Then This is Where You Want to Be

What the Egyptian Sorcerers Said to Pharaoh Before He Has Killed Them?

Many people do not know Allah. This series (1-58) is an attempt to help them to know their Creator.

Verses 7:125-127 of the Noble Quran talk about: 1) The Egyptian sorcerers realized that Pharaoh will kill them , 2) What the Egyptian sorcerers said to Pharaoh before he has killed them? 3) What are the last words of the Egyptian sorcerers before their death? 4) The Egyptian sorcerers prayed to Allah and said…, 5) Who were the 70 men  in Paradise who have prostrated once to Allah?  6) Was Moses working corruption in Egypt? And 7) What was the plan of Pharaoh after killing the Egyptian sorcerers?

============

In the previous articles (58-61)

Moses said: O Pharaoh! I am a messenger from Allah to you,

Pharaoh said: You are lying!

Moses said: when talking about to Allah it is compulsory to say the truth. Truly I have come to you with a clear signs from Allah.

Pharaoh Said: If you have come with a sign, then produce it.

Then Moses cast down, he flung down his staff and it was an enormous huge snake manifest for all to see,

And he drew forth his hand, he took it out from his bosom (armpit), and it was white, radiant and shining for the beholders.

The chiefs of Pharaoh's council said: Lo! this is some knowing wizard who is proficient in wizardry. Surely this man is a cunning sorcerer, outstanding in the art of magic. The aim of this man (Moses) is to expel you from your land of Egypt.  This was not true, the aim of Moses was to take the children of Israel out of Egypt. 

Then Pharaoh said:

Now what do you advise? What we should do concerning this matter?

They said unto Pharaoh:

We should bring every cunning sorcerer, who is proficient in wizardry to outdo Moses in the art of magic.  And so they summoned many of the knowing wizards.

And the sorcerers who were 70 in number came to Pharaoh, and they said: Surely there will be a great reward for us if we are victors against Moses.

Pharaoh answered: Yes of course you have that, and surely you shall be of those brought near to me in status. 

The Egyptian sorcerers threw 70 staffs and 70 ropes, they cast a spell upon the people's eyes, and overawed them scared them, and produced a mighty spell; they put a spell upon the people’s eyes, misleading them from perceiving the real state of these ropes and staffs, and overawed them, scared them, by making their ropes appear to be slithering snakes, and produced a mighty sorcery.

Allah inspired Moses (saying): Throw your staff!  And he threw it. And lo! it swallowed up their lying show, their staffs and ropes. 

The Egyptian sorcerers, as well as Pharaoh and his folk, were defeated.

The Egyptian sorcerers realized that Moses was right and that they were evil doers.

And the Egyptian sorcerers fell down prostrate to Allah; for they realized that what they had witnessed of the staff could not be done through sorcery; they cried and said: We believe in the Lord of the Worlds.

Pharaoh said: are you referring to me?

They said: Allah! The Lord of Moses and Aaron,

Pharaoh get very angry at them.

Pharaoh said:

You believe in the Lord of Moses and Aaron before I give you leave, before I command you to do so!

Lo! this is the plot that you have plotted in the city between you and Moses; that you may expel its people from it by means of guile.

Then Pharaoh threatened them and said:

But you shall come to know, what I will do to you!

Pharaoh said:

I shall assuredly have your hands and feet cut off on opposite sides, that is, the right hand and the left foot of every one, then I shall have every one of you crucified. This was the punishment for anyone who does not believe that Pharaoh is the Lord of the Worlds!

Then what?

------------

The meaning of verse 7:125

The Egyptian sorcerers realized that Pharaoh will punish and kill them; They said:

Lo! We are about to return unto our Lord

Surely to our Lord, after our death, however it come about, we shall be restored, we shall return, in the Hereafter.  They believed in the afterlife.

The meaning of verse 7:126

You are vindictive, spiteful, towards us, you are censuring and punishing us, only because we have believed in the signs of Allah, Our Lord, when they came to us.

Then they prayed to Allah saying:

Our Lord! Vouchsafe unto us steadfastness, honor us with steadfastness when we are crucified and mutilated and make it that we do not return to disbelief.

Our Lord! Pour out onto us patience , and constancy, when that with which he has threatened us comes to pass, lest we revert to unbelief; and take us to You as men who have submitted’.

Our Lord! Make us die as men who have surrendered unto Thee sincerely, following the religion of Moses.

These were their last words just before they have been killed!

When interpreting this verse, the Prophet Muhammad said:

I marveled that they (the Egyptian sorcerers) are in Paradise although they have prostrated only once to Allah!

The meaning of verse 7:127

Pharaoh has every one of the Egyptian sorcerers crucified after cutting their hands and feet.

Then the chiefs of Pharaoh's people said to Pharaoh:

O King, Will you leave Moses and his people to work corruption in the land, by calling to disobedience against you, and flout you and your gods?

Will you leave Moses and his people to make mischief in the land by changing the religion and worship, and abandon you and the worship of your gods?

It is also said that this means, according to a different reading: and leave worshipping you as a god?

Pharaoh said:

We will slay their sons, their young sons, as we did the first time and spare their grown up women,

We shall slaughter their new-born sons and spare their women, keeping them alive, as we did with them before.  For lo! we are in power over them; we have dominance and supremacy over them, and they did this to them, and so the Children of Israel grieved.

============

Verses 7:125-127 in different English translations of the meanings of Arabic Quran:

Verse 7:125

QARIB: they replied: 'we shall surely turn to our lord.

SHAKIR: they said: surely to our lord shall we go back:

PICKTHAL: they said: lo! we are about to return unto our lord!

YUSUFALI: they said: "for us, we are but sent back unto our lord:

Verse 7:126

QARIB: you would take revenge on us only because we believed in the signs of our lord when they came to us. lord, pour patience upon us and let us die as submitters (muslims). '

SHAKIR: and you do not take revenge on us except because we have believed in the communications of our lord when they came to us! our lord: pour out upon us patience and cause us to die in submission

PICKTHAL: thou takest vengeance on us only forasmuch as we believed the tokens of our lord when they came unto us. our lord! vouchsafe unto us steadfastness and make us die as men who have surrendered (unto thee).

YUSUFALI: "but thou dost wreak thy vengeance on us simply because we believed in the signs of our lord when they reached us! our lord! pour out on us patience and constancy, and take our souls unto thee as muslims (who bow to thy will)!

Verse 7:127

QARIB: the assembly of pharaoh's nation said: 'will you allow moses and his nation to corrupt in the land and to forsake you and your gods? ' he replied: 'we will put their sons to death and spare their women, indeed we are conquerors over them. '

SHAKIR: and the chiefs of firon's people said: do you leave musa and his people to make mischief in the land and to forsake you and your gods? he said: we will slay their sons and spare their women, and surely we are masters over them

PICKTHAL: the chiefs of pharaoh's people said: (o king), wilt thou suffer moses and his people to make mischief in the land, and flout thee and thy gods? he said: we will slay their sons and spare their women, for lo! we are in power over them.

YUSUFALI: said the chiefs of pharaoh's people: "wilt thou leave moses and his people, to spread mischief in the land, and to abandon thee and thy gods?" he said: "their male children will we slay; (only) their females will we save alive; and we have over them (power) irresistible."

About the Author

Co-Chief editor, October Weekly magazine, Cairo, Egypt.