Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   This is shown by Allah's report concerning them, that Mūsā said to them: cast what you have to cast — which indicates that this is its meaning. قَالَ لَهُمْ مُوسَى أَلْقُوا مَا أَنْتُمْ مُلْقُونَ (Mūsā said to them: cast what you have to cast), namely of your ropes and your staves. فَأَلْقَوْا حِبَالَهُمْ وَعِصِيَّهُمْ (So they cast their ropes and their staves) out of their hands. وَقَالُوا بِعِزَّةِ فِرْعَوْنَ (And they said: by the might of Pharaoh) — that is to say: they swore by the power of Pharaoh, by the severity of his dominion and the inviolability of his kingdom. إِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الْغَالِبُونَ (Verily, we shall surely be the victors), namely over Mūsā.

   The explanation of the words of the Exalted: فَأَلْقَى مُوسَى عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُونَ (٤٥) فَأُلْقِيَ السَّحَرَةُ سَاجِدِينَ (٤٦) قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (٤٧) رَبِّ مُوسَى وَهَارُونَ (٤٨) قَالَ آمَنْتُمْ لَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ آذَنَ لَكُمْ إِنَّهُ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ الَّذِي عَلَّمَكُمُ السِّحْرَ فَلَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ لَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ مِنْ خِلَافٍ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ (٤٩) (Then Mūsā cast his staff, and behold, it devoured what they falsely fabricated (45). Then the magicians were thrown down, prostrating in prostration (46). They said: we believe in the Lord of the worlds (47), the Lord of Mūsā and Hārūn (48). He [Pharaoh] said: do you believe in him before I gave you permission? Verily, he is surely your master who taught you sorcery; soon you shall know. I shall most assuredly cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I shall most assuredly crucify you all (49)).

   The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: فَأَلْقَى مُوسَى عَصَاهُ (Then Mūsā cast his staff) at the moment that the magicians cast their ropes and their staves. فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُونَ (And behold, it devoured what they falsely fabricated) — that is to say: and behold, the staff of Mūsā swallowed up what they had brought forth of lying deception and sorcery that had no reality, for they were only optical illusions and deception. فَأُلْقِيَ السَّحَرَةُ سَاجِدِينَ (Then the magicians were thrown down, prostrating in prostration) — that is to say: when it became clear to the magicians that what Mūsā had brought them was truth and not sorcery, and that it belonged to that of which none is capable except Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth without any prior model, they fell down upon their faces in prostration to Allah, submitting themselves to Him in obedience, and acknowledging before Mūsā that what he had brought them from Allah was the truth, and that what they used to practice of sorcery was void, while they said: آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (We believe in the Lord of the worlds), to Whose worship Mūsā has called us, and not that of Pharaoh and his prominent ones. رَبِّ مُوسَى وَهَارُونَ قَالَ آمَنْتُمْ لَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ آذَنَ لَكُمْ (the Lord of Mūsā and Hārūn. He said: do you believe in him before I gave you permission?) — the Exalted in praise says: Pharaoh said to those who were his magicians and who believed: do you believe in Mūsā, that what he has brought is truth, before I have given you permission to believe in it? إِنَّهُ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ الَّذِي عَلَّمَكُمُ السِّحْرَ (Verily, he is surely your master who taught you sorcery) — that is to say: verily, Mūsā is your leader in sorcery, and he is the one who taught it to you, and that is why you have believed in him. فَلَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ (soon you shall know) — through my punishment of you — the evil consequences of what you have done, and the error of what you have committed by believing in him.

   The explanation of the words of the Exalted: قَالُوا لَا ضَيْرَ إِنَّا إِلَى رَبِّنَا مُنْقَلِبُونَ (٥٠) (They said: it does not harm us; verily, we are returning to our Lord (50)).

   Show original Arabic

   ذلك لدلالة خبر الله عنهم أنهم قال لهم موسى: ألقوا ما أنتم ملقون، على أن ذلك معناه ف (قَالَ لَهُمْ مُوسَى أَلْقُوا مَا أَنْتُمْ مُلْقُونَ) من حبالكم وعصيكم. (فَأَلْقَوْا حِبَالَهُمْ وَعِصِيَّهُمْ) من أيديهم (وَقَالُوا بِعِزَّةِ فِرْعَوْنَ) يقول: أقسموا بقوّة فرعون وشدّة سلطانه، ومنعة مملكته (إِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الْغَالِبُونَ) موسى. القول في تأويل قوله تعالى: ﴿فَأَلْقَى مُوسَى عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُونَ (٤٥) فَأُلْقِيَ السَّحَرَةُ سَاجِدِينَ (٤٦) قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (٤٧) رَبِّ مُوسَى وَهَارُونَ (٤٨) قَالَ آمَنْتُمْ لَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ آذَنَ لَكُمْ إِنَّهُ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ الَّذِي عَلَّمَكُمُ السِّحْرَ فَلَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ لأقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ مِنْ خِلافٍ وَلأصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ (٤٩)﴾ يقول تعالى ذكره: (فَأَلْقَى مُوسَى عَصَاهُ) حين ألقت السحرة حبالهم وعصيهم. (فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُونَ) يقول: فإذا عصا موسى تزدرد ما يأتون به من الفرية والسحر الذي لا حقيقة له، وإنما هو مخاييل (١) وخدعة. (فَأُلْقِيَ السَّحَرَةُ سَاجِدِينَ) يقول: فلما تبين السحرة أن الذي جاءهم به موسى حق لا سحر، وأنه مما لا يقدر عليه غير الله الذي فطر السموات والأرض من غير أصل، خرّوا لوجوههم سجدا لله، مذعنين له بالطاعة، مقرّين لموسى بالذي أتاهم به من عند الله أنه هو الحقّ، وأن ما كانوا يعملونه من السحر باطل، قائلين: (آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ) الذي دعانا موسى إلى عبادته دون فرعون وملئه. (رَبِّ مُوسَى وَهَارُونَ قَالَ آمَنْتُمْ لَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ آذَنَ لَكُمْ) يقول جلّ ثناؤه: قال فرعون للذين كانوا سحرته فآمنوا: آمنتم لموسى بأن ما جاء به حق قبل أن آذن لكم في الإيمان به. (إِنَّهُ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ الَّذِي عَلَّمَكُمُ السِّحْرَ) يقول: إن موسى لرئيسكم في السحر، وهو الذي علَّمكموه، ولذلك آمنتم به. (فَلَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ) عند عقابي إياكم وبال ما فعلتم، وخطأ ما صنعتم من الإيمان به. القول في تأويل قوله تعالى: ﴿قَالُوا لا ضَيْرَ إِنَّا إِلَى رَبِّنَا مُنْقَلِبُونَ (٥٠)﴾