Tafsir for verses: 26:38, 26:39, 26:40, 26:41, 26:42, 26:43, 26:44
فَجُمِعَ ٱلسَّحَرَةُ لِمِيقَٰتِ يَوۡمٖ مَّعۡلُومٖ ٣٨ ﴿38﴾ وَقِيلَ لِلنَّاسِ هَلۡ أَنتُم مُّجۡتَمِعُونَ ٣٩ ﴿39﴾ لَعَلَّنَا نَتَّبِعُ ٱلسَّحَرَةَ إِن كَانُواْ هُمُ ٱلۡغَٰلِبِينَ ٤٠ ﴿40﴾ فَلَمَّا جَآءَ ٱلسَّحَرَةُ قَالُواْ لِفِرۡعَوۡنَ أَئِنَّ لَنَا لَأَجۡرًا إِن كُنَّا نَحۡنُ ٱلۡغَٰلِبِينَ ٤١ ﴿41﴾ قَالَ نَعَمۡ وَإِنَّكُمۡ إِذٗا لَّمِنَ ٱلۡمُقَرَّبِينَ ٤٢ ﴿42﴾ قَالَ لَهُم مُّوسَىٰٓ أَلۡقُواْ مَآ أَنتُم مُّلۡقُونَ ٤٣ ﴿43﴾ فَأَلۡقَوۡاْ حِبَالَهُمۡ وَعِصِيَّهُمۡ وَقَالُواْ بِعِزَّةِ فِرۡعَوۡنَ إِنَّا لَنَحۡنُ ٱلۡغَٰلِبُو��َ ٤٤ ﴿44﴾
38So the sorcerers were assembled for the appointed time of a known day, 39and it was said to the people, “Would you assemble, 40so that we may follow the sorcerers if they are victorious?” 41So, when the sorcerers came, they said to Pharaoh, “Will there be a sure reward for us, if we are the victorious?” 42He said, “Yes, and of course, you will then be among the closer ones.” 43Mūsā said to them, “Throw you down what you are to throw.” 44So they threw down their ropes and their staffs and said, “By the majesty of Pharaoh, we will be the triumphant for sure.”
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Commentary

His saying, exalted and glorified is He: "So the magicians were gathered for a known day." "And it was said to the people, 'Are you gathered?" "Perhaps we may follow the magicians if they are the winners." "So when the magicians came, they said to Pharaoh, 'Will we have a reward if we are the winners?" "He said, 'Yes, and indeed you will then be among those brought near.'" "Moses said to them, 'Throw what you are going to throw.'" "So they threw down their ropes and their staffs and said, 'By the might of Pharaoh, indeed we will be the winners.'"

The day is the day of adornment, and it is said: the day the Nile's estuary was broken, so it is the day of adornment in the face of time in Egypt. Ibn Zayd said: This gathering was in Alexandria.

And His saying: "Perhaps we may follow the magicians" does not mean we follow them in magic, but rather he meant by saying: we follow them in supporting our religion and our creed, and in nullifying what opposes it.

Al-A'raj and Abu Amr read: "Will we have" with the interrogative alif. Nafi' and Abu Amr and Shaiba read: "Indeed we will have" in the affirmative. Isa read: "Yes" with a kasra on the 'ain.

And the proximity that Pharaoh promised them is the increased honor beyond the reward they requested, and the closeness to the king who was their god. People differed in the number of the magicians, and we have mentioned that previously. They were gathered from the cities of Egypt and the banks of the Nile, which were the lands of magic like Farama and others. Most of them were from Farama and the mountains, and the staffs were the weights of the camels.

And His saying: "By the might of Pharaoh" has two interpretations: one is an oath, as if they swore by the might of Pharaoh, just as you say: 'By Allah, I will not do such and such.' Their oath by the might of Pharaoh was not justified. The other is that it is in the sense of glorifying Pharaoh - as they used to worship him - and seeking blessings by his name, just as you say - when you begin a task -: 'In the name of Allah,' and 'by the blessings of Allah,' and similar to this.

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Ibn AtiyyahʿAbd al-Ḥaqq ibn Ghālib Ibn ʿAṭiyyah
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