Tafsir of Al-A'raf 7:116

"He said": That is, Musa (peace be upon him), expressing confidence in his status, belittling them, and showing total indifference toward them.

"Cast": Meaning, you cast what you are going to cast first. Through what we have mentioned, one learns the answer to the objection: "How could he command them to cast, given that their casting was a confrontation of a miracle with sorcery—which is disbelief—and commanding it is likewise?" The conclusion of the answer is that he (peace be upon him) knew they would inevitably do it regardless, and the choice offered was merely regarding the order of precedence (who goes first). This is explicitly stated in His (Subhanahu) words in another verse: "Who is the first to cast." Thus, he permitted them to go first, not as an endorsement of their action, but to belittle them; there is no indication of satisfaction with that opposition.

It may also be said: He (peace be upon him) only gave them permission in order to invalidate their sorcery. Thus, it is an invalidation of disbelief by means of what follows, and a confirmation of his own miracle. Upon this is interpreted that which is mentioned in some reports: that when they said what they said, Musa (peace be upon him) heard a herald saying, "Rather, you cast, O allies of Allah the Exalted," so he felt fear within himself until he was commanded [to tell them to cast]. A verification of this will come, Allah willing.

"So when they cast what they cast"—and each one of them had a rope and a staff—"they bewitched the eyes of the people," by making them imagine things that were the opposite of reality. This is why He (Subhanahu) did not say "they bewitched the people." The verse is in the same vein as His (Jalla Shanuhu) saying: "It was imagined to him from their sorcery that they were moving."

"And they terrified them": That is, they caused them to experience intense terror, as if they were seeking to strike them with awe, and they produced a great sorcery.

It is narrated in this regard that they cast thick ropes and long pieces of wood, and suddenly they were like mountains, filling the valley, climbing over one another. In some reports, it is stated that the land—which was a mile by a mile—was filled with snakes and vipers. It is said they coated those ropes with mercury and colored them, and placed mercury inside the staffs as well; when they cast them upon the ground, the heat of the sun affected the mercury, causing them to move and twist upon one another until it was imagined to the people that they were snakes.

Those who argue, like the Mu'tazila, that sorcery has no reality and is merely an illusion, cite this verse as evidence. The response is: If they mean that the sorcery which occurred in this specific story was of this nature, then it is conceded, and the verse provides evidence for it. But if they mean that all sorcery is mere illusion, it is denied, and the verse does not provide evidence for it. The position held by the majority of the Sunnis is that sorcery has various categories: some have no reality, and some have reality, as evidenced by the sorcery of the accursed Labid bin al-A'sam the Jew upon the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and the sorcery of the Jews of Khaybar upon Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) when he went to estimate their dates.

They mentioned that sorcery may reach the extent of walking on water, flying in the air, and similar feats. The occurrence of such things follows as a result, just as satiety follows eating, quenching follows drinking, and burning follows fire—while the True Actor in all of that is Allah the Exalted. Yes, Al-Qurtubi said: The Muslims have reached a consensus that it is not considered sorcery what Allah (the Exalted) brings about, such as the sending of locusts, lice, and frogs, the splitting of rocks, the turning of a staff [into a serpent], the reviving of the dead, the granting of speech to animals, and similar miracles of the Messengers (peace be upon them). As for the one who denies the reality of miracles, arguing that it leads to confusion with sorcery, it is refuted by the fact that the distinction between them is as manifest as the morning light.