Surah Ash-Shu'ara (The Poets): Verses 32–37

Issues Discussed Herein:

Al-A'mash recited: {بكل ساحر عليم} (with every knowledgeable sorcerer).

Know that His statement, {Or even if I brought you something clear} (Ash-Shu'ara: 30), indicates that Allah, before Moses threw down the staff, informed him that it would turn into a serpent. Otherwise, he would not have said what he said.

When Moses threw down his staff, what Allah promised him appeared: it became a manifest serpent (thu'bān mubīn). This means it became clear to the onlookers that it was a serpent through its movements and all other signs.

It is narrated that when it turned into a serpent, it rose high into the sky, about a mile, then descended towards Pharaoh, saying, "O Moses, command me as you wish." Pharaoh would say, "O Moses, I ask you by the One who sent you, take it back!" (The text here seems to imply Pharaoh asked Moses to take it back, or perhaps asked God through Moses). So it returned to being a staff.

Objection: How can it be described here as a manifest serpent (thu'bān mubīn), while in another verse it is described as "behold, it was a moving serpent" (fa-idhā hiya hayyatun tas'ā) (Taha: 20), and in a third verse as "as if it were a jinn" (ka-annahu jān) (Al-Qasas: 31)? A jānn tends toward smallness, while a thu'bān tends toward largeness.

Answer:

1. Hayya (Serpent): This is the generic name. Because of its immense size, it became a thu'bān (large serpent/python).
2. Jānn (Jinn): It was likened to a jānn due to its swiftness and agility. Thus, both descriptions are correct.
3. It is also possible that it was first small, like a jānn, then grew large and became a thu'bān.

Then, when Moses presented this sign, Pharaoh asked him, "Did you change it?" Moses replied, "Yes," and showed him his hand. He put it in his pocket and took it out, and behold, it was white, illuminating the valley with its intense whiteness, free from any leprosy, radiating a light like the sun's rays.

At this point, Pharaoh wanted to obscure this proof from his people and mentioned three things:

1. His statement: {Indeed, this is a knowing sorcerer} (Inna hādhā la-sāḥirun ‘alīm). This was effective because the era was the age of sorcerers, and many believed a sorcerer could reach this level of skill. Thus, this claim gained traction among them.
2. His statement: {He intends to expel you from your land with his sorcery} (Yurīdu an yukhrijakum min arḍikum bi-siḥrih). This served to alienate the people from Moses. The meaning is: He intends to drive you out of your land by sowing discord among you, thus dividing your assembly. Since leaving one's homeland is one of the hardest things, he warned them against it. This is the ultimate tactic of the falsehood-bearer against the truth-teller.
3. His statement to them: {So what do you advise?} (Fa-mādhā ta’murūn). Meaning: What is your opinion, and what should I do? It is clear from this that he was following their opinion and submitting to their word. Such speech attracts hearts and diverts them from the enemy.

Upon hearing these words, they unanimously agreed on one response: {Postpone him and his brother} (Arjih).

It is recited as (Arji’hu) (with hamza) and (Arjih) (without hamza), which are two linguistic variations. It is said: Arja’tuhu and Arjaytuhu if you postpone him. The meaning is: Delay him and debate him until the time the sorcerers are gathered.

It is also said: "Imprison him," which is plausible, because if you prevent a man from achieving his goal, you have delayed him.

It is narrated that Pharaoh wanted to kill Moses but could not reach him. They told him, "Do not do that, for if you kill him, you will create doubt among the people regarding his affair. Rather, postpone him and his brother until you gather the sorcerers to confront him, so that he will have no argument against you."

Then, they advised him to send out recruiters to gather the sorcerers, believing that if they were numerous, they would overcome Moses and expose his situation. They countered his statement, {Indeed, this is a knowing sorcerer}, with their own, {with every knowledgeable sorcerer} (bi-kulli saḥḥārin ‘alīm). They used the word implying totality (kull) and the intensive form (saḥḥār) to reassure Pharaoh and calm some of his anxiety.

Al-Kashshāf’s author stated: If you ask what governs the word {around him} (ḥawlahu) in His statement {He said to the chiefs around him}, I reply: It has two types of accusative case: one in pronunciation and one in position. The factor causing the pronunciation accusative is the implied preposition in the adverb of place. The factor causing the positional accusative is the accusative case functioning as a ḥāl (circumstantial adverb).

Verses 36–37