Al-A'raf: (111 - 114) They said, "Postpone him and his brother..."

Issues in the Verse:

There are several recitations for the word {أرجه} (postpone him):

1. Nafi' and Al-Kisai: Read it without the hamza (أ) and with a kasra (i) on the haa' (ه) with elongation: أَرْجِيهِ (Arjīhi).
2. 'Asim and Hamza: Read it without the hamza and with a sukun (stillness) on the haa': أَرْجِهْ (Arjih).
3. Ibn Kathir, Ibn 'Amir, and Abu 'Amr: Read it with the hamza and a damma (u) on the haa': أَرْجِئْهُ (Arji'hu). Ibn Kathir elongates the haa' according to his general rule, while the others do not elongate.

Linguistic Note (Al-Wahidi):

• The forms with and without the hamza (أَرْجِيهِ / أَرْجِئْهُ) are two valid linguistic variations. The root meaning is "to delay" (أَخَّرَ). This is supported by the Quranic verse: {وَآخَرُونَ مُرْجَوْنَ} (At-Tawbah: 106) and {بِهَا مَن تَشَاءُ} (Al-Ahzab: 51), both of which have been read in both forms.
• Regarding the recitation of 'Asim and Hamza (without hamza and with sukun on the haa'): Al-Farra' stated this is an Arabic dialect where the haa' of the third person pronoun is quiescent in pause/connection when the preceding letter has a vowel. He cited poetry as evidence, such as:

  "So it becomes sound today, and tomorrow he corrupts it." He noted that they do the same with the taa' marbuta (feminine taa'), saying: "This is Talha, she has approached." Al-Wahidi noted that this recitation has no basis in standard Basran grammar. Al-Zajjaj commented that this is poetry from an unknown source, and if a known poet had said it, he would have been told he erred.

There are two main interpretations for the command {أرجه}:

1. To Delay (The First Opinion): This means "Delay his affair and do not rush to judge him." The intent was that they (the sorcerers) wanted to counter Moses' miracle with their magic, making their challenge stronger to invalidate Moses' claim.
2. To Confine/Detain (The Second Opinion - Al-Kalbi and Qatadah): This means "Confine him." The established scholars consider this weak for two reasons:
   • Linguistically, Irja' primarily means delay, not confinement.
   • Pharaoh was not capable of confining Moses after witnessing the staff's miracle.

Issue 1: The Number of Sorcerers

This verse indicates that sorcerers were numerous during that era, otherwise, the command {وَأَرْسِلْ فِي الْمَدَائِنِ حَاشِرِينَ * يَأْتُوكَ بِكُلِّ سَاحِرٍ عَلِيمٍ} (And send recruiters among the cities * to bring you every learned sorcerer) would not be appropriate. It also suggests that people possess an innate knowledge of the nature of things (ma'rifa). If this knowledge can be achieved through natural means, prophecy is unnecessary. If it cannot be achieved naturally, then prophecy is confirmed. The detailed discussion on what magic is—whether it has reality or is mere illusion—was covered previously in Surah Al-Baqarah.

Issue 2: The Etymology of {الْمَدَائِنِ} (Cities)

Al-Wahidi narrated from Abu Al-Qasim Al-Zajjaji that grammarians differed on the derivation of Al-Madā'in (cities):

1. First Opinion (Fa'ā'il pattern): It is derived from madana bi-l-makān yamdunuhu madwan (to reside in a place). This is supported by the consensus of the reciters on using the hamza in Al-Madā'in, following the pattern of ṣaḥā'if (plural of ṣaḥīfa) and safā'in (plural of safīna). When the yaa' is extra in the singular, it is vocalized with a hamza in the plural (e.g., qabā'il from qabīla). If the yaa' is inherent to the word, it is not vocalized with a hamza in the plural (e.g., ma'āyish from ma'īsha).
2. Second Opinion (Maf'al pattern): In this case, the meaning is "owned place," derived from dāna yadīnu (to rule/subdue). Thus, madīna is like ma'īsha (from āsha), and its plural madāyin follows the mafā'il pattern (like ma'āyish), hence it is not vocalized with a hamza. It refers to the place where the ruler subdued and controlled the people.
3. Third Opinion (Al-Mubarrid): The original word was madyūna (from dāna meaning to subdue). They found the damma vowel on the yaa' heavy, so they made the yaa' quiescent and moved its vowel to the preceding letter (dāl). Two quiescent letters then met: the added wāw (the wāw of the passive voice, maf'ūl) and the inherent yaa'. The added wāw was dropped, as dropping an addition is preferred over dropping an original letter. Then the dāl was given a kasra so that the yaa' would not turn into a wāw due to the preceding vowel, thus preventing confusion between words derived from wāw and those derived from yaa'. This same logic applies to mabī', mikhyaṭ, and makyāl.

Conclusion on Etymology (Al-Wahidi): The correct view is that it is derived from the Fa'īla pattern due to the consensus of the reciters on vocalizing Al-Madā'in with a hamza.

Issue 3: The Recruiters

{وَأَرْسِلْ فِي الْمَدَائِنِ حَاشِرِينَ} means: Send men throughout the cities of Upper Egypt (Sa'id Misr) to gather all the sorcerers there to bring them to Pharaoh. Ibn Abbas said the chief sorcerers were in the farthest cities of Upper Egypt. The judge narrated from Ibn Abbas that there were seventy sorcerers besides their chief. The one who taught them was a Magian man from Nineveh, the town of Jonah (peace be upon him), which is a village near Mosul. Scholarly Objection: This narration is problematic because the Magians followed Zoroaster, and Zoroaster appeared after the time of Moses (peace be upon him).

Issue 1: Recitation of {سَاحِرٍ} vs. {سَحَّارٍ}

1. Hamza and Al-Kisai: Read بِكُلِّ سَحَّارٍ (bi-kulli saḥḥārin - with intensive form). Their justification is that the description عَلِيمٍ (learned/expert) implies the utmost skill, making the intensive form appropriate.
2. The Rest: Read بِكُلِّ سَاحِرٍ (bi-kulli sāḥirin). Their justification is based on other verses: {وَأَلْقَى السَّحَرَةُ} (Al-A'raf: 120), {لَعَلَّنَا نَتَّبِعُ السَّحَرَةَ} (Ash-Shu'ara: 40). Here, saḥara is the plural of sāḥir, just as kutub is the plural of kātib. They also cite: {سَحَرُوا أَعْيُنَ النَّاسِ} (Al-A'raf: 116), and the active participle from saḥarū is sāḥir.

Issue 2: The Meaning of the Letter Bā' (ب)

The bā' in {بِكُلِّ سَاحِرٍ} can mean "with" (accompaniment) or it can be the bā' of causation/transitivity. (Allah knows best.)

Issue 3: Miracle and the Prevailing Art

This verse indicates the abundance of sorcerers at that time. This supports the argument made by theologians: Allah makes the miracle of every prophet similar to the dominant art/skill of that era.

• Since magic was dominant in Moses' time, his miracle resembled magic (though fundamentally different).
• Since medicine was dominant in Jesus' time, his miracle was of the nature of healing.
• Since eloquence (faṣāḥa) was dominant in Muhammad's time, his miracle was of the nature of eloquence (the Qur'an).

Issue 1: Recitation of {إِنَّ لَنَا لَأَجْرًا}

1. Nafi', Ibn Kathir, and Hafs (from 'Asim): Read it as a statement (affirmation) with a kasra on the alif of inna: إِنَّ لَنَا لَأَجْرًا (Inna lanā la-ajran).
2. The Rest: Read it as an interrogative (question) with a hamza of inquiry. Abu 'Amr used the elongated hamza (as is his custom), while the others used two hamzas.

Linguistic Preference (Al-Wahidi): The interrogative form is better here because they sought confirmation: "Do we have a reward or not?" This is strengthened by their consensus in Surah Ash-Shu'ara to use the hamza for inquiry.

Defense of the Affirmative Reading (Nafi' and Ibn Kathir): They intended the hamza of inquiry, but it was omitted in pronunciation while remaining in meaning, similar to {وَتِلْكَ نِعْمَةٌ تَمُنُّهَا عَلَيَّ} (Ash-Shu'ara: 22), which many interpret as "Is that a favor...?" or {هَٰذَا رَبِّي} (Al-An'am: 77, 78), meaning "Is this my Lord?"

Alternative Interpretation for Affirmative Reading: The sorcerers were asserting a great reward for themselves: "We must have a reward." The indefinite noun (ajran) here implies magnitude, similar to the Arabic saying: "Indeed, he has camels" (meaning many camels).

Issue 2: The Conjunction {وَإِنَّكُمْ لَمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ} (And indeed, you will be of those brought near)

Question: What is the word being conjoined to {إِنَّ لَنَا لَأَجْرًا}?

Answer: It is conjoined to an implied statement that Pharaoh affirmed. It is as if he said, affirming their demand: "Indeed, for us is a reward, yes, indeed, for you is a reward, and indeed, you will be of those brought near to me." Pharaoh meant he would not limit himself to a mere wage but would grant them proximity and status.

Theological Insight: This indicates that reward gains greater significance when coupled with honor. Pharaoh promised a wage and immediately followed it with a promise of honor (proximity).

Issue 3: Implications of the Sorcerers' Request

1. This verse proves that everyone knew Pharaoh was a weak, humiliated, and incapable servant. Otherwise, he would not need to seek the help of sorcerers to repel Moses (peace be upon him).
2. It also proves that the sorcerers were not capable of transforming physical entities (a'yān). If they could, why would they need to ask Pharaoh for money and wages? If they could transform things, why didn't they turn dust into gold, seize Pharaoh's kingdom for themselves, or make themselves rulers of the world?

The purpose of these verses is to alert humanity to these subtle points so that one is not deceived by the words of the proponents of falsehood and lies. (Allah knows best.)

The Confrontation (Verses 115-119)

{قَالُوا يَا مُوسَىٰ إِمَّا أَن تُلْقِيَ وَإِمَّا أَن نَّكُونَ نَحْنُ الْمُلْقِينَ * قَالَ أَلْقُوا ۖ فَلَمَّا أَلْقَوْا سَحَرُوا أَعْيُنَ النَّاسِ وَاسْتَرْهَبُوهُمْ وَجَاءُوا بِسِحْرٍ عَظِيمٍ * وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ أَنْ أَلْقِ عَصَاكَ ۖ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُونَ * فَوَقَعَ الْحَقُّ وَبَطَلَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ * فَغُلِبُوا هُنَالِكَ وَانقَلَبُوا صَاغِرِينَ}

Translation: They said, "O Moses, either you throw first, or we shall be the first to throw." He said, "You throw [first]." So when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people and terrified them, and they produced a mighty magic. And We inspired to Moses, "Throw your staff." And suddenly, it began to swallow up what they falsely produced. So the truth prevailed, and what they were doing was nullified. And they were defeated right there and returned humbled.