Al-A'raf: (120-122) And the Sorcerers Were Thrown Down Prostrating

There are several issues in this verse:

Issue 1: The Nature of the Sorcerers' Recognition

The exegetes state that those ropes and staffs amounted to the burden of three hundred camels. When the serpent of Moses (peace be upon him) swallowed them and they returned to being staffs as they were, some of the sorcerers said to others: "This is beyond the realm of sorcery; rather, it is a divine matter."

From this, they deduced that Moses (peace be upon him) was a truthful Prophet sent from God Almighty.

The theologians state that this verse is one of the greatest proofs for the virtue of knowledge. This is because those people were knowledgeable about the reality of sorcery and fully aware of its limits. Since they were so knowledgeable and then witnessed Moses' miracle exceeding the bounds of sorcery, they knew it was a divine miracle, not a form of human deception. If they had not been complete in their knowledge of sorcery, they would not have been able to make this deduction, as they might have said, "Perhaps he is more skilled than us in sorcery and capable of what we are incapable of." Thus, it is established that they were complete in the knowledge of sorcery. Because of their mastery of that knowledge, they transitioned from disbelief to faith. If this is the case for the knowledge of sorcery, what do you think of the perfection of a person's state in the knowledge of Monotheism (Tawhid)?

Issue 2: The Agent of Prostration

Our scholars use the verse, "And the sorcerers were thrown down prostrating," as evidence. They argue that this indicates that someone other than themselves threw them down prostrating, and that agent could only be God, the Lord of the Worlds. This suggests that the actions of the servant are created by God.

Muqatil said: "God Almighty threw them down prostrating."

The Mu'tazilites offer several responses:

1. When they witnessed the great signs and overwhelming miracles, they could not restrain themselves and fell down prostrating, so it became as if someone threw them down.
2. Al-Akhfash said: Due to the swiftness of their prostration, it was as if another person threw them down, because they fell prostrating without restraint.
3. The verse does not explicitly state that a thrower caused them to prostrate; rather, we say that the "thrower" was their own selves.

The Reply: The Creator of that compelling impulse (da'iyah) in their hearts is God Almighty. Otherwise, they would require another impulse to create that decisive impulse, leading to an infinite regress (tasalsul), which is impossible. Furthermore, the origin of that power, coupled with that decisive impulse, necessitates the action. The Creator of that necessitating factor is God Almighty. Therefore, that action and its effect are attributed to God Almighty. And God knows best.

Issue 3: The Sequence of Prostration and Declaration of Faith

The Almighty first mentioned that they became prostrating, and then mentioned afterward that they said, "We believe in the Lord of the Worlds." What is the benefit of this sequence when the declaration of faith (Iman) should precede prostration?

There are several answers:

1. When they attained true knowledge (Ma'rifah), they immediately prostrated to God Almighty. They made that prostration an expression of gratitude to God for attaining knowledge and faith, a sign of their transition from disbelief to faith, and a demonstration of submission and humility to God Almighty. It is as if they made that single prostration signify these three matters simultaneously.
2. It is not unlikely that while they were moving toward prostration, they uttered, "We believe in the Lord of the Worlds." In this case, the question is resolved, but the first explanation is the sounder view.

Issue 4: The Specificity of the Declaration

The people of Ta'lim (those who insist that knowledge must be taught/received) used this verse as proof, arguing that knowledge of God is only attained by hearing the Prophet's words. They claim that when the sorcerers first said, "We believe in the Lord of the Worlds," their faith was not complete. Only when they said, "The Lord of Moses and Aaron," was their faith perfected, which supports their view.

The scholars responded by explaining:

When they said, "We believe in the Lord of the Worlds," Pharaoh asked them, "Do you mean me?" When they said, "The Lord of Moses," he replied, "Do you mean me? For I am the one who nurtured Moses." But when they said, "And Aaron," the ambiguity was removed, and everyone understood that they had disbelieved in Pharaoh and believed in the God of the heavens.

Alternatively, they mentioned Moses and Aaron specifically after including them in the category of "the Worlds" because the implied meaning is: "We believe in the Lord of the Worlds, and He is the One whom Moses and Aaron called us to believe in."

Another view is that mentioning them specifically was for their distinction and honor, similar to the verse: "and His angels, and His Messengers, and Gabriel and Michael" (Al-Baqarah: 98).

{Pharaoh said, "Do you believe in him before I give you permission? Indeed, this is a plot you have contrived in the city to expel its people. But you are going to know. I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and then I will surely crucify you all." They said, "Indeed, to our Lord we will return. And you take vengeance upon us only because we believed in the signs of our Lord when they came to us. Our Lord, pour down upon us patience and cause us to die as Muslims."}