قَالَ
لَهُم
مُّوسَىٰ
وَيۡلَكُمۡ
لَا
تَفۡتَرُواْ
عَلَى
ٱللَّهِ
كَذِبٗا
فَيُسۡحِتَكُم
بِعَذَابٖۖ
وَقَدۡ
خَابَ
مَنِ
ٱفۡتَرَىٰ
٦١

Moses warned the magicians, “Woe to you! Do not fabricate a lie against Allah,¹ or He will wipe you out with a torment. Whoever fabricates ˹lies˺ is bound to fail.”

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

20:62

فَتَنَٰزَعُوٓاْ

أَمۡرَهُم

بَيۡنَهُمۡ

وَأَسَرُّواْ

ٱلنَّجۡوَىٰ

٦٢

So the magicians disputed the matter among themselves, conversing privately.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

20:63

قَالُوٓاْ

إِنۡ

هَٰذَٰنِ

لَسَٰحِرَٰنِ

يُرِيدَانِ

أَن

يُخۡرِجَاكُم

مِّنۡ

أَرۡضِكُم

بِسِحۡرِهِمَا

وَيَذۡهَبَا

بِطَرِيقَتِكُمُ

ٱلۡمُثۡلَىٰ

٦٣

They concluded, “These two are only magicians who want to drive you out of your land with their magic, and do away with your most cherished traditions.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

20:64

فَأَجۡمِعُواْ

كَيۡدَكُمۡ

ثُمَّ

ٱئۡتُواْ

صَفّٗاۚ

وَقَدۡ

أَفۡلَحَ

ٱلۡيَوۡمَ

مَنِ

ٱسۡتَعۡلَىٰ

٦٤

So orchestrate your plan, then come forward in ˹perfect˺ ranks. And whoever prevails today will certainly be successful.”

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

20:65

قَالُواْ

يَٰمُوسَىٰٓ

إِمَّآ

أَن

تُلۡقِيَ

وَإِمَّآ

أَن

نَّكُونَ

أَوَّلَ

مَنۡ

أَلۡقَىٰ

٦٥

They said, “O Moses! Either you cast, or let us be the first to cast.”

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

20:66

قَالَ

بَلۡ

أَلۡقُواْۖ

فَإِذَا

حِبَالُهُمۡ

وَعِصِيُّهُمۡ

يُخَيَّلُ

إِلَيۡهِ

مِن

سِحۡرِهِمۡ

أَنَّهَا

تَسۡعَىٰ

٦٦

Moses responded, “No, you go first.” And suddenly their ropes and staffs appeared to him—by their magic—to be slithering.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

20:67

فَأَوۡجَسَ

فِي

نَفۡسِهِۦ

خِيفَةٗ

مُّوسَىٰ

٦٧

So Moses concealed fear within himself.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

20:68

قُلۡنَا

لَا

تَخَفۡ

إِنَّكَ

أَنتَ

ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰ

٦٨

We reassured ˹him˺, “Do not fear! It is certainly you who will prevail.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

20:69

وَأَلۡقِ

مَا

فِي

يَمِينِكَ

تَلۡقَفۡ

مَا

صَنَعُوٓاْۖ

إِنَّمَا

صَنَعُواْ

كَيۡدُ

سَٰحِرٖۖ

وَلَا

يُفۡلِحُ

ٱلسَّاحِرُ

حَيۡثُ

أَتَىٰ

٦٩

Cast what is in your right hand, and it will swallow up what they have made, for what they have made is no more than a magic trick. And magicians can never succeed wherever they go.”

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

20:70