Brief Comments on Riyaadh al-Saaliheen #65

How the magicians fell into prostration:

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

[Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen (1/337) of Shaikh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله]

Allaah تعالى said:

﴿قَالُوا يَا مُوسَىٰ إِمَّا أَن تُلْقِيَ وَإِمَّا أَن نَّكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَلْقَىٰ * قَالَ بَلْ أَلْقُوا فَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمْ وَعِصِيُّهُمْ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ مِن سِحْرِهِمْ أَنَّهَا تَسْعَىٰ * فَأَوْجَسَ فِي نَفْسِهِ خِيفَةً مُّوسَىٰ * قُلْنَا لَا تَخَفْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْأَعْلَىٰ * وَأَلْقِ مَا فِي يَمِينِكَ تَلْقَفْ مَا صَنَعُوا إِنَّمَا صَنَعُوا كَيْدُ سَاحِرٍ وَلَا يُفْلِحُ السَّاحِرُ حَيْثُ أَتَىٰ * فَأُلْقِيَ السَّحَرَةُ سُجَّدًا قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ هَارُونَ وَمُوسَىٰ﴾ 

{They (the magicians) said: “O Moosaa (Moses)! Either you throw first or we be the first to throw?” * (Moosaa) said: “Nay, throw you (first)!” Then behold! Their ropes and their sticks, by their magic, appeared to him as though they moved fast. * So Moosaa conceived fear in himself. * We (Allaah) said: “Fear not! Surely, you will have the upper hand.” * “And throw that which is in your right hand! It will swallow up that which they have made. That which they have made is only a magician’s trick, and the magician will never be successful, to whatever amount (of skill) he may attain.” * So, the magicians fell down prostrate. They said: “We believe in the Lord of Hârûn (Aaron) and Moosaa  (Moses).”} [Surah Taha (20): 65-70]

The Shaikh رحمه الله said:

Moosaa عليه السلام threw that which was in his right hand, and that was his staff. It was only one staff, and behold! It swallowed up straight away all the falsehoods which they showed. This stick devoured all the ropes and the sticks. Subhaan-Allaah al-`Adheem! One is only left in amazement: Where did it all go? The staff was not bigger that it can devour all this - but it was Allaah عز وجل who has power over all things – thus the ropes and the sticks were devoured. 

And it is as if the magicians – who were the most knowledgeable people about magic - knew that what just happened with Moosaa عليه السلام and his stick is not magic, rather it is one of the Sign from Signs of Allaah عز وجل and they fell down in prostration.

Look at the word ألقي (“Ulqiyaa”: to drop) as if this prostration came impulsively and unconsciously. Allaah تعالى did not say: “They prostrated!” Rather they fell into prostration. Due the extreme amazement of what they saw, they – impulsively, unconsciously and without a choice – prostrated, while believing in Allaah and His Messengers (Moosaa and Haaroon).