Surah Taha • Ayah 59

Fir`awn describes Musa's Proofs as being Magic and Their Agreement to hold a ContestAllah, the Exalted, informs of what Fir`awn said to Musa when he showed him the great proof. This great sign to Fir`awn was Musa casting down his stick which became a huge snake, and his pulling his hand out from under his arm while it was glowing white without any illness. At this, Fir`awn said, "This is magic that you have brought to us to bewitch us and conquer the people, so that they will follow you. Then you will outnumber us." Fir`awn then said, "Your plan will not work. We have magic just like yours, so do not let yourself be deceived by that what you are doing." فَاجْعَلْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكَ مَوْعِداً(so appoint a meeting between us and you,) Meaning, `a day that we can come together to present some of our magic to confront yours. It will be at a specified place and time.' With this, Musa said to them, مَوْعِدُكُمْ يَوْمُ الزِّينَةِ(Your appointed meeting is the day of festival,) That was the day of their celebration and their New Year's festivity. It was a holiday for them when they took vacation from their work and came together for a large gathering. This day was selected so that all of the people could witness the power of Allah to do whatever He wills. They would see the miracles of the prophets and the futility of magic to contest the supernatural prophetic powers. This is why Musa said, وَأَن يُحْشَرَ النَّاسُ(and let the people assemble) meaning all of them. ضُحًى(when the sun has risen (forenoon).) meaning in the morning, just before noon. In this way the contest will be most visible, well lit, apparent and obvious in plain view. This is the way of the Prophets. Their work is always clear and apparent. It is never something hidden, or something for sale. This is why he did not say that the meeting should be at night, but rather, it was to be held during the bright part of the day. Ibn `Abbas said, "The day of their festivity was the day of `Ashura'." As-Suddi, Qatadah and Ibn Zayd said, "It was the day of their great celebration." Sa`id bin Jubayr said, "It was the day of their great bazzar." These statements are not contradictory. I say that Allah destroyed Fir`awn and his armies on a day similar to this, just as is confirmed in the Sahih. `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said, "It was a flat place where all of the people were on the same level, having an equal view of the event. There was nothing there that would obstruct the view so that some people could see what others did not."

فرعون کے ساحر اور موسیٰ علیہ السلام ٭٭موسیٰ علیہ السلام کا معجزہ لکڑی کا سانپ بن جانا، ہاتھ کا روشن ہو جانا وغیرہ دیکھ کر فرعون نے کہا کہ یہ تو جادو ہے اور تو جادو کے زور سے ہمارا ملک چھیننا چاہتا ہے۔ تو مغرور نہ ہو۔ جا ہم بھی اس جادو میں تیرا مقابلہ کر سکتے ہیں۔ دن اور جگہ مقرر ہو جائے اور مقابلہ ہو جائے۔ ہم بھی اس دن اس جگہ آ جائیں اور تو بھی، ایسا نہ ہو کہ کوئی نہ آئے۔ کھلے میدان میں سب کے سامنے ہار جیت کھل جائے۔ موسیٰ علیہ السلام نے فرمایا، مجھے منظور ہے اور میرے خیال سے تو اس کے لیے تمہاری عید کا دن مناسب ہے۔ کیونکہ وہ فرصت کا دن ہوتا ہے سب آ جائیں گے اور دیکھ کر حق و باطل میں تمیز کر لیں گے۔ معجزے اور جادو کا فرق سب پر ظاہر ہو جائے گا۔ وقت دن چڑھے کا رکھنا چاہیئے تاکہ جو کچھ میدان میں آئے سب دیکھ سکیں۔ سیدنا ابن عباس رضی اللہ عنہما فرماتے ہیں ان کی زینت اور عید کا دن عاشورے کا دن تھا۔ یہ یاد رہے کہ انبیاء علیہ السلام ایسے موقعوں پر کبھی پیچھے نہیں رہتے۔ ایسا کام کرتے ہیں جس سے حق صاف واضح ہو جائے اور ہر ایک پرکھ لے۔ اسی لیے آپ نے ان کی عید کا دن مقرر کیا اور وقت دن چڑھے کا بتایا اور صاف ہموار میدان مقرر کیا کہ جہاں سے ہر ایک دیکھ سکے اور جو باتیں ہوں وہ بھی سن سکے وہب بن منبہ رحمہ اللہ فرماتے ہیں کہ فرعون نے مہلت چاہی۔ موسیٰ علیہ السلام نے انکار کیا، اس پر وحی اتری کہ مدت مقرر کر لو۔ فرعون نے چالیس دن کی مہلت مانگی جو منظور کی گئی۔صفحہ نمبر5272

آیت 59 قَالَ مَوْعِدُکُمْ یَوْمُ الزِّیْنَۃِ ”ان کے ہاں یہ کوئی تہوار تھا جس کے سلسلے میں وہ لوگ بڑی تعداد میں کسی میدان میں جمع ہو کر جشن مناتے تھے۔ حضرت موسیٰ علیہ السلام نے حکمت سے کام لیتے ہوئے اسی تہوار کے اجتماع کو مقابلے کے لیے مخصوص کرلیا۔وَاَنْ یُّحْشَرَ النَّاسُ ضُحًی ”یہ ضحی کا وقت وہی ہے جس وقت ہم عیدین کے موقع پر نماز ادا کرتے ہیں۔ یعنی جب دھوپ ذرا سی اٹھ جائے اس وقت لوگوں کو جمع کرلیا جائے۔

مَوْعِدُكُمْ يَوْمُ الزِّينَةِ وَأَن يُحْشَرَ‌ النَّاسُ ضُحًى (Your appointment is the festival day and that the people are assembled at forenoon - 20:59). يَوْمُ الزِّينَةِ has been explained differently by different authorities. Some say it was a special festival when the Egyptians, attired in beautiful dresses, gathered outside the towns, while others say that it was a Saturday (' یوم السَّبت), and according to some others it was the tenth day of Muharram (عاشُورا).The great advantage in fixing for the contestIt was a wise move on the part of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) to fix festival day as the day of contest when all Egyptians, high and low, were expected to assemble at an appointed place. There was also a point in fixing early forenoon as the time for the contest because this is the time when people, having finished their daily chores, are free to engage in other things. Also daylight and visibility are at their best in the early forenoon and people, while dispersing after witnessing a momentous event, spread the news far and wide. Thus when, with Allah's help, Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) inflicted a crushing defeat on the Egyptian magicians, the story became known the same day to people living in far flung places.Magic - its truth, forms and the rules governing itFor a detailed discussion on this subject reference may be made to the story of Harut and Marut in Surah Al-Baqarah at page 265 to 278 of Ma'ariful Qur'an vol. I.