316 Page Notes

20  Surah Taha (continued)

Page 316 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 316 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 316 of the Quran presents the dramatic climax and immediate aftermath of the duel between Prophet Musa (Moses) and Pharaoh’s magicians in Surah Taha (Chapter 20), covering verses 65 through 76.

This section captures the moment the magicians cast their staffs, making them appear like slithering serpents through optical illusion. Musa feels a momentary fear, but Allah reassures him and commands him to throw his staff, which swallows their trickery. Recognizing the divine nature of Musa's miracle, the magicians instantly fall into prostration, declaring their faith in the Lord of Harun and Musa. Even when Pharaoh threatens them with brutal public execution (crucifixion and amputation), they remain completely steadfast, preferring the eternal rewards of the Hereafter over the temporary life of this world.

The authentic Hadiths and prophetic traditions connected to these verses provide deep insight into the nature of fear, the swiftness of true repentance, and the ultimate reward of the martyrs.

1. Hadith Context for Verses 65–67 (The Illusions of Magic and Musa's Human Fear)

The duel begins as the magicians present their challenge:

"They said, 'O Moses, either you throw or we will be the first to throw.' He said, 'Rather, you throw.' And suddenly their ropes and staffs seemed to him from their magic that they were moving [like snakes]. And Moses sensed within himself apprehension."

The Prophet’s Insight on Natural Human Fear:

Verse 67 highlights that Musa experienced Khifah (a natural, psychological apprehension) when he saw the massive display of moving ropes. The Sunnah contextualizes this by showing that even the greatest prophets experience natural human emotions like fear, grief, or apprehension, and that this does not diminish their faith.

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ suffered from a severe fever before his death and remarked on the intense human vulnerability shared by prophets:

"Yes, I suffer a pain as much as two men of you suffer."

Scholars of Hadith note that Musa's fear was not a doubt in Allah's promise, but a natural human reaction to a terrifying optical illusion, making Allah's immediate intervention in the next verse ("Fear not! Indeed, it is you who are superior") all the more profound.

• Primary Citations:

  • Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Patients (Kitab al-Marda), Hadith 5648.

  • Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Commentary on Surah Taha, Verses 66–67), which synthesizes early companion narrations describing how the entire valley seemed to fill with slithering illusions, overwhelming the thousands of onlookers.

2. Hadith Context for Verses 70–73 (The Instant Transformation of the Magicians)

When Musa’s staff swallows their illusions, the truth becomes undeniable:

"So the magicians fell down in prostration. They said, 'We have believed in the Lord of Aaron and Moses.' [Pharaoh] said, 'You believed him before I gave you permission... I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides and I will crucify you on the trunks of palm trees...'"

The Prophetic Commentary on Heart Transformation:

The magicians went from seeking worldly power and wealth from Pharaoh at dawn, to willingly dying as martyrs for Allah by midday. The Prophet ﷺ provided a profound theological explanation for how a person’s heart can transform so instantly and completely, a phenomenon perfectly exemplified on this page.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

"Hearts are between two of the fingers of the Most Merciful, and He turns them whichever way He wills."

In another narration, the companion Abdullah ibn Abbas explicitly commented on the magicians of Surah Taha, stating: "They began the day as sorcerers (disbelievers) and ended the day as righteous martyrs."

• Primary Citations:

  • Sahih Muslim, Book of Divine Decree (Kitab al-Qadar), Hadith 2654.

  • Sunan At-Tirmidhi, Chapters on Divine Decree, Hadith 2140.

  • Tafsir al-Tabari (Authentic transmission from Ibn Abbas regarding the status of Pharaoh's magicians).

3. Hadith Context for Verses 74–76 (The Description of Hell and the Highest Paradise)

The page concludes with a stark contrast between the destination of the criminal and the righteous:

"Indeed, whoever comes to his Lord as a criminal - indeed, for him is Hell; he will neither die therein nor live. But whoever comes to Him as a believer who has done righteous deeds - for those will be the highest degrees [in Paradise]."

Prophetic Descriptions of "Neither Dying Nor Living" (Verse 74):

The Prophet ﷺ directly used the exact phrasing of verse 74 to describe the condition of the ultimate, permanent inhabitants of the Hellfire.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

"As for the people of Hell who are its permanent dwellers, they will neither die therein nor live. But there are some people whom the Fire will afflict temporarily because of their sins, killing them until they become like charcoal, after which intercession will be granted for them."

• Primary Citation:

  • Sahih Muslim, Book of Faith (Kitab al-Iman), Hadith 185.

Prophetic Descriptions of the "Highest Degrees" (Verse 75):

In verse 75, the steadfast magicians look forward to "the highest degrees" (Al-Darajat al-`Ula). The Prophet ﷺ mapped out exactly what these magnificent, towering degrees look like for the believers who sacrifice for their faith.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

"Indeed, the people of Paradise will look up at the dwellers of the lofty rooms above them just as you look at a brilliant star remaining on the horizon in the East or the West, because of the superiority of rewards between them." The companions asked, "O Messenger of Allah, are those the rooms of the Prophets which no one else can reach?" He replied, "Yes, by Him in Whose Hand is my soul, they are for men who believed in Allah and accepted the Messengers as true."

• Primary Citations:

  • Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of the Beginning of Creation, Hadith 3256.

  • Sahih Muslim, Book of Paradise, its Description, its Bounties and its People, Hadith 2831.