Surah Yunus (Jonah) 10 : 75

Overview (Verses 75 - 78)
 
Truth or Sorcery

Moses’ story is given in rather more detail than Noah’s. It starts at the point when Moses faces the rejection of his message coupled with a challenge, and concludes with the drowning of Pharaoh and his soldiers. The account includes situations which carry strong similarity with the attitude of the pagan Arabs in Makkah to the Prophet’s message, as well as the attitude of his few followers.

The part of the story related here highlights five points before making a comment elucidating the purpose of relating it in this way. The five points are given in quick succession as follows: “Then after those [prophets] We sent Moses and Aaron with Our signs to Pharaoh and his nobles, but they persisted in their arrogance, for they were hardened offenders. When the truth came to them from Us, they said: ‘This is clearly nothing but sorcery.’ Moses replied: Do you say this to the truth when it has come to you? Can this be sorcery? But sorcerers will never be successful.’ They said: ‘Have you come to turn us away from what we found our forefathers believing in, so that the two of you might become supreme in the land? We will never believe in you.’” (Verses 75-78)

The signs which Moses brought to Pharaoh and his nobles are the nine mentioned in Sūrah 7, The Heights. They are not mentioned here in detail because the context does not require such detail. What is important in the present context is the attitude of Pharaoh and his group when they received these signs: “They persisted in their arrogance, for they were hardened offenders.” (Verse 75) “When the truth came to them from Us...” (Verse 76) The source of these signs is emphasized here, ‘from Us’, to show clearly their terrible offence when they describe as ‘clear sorcery’ the truth sent to them by God.

It is with limitless arrogance that they thus describe the truth without any evidence to support their claim. The statement sounds as if it is a standard one reiterated by all those who deny God’s messages. As reported at the beginning of the sūrah, the pagan Arabs in Makkah said the same thing, despite the wide difference in time and place between the two communities and the great difference between the signs delivered by Moses and the Qur’ān.

“Moses replied: Do you say this to the truth when it has come to you? Can this be sorcery? But sorcerers will never be successful.” (Verse 77) A part of Moses’ first objection is deleted because it is indicated by his second one. It is as if he said to them: “Do you say to the truth when it has come to you that it is sorcery? Can this be sorcery?” The first question expresses horror that the truth is described as sorcery, and the second wonders that anyone should actually say it is so. Sorcery does not aim to provide guidance to people, and it does not include a faith or a clear idea about Godhead and His relationship with His servants. It cannot outline a code of living. Indeed sorcery cannot be confused with God’s message. No sorcerer ever intended to work for such objectives or move in such a direction. Sorcerers’ work is all false, playing tricks on people’s imagination. Hence they cannot be successful.

At this point, the nobles supporting Pharaoh reveal their true motives for rejecting the truth: “They said: ‘Have you come to turn us away from what we found our forefathers believing in, so that the two of you might become supreme in the land? We will never believe in you.” (Verse 78) They feared that the new call would destroy their inherited beliefs which formed the foundation of their political and economic systems. They feared that they would lose their power which was conferred on them by the superstitious beliefs they promoted.

This is indeed the old and new reason which motivates tyrants to oppose every call to believe in God and follow His message. Hence, they fabricate all sorts of excuses, make false accusations against the advocates of the true faith, and brutally suppress them. It is their desire to remain ‘supreme in the land’ that forms their strongest motive. Their supremacy is based on false beliefs which the tyrants are keen to preserve in people’s minds, despite their fallacy and what they may involve of superstition or deception. They know that when people’s minds are open to receive the true faith, and their hearts are illumined with the new light, then that represents a danger to their long established values and positions. Indeed it shakes their very foundation and authority as perceived by the masses. The divine faith preached by all prophets aims to establish the truth that God is the only deity and the Lord of the universe. All false deities that usurp God’s authority and claim Lordship must be removed.

Tyranny never allows the truth to be presented to the masses, because it represents a general declaration liberating mankind from servitude to any authority other than God’s. Tyranny realizes that its very existence is threatened by this declaration. Hence, it suppresses it with all the power at its disposal.

This is the true reason for the suppression of the Islamic call throughout history. The intelligent people of the Quraysh could not have been blind to the truth of the Prophet’s message and its sublime aspects. They could not have been unaware of the falsehood of their idolatrous beliefs. But they feared for their power and position. They realized that they could only maintain these through their false beliefs, just like the nobles in Pharaoh’s court. Hence they all said: “We will never believe in you.” (Verse 78)