Fir`awn threatens the Magicians after They believed in Musa and Their Response to Him
Allah tells,
قَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ امَنتُم بِهِ قَبْلَ أَن اذَنَ لَكُمْ
Fir`awn said;"You have believed in him (Musa) before I gave you permission.
Allah mentions the threats that the Fir`awn - may Allah curse him - made to the magicians after they believed Musa, peace be upon him, and the deceit and cunning that Fir`awn showed the people.
Fir`awn said,
إِنَّ هَـذَا لَمَكْرٌ مَّكَرْتُمُوهُ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ لِتُخْرِجُواْ مِنْهَا أَهْلَهَا
Surely, this is a plot which you have plotted in the city to drive out its people,
meaning Fir`awn proclaimed, `Musa's defeating you today was because you plotted with him and agreed to that.'
Fir`awn also said,
إِنَّهُ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ الَّذِى عَلَّمَكُمُ السِّحْرَ
He (Musa) is your chief who has taught you magic. (20;71)
However, Fir`awn and all those who had any sense of reason knew for sure that what Fir`awn said was utterly false. As soon as Musa came from Madyan, he called Fir`awn to Allah and demonstrated tremendous miracles and clear proofs for the Truth that he brought. Fir`awn then sent emissaries to various cities of his kingdom and collected magicians who were scattered throughout Egypt. Fir`awn and his people chose from them, summoned them, and Fir`awn promised them great rewards. These magicians were very eager to prevail over Musa in front of Fir`awn, so that they might become closer to him. Musa neither knew any of them nor saw or met them before. Fir`awn knew that, but he claimed otherwise to deceive the ignorant masses of his kingdom, just as Allah described them,
فَاسْتَخَفَّ قَوْمَهُ فَأَطَاعُوهُ
(Thus he (Fir`awn) fooled his people, and they obeyed him. (43;54) Certainly, a people who believed Fir`awn in his statement,
أَنَا رَبُّكُمُ الاَْعْلَى
(I am your lord, most high). (79;24), are among the most ignorant and misguided creatures of Allah.
In his Tafsir, As-Suddi reported that Ibn Mas`ud, Ibn Abbas, and several other Companions, commented,
إِنَّ هَـذَا لَمَكْرٌ مَّكَرْتُمُوهُ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ
(Surely, this is a plot which you have plotted in the city...),
"Musa met the leader of the magicians and said to him, `If I defeat you, will you believe in me and bear witness that what I brought is the truth.'
The magician said, `Tomorrow, I will produce a type of magic that cannot be defeated by another magic. By Allah! If you defeat me, I will believe in you and testify to your truth.'
Fir`awn was watching them, and this is why he said what he said."
His statement,
لِتُخْرِجُواْ مِنْهَا أَهْلَهَا
(to drive out its people),
means, so that you all cooperate to gain influence and power, replacing the chiefs and masters of this land. In this case, power in the state will be yours,
فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ
"but you shall come to know,"
what I will do to you.
He then explained his threat