Ash-Shu'araa (The Poets)

36. “They said: ‘Give him (Moses) and his brother respite, and send heralds into the cities to collect’,”

37. “(That) they bring to you all skilful sorcerers.”

Since the age in which Pharaoh lived was the age of wizardry and sorcery, Pharaoh tried his best to call wizards to be at his service.

Of course, after much counseling, his close companions told Pharaoh not to haste in the affair of Moses and his brother but give then respite, and send some summoners into the cities of Egypt.

The verse says:

“They said: ‘Give him (Moses) and his brother respite, and send heralds into the cities to collect’,”1

As a matter of fact, Pharaoh’s companions were either deceived or consciously accepted Pharaoh’s accusation of Moses (as) and they planned that he was a sorcerer and they had to resort to better wizards to fight him.

They thought that fortunately there were a lot of skilful wizards in the vast country of Egypt and if Moses (as) was a wizard, they would gather so many skilful wizards that the secret of Moses (as) would be revealed.

The verse says:

“(That) they bring to you all skilful sorcerers.”

The Arabic word /haširin/ is derived from the word /hašr/ that means to mobilize people for war or suchlike. Thus, now officers had to mobilize wizards at any price to fight Moses (as).