Ash-Shu'araa (The Poets)

40. “Perhaps we may follow the sorcerers if they are victors.”

41. “Then, when the sorcerers came, they said to Pharaoh: ‘Shall we have a reward if we should be the victors?’”

42. “(Pharaoh) said: ‘Yes, and surely you will then be among the near-stationed’.”

Moses (as) and Aaron were standing alone on one side, for they had faith, and Pharaoh, all rich people and the wizards were standing on the other side and were worried. Here the role of faith and its power gets clear.

Finally, they told the people that their aim was that if their sorcerers became victorious, whose victory was the victory of their gods, they would follow them, and they promised to treat so enthusiastically that the enemies of their gods would perish forever.

The verse says:

“Perhaps we may follow the sorcerers if they are victors.”

Therefore, they wanted people to warm up the gathering so that the enemies of their gods would be defeated totally.

It is completely clear that the considerable presence of fans and supporters, who advocate one party, is both to boost morale and to provide hope and assurance. It also cause them to try their best. When they succeed, they can make such ado that their contending party will go to seclusion and they can frighten the opposite party from the beginning of the struggle, too.

Yes, imaging these aims, Pharaoh’s officers wanted to call people to the gathering and Moses (as) also asked Allah such presence of people so that he could achieve his aim in the best way.

Apart from these, when the wizards came to Pharaoh and saw that he was in severe tight corner, they thought to use this opportunity best and to achieve some important advantages of him:

“Then, when the sorcerers came, they said to Pharaoh: ‘Shall we have a reward if we should be the victors?’”

Pharaoh, who was in tight corner and hopeless, agreed to give them the best advantages and immediately answered them as follows:

“(Pharaoh) said: ‘Yes, and surely you will then be among the near-stationed’.”

In fact, Pharaoh wanted to tell them what they did want; it was whether property (wealth) or position and rank that all of these would be given to them.

This statement shows how important it was in that society and environment to be near to Pharaoh, which he mentioned as a great reward. In fact, for man no reward is higher than being near to his preferred power.

If those deviated persons counted nearness to Pharaoh as the best reward, the knowing worshippers of Allah count no reward higher than propinquity to Allah. Even they do not exchange Paradise with its all blessings for a manifestation of His Pure Essence.

Therefore, those who are martyred for the sake of Allah must achieve the best rewards for their great self-sacrifice. According to the holy Qur’an, they will achieve the reward of divine propinquity and the Qur’anic phrase /‘inda rabbihim/ (with their Lord) indicates this reality.

Also, because of this fact, every pure-hearted believer only asks Allah’s nearness when he worships.