Overall meaning : Allah Almighty says, pointing out the extent of Pharaoh’s intransigence and wilful obstinacy not to acknowledge the truth: We showed Pharaoh all Our signs attesting to the truthfulness of Moses’s message, but he denied them and obdurately refused to accept the truth.
Pharaoh threateningly said, ‘Have you come to drive us out of our land with your magic, Moses? We will surely confront you with magic like your own. Fix, then, an appointment between us and you which neither of us should fail to keep, at a place at an equal distance from us both.’
‘Your appointment,’ Moses said, ‘will be the day of the festival, and let people gather together from every direction to witness our confrontation in the forenoon.’
Pharaoh withdrew. He concocted his scheme, gathered his magicians, then he turned up for the confrontation with Moses at the agreed time and place.
Informing us of what happened between Moses, peace be upon him, and the magicians, the Almighty says: Moses warned the magicians, saying, ‘Woe betide you! Do not invent lies against Allah, or He will utterly destroy you with His punishment. Those who forge lies against Allah are bound to fail.’
The magicians differed and argued among themselves about the matter, but kept their conversation secret. They said, ‘Moses and Aaron are but two magicians who want to drive you out of the land of Egypt with their magic and do away with your religion and best traditions. Therefore, collect and perfect your magic tricks, decide on your scheme against Moses without having any differences among yourselves, and then come forward in one single body, all lined up. Whoever prevails and gains the upper hand today will certainly be successful.’