Having witnessed what Musa AS had performed before his eyes, (by the power of Allah), Firaun’s amazement turned to terror. Fearing that his rule was in danger, he addressed his advisors: ‘These are two wizards who will strip you of your best traditions and drive you out of the country with their magic. What do you advise?” They counseled Firaun to detain Musa AS and his brother while they summoned the cleverest magicians in the country. Then they too, could show their skills of magic and change sticks into serpents. In this way they sought to reduce the influence of Musa AS’s miracles on the masses.

Firaun detained Musa and Harun AS. He dispatched couriers all over the land to enlist the best magicians. He offered each successful magician a big reward, including appointment as a royal courtier.

On the customary festival day, which attracted citizens from all over the Egyptian empire, Firaun arranged for a public contest between Musa AS and the magicians. The people came in droves as never before, when they heard of the greatest contest ever between Firaun’s many magicians and a single man who claimed to be a prophet. They had also heard of a baby who had once floated down the river Nile in a basket, landed on Firaun’s palace grounds, been reared as a prince, and who later had fled for killing an Egyptian with a single blow.

Everyone was eager and excited to watch this great contest. Before it began, Musa AS arose. There was a hush in the huge crowd. Musa AS addressed the magicians. “Woe unto you, if you invent a lie against Allah by calling His miracles magic and by not being honest with the Pharaoh. Woe unto you, if you do not know the difference between the truth and falsehood. Allah will destroy you with His punishment, for he who lies against Allah fails miserably.”

Musa AS had spoken sincerely and made the magicians think. But they were overwhelmed by their greed for money and glory. They hoped to impress the people with their magic and to expose Musa AS as a fraud and a cheat.

Musa AS asked the magicians to perform first. They threw their magical objects down on the ground. Their staffs and ropes took the forms of wriggling serpents while the crowd watched in amazement. Pharaoh and his men applauded loudly. Then Musa AS threw his staff. It began to wriggle vigorously and became an enormous serpent. The people stood up, craning their necks for a better view.

Firaun and his men sat silently as, one by one, Musa AS’s huge serpent swallowed all the snakes. Musa AS bent to pick it up, and it became a staff in his hand.

The crowd rose like a great wave, shouting and screaming with excitement. A wonder like this had never been seen before! On witnessing the power of Musa AS, the magicians prostrated themselves to Allah, declaring: “We believe in the Lord of Musa and Harun.” Firaun was angry and began plotting his next move. He charged that the demonstration had been arranged secretly between Musa AS and the magicians. He demanded that the magicians confess to their scheme, threatening them with death. They refused to denounce Allah and stuck to the sincerity of their belief. No longer hiding his cruel nature, Firaun threatened to cut off their hands and feet and to crucify them on the trunks of palm trees as an example to his subjects.

The magicians represented the elite of the Egyptian society. They were its scholars. They prostrated before righteousness, but the people abandoned them and left them to their fate. The path of righteousness was plain, but in spite of this, the people did nothing but stand by and watch.

If every one of the Egyptians had stooped to pick up a piece of brick and had thrown it at Pharaoh, he would have fallen dead and the history of Egypt would have been changed.

This obviously did not happen. None of the people moved. Each one stood motionless in his place. The people did nothing but watch, and they paid the price for this inactivity: they were drowned later as the price for their cowardice of one day.