[MERGE] Witch, Wizard, Ahli Sihir, Ilmu Hitam etc

joe1982

The whole earth belongs to God, and so do all creatures. So, if sovereignty in
God’s land is acknowledged to belong to God alone, then no shred of sovereignty
will belong to those who impose a law other than that of God. In real terms, this
means that not a particle of sovereignty can belong to claimants of lordship who
exercise Godhead by subjugating people to their own laws. Thus, people given high
positions by Godhead claimants have no real authority. After all, they are given such
positions in order to ensure that people acknowledge the lordship of their deities.

Pharaoh and his aides were aware of the danger represented by Moses’s message.
Indeed, tyrants always recognize that danger. As a simple bedouin Arab, totally
unsophisticated, remarked after hearing the Prophet Muhammad calling on people
to accept that there is no deity other than God and that Muhammad is His
Messenger: “This is something that kings dislike.” Another similarly unsophisticated
bedouin said to the Prophet: “You will be opposed by Arabs and non- Arabs alike.”
Both of them were keenly aware of what those words signified. They understood that
the declaration of God’s oneness means a rebellion against every ruler who does not
implement God’s law. The Arabs felt the seriousness of this declaration. They
realised that to make this declaration and accept a rule based on any law other than
that of God was a contradiction in terms. Their understanding of the declaration of
God’s oneness was totally different from that of those who today claim to be
Muslims. The understanding of later day Muslims cannot be supported.

Hence, the great ones began their consultations with Pharaoh: “This man is indeed a
sorcerer of great skill, who wants to drive you out of your land!’ [Said Pharaoh], `What, then,
do you advise?” (Verses 109-110) Their consultations were concluded with agreement
on a certain procedure: “Let him and his brother wait a while, and send heralds to all cities
to bring before you every sorcerer of great skill.” (Verses 111-112)

At that time Egypt was full of priests in all types of temples, and those priests
actually practised sorcery. In all pagan beliefs, religion was closely linked with
sorcery. Hence, those who specialize in comparative religion speak of magic and
sorcery as a stage in the development of human faith. Those among them who are
atheists claim that religious beliefs will one day be abandoned in the same way as
sorcery was abandoned. They claim that science will put an end to the reign of faith
just as it put an end to the reign of sorcery. Their confusion knows no limit, yet they
call it science.

Pharaoh’s aides determined, after their lengthy discussions, that Pharaoh should
gain time and fix an appointment with Moses. Meanwhile, he would send heralds to
summon to his presence all skilful sorcerers, so that they could overpower what they
claimed to be Moses’s sorcery. Despite all that we know about Pharaoh’s tyranny, his
action in this regard was much milder than what twentieth-century tyrants did when
they confronted the advocates of divine faith who proclaimed that God is the only
Lord in the universe, and thereby threatened the authority of self-proclaimed rulers.

joe1982

Squaring Up to Sorcery and Falsehood

The Qur’ānic account skips over all the measures taken by Pharaoh and his aides
in gathering all the sorcerers from every corner of the kingdom. The curtain falls after
the first scene to be raised again with the contest progressing in full view in order to
show this history as if it is happening now, in front of us. This is a characteristic of
the inimitable style of the Qur’ān.

“The sorcerers came to Pharaoh and said: ‘Surely there will be a handsome reward for us if
it is we who prevail.’ Answered [Pharaoh]: ‘Yes; and you will certainly be among those who
are close to me.’” (Verses 113-114) They are mere professionals. To them, both sorcery
and priesthood are professions. Their ultimate aim in carrying on with both
vocations is to enjoy a handsome financial reward. Being in the service of rulers and
overpowering tyranny is the task undertaken by professional clergy. Whenever the
general situation in a country or a community moves away from pure submission to
God, acknowledging all sovereignty to Him alone, and whenever a form of false,
arbitrary authority replaces God’s law, those exercising such an authority find
themselves in need of such professional clergy. The false authority is always ready to
remunerate such clergy for their services. It is a deal which serves the mutual
interests of both parties; the clergy acknowledge that false authority in the name of
religion, and those exercising power provide them with wages and give them high
positions.

Pharaoh assured them that they would be paid for their services, and promised
them positions in the circle closest to him to increase the temptation and to
encourage them to make their best efforts. Neither Pharaoh nor the sorcerers realized
that the situation did not call for any professional expertise, skill or deception. They
were placing themselves in confrontation with a miracle given by God who has
power over all things, and a message revealed by Him. No sorcerer or tyrant can
stand up to these.

Pharaoh’s sorcerers were reassured that they would have a generous reward, and
they looked forward to be in positions close to Pharaoh. They came ready for the
match, and began by an open challenge to Moses. Little did they realize that God was
storing for them something far better than their promised wages: “They said: Moses!
Either you shall throw [first], or we shall be the first to throw?’ He answered: ‘You throw
[first].’” (Verses 115-116) It is a clearly apparent challenge. As they gave Moses the
choice, they demonstrated their confidence that they would triumph. But we also see
Moses unperturbed by the challenge, full of confidence as he answered: “You throw
first.” That short answer reveals how completely assured Moses was. We often find
the Qur’ān using a single word to impart such rich connotations.

joe1982

But then the sūrah delivers a surprise. Indeed, Moses himself was surprised as he
found himself face to face with very skilful sorcery that strikes awe in people’s
hearts: “And when they threw [their staff], they cast a spell upon people’s eyes and struck
them with awe, making a display of great sorcery.” (Verse 116)

It is sufficient for us that the Qur’ān describes their work as “great sorcery” to
imagine how skilful they truly were. It is also enough that we should know that they
could “cast a spell upon people’s eyes”, in order to be able to imagine the nature of
the situation. Indeed, the Qur’ān uses here a very vivid term to describe that the
sorcerers were able to create a very real feeling of fear among all beholders. We also
learn from another Qur’ānic statement that Moses himself felt fear creeping into his
heart.

But something totally unexpected takes place to surprise Pharaoh and his aides,
these sorcerers and the masses gathered in the large square which served as a stage
for this contest: “We then inspired Moses: ‘Throw your staff’ And it swallowed up their
false devices. Thus the truth prevailed and all their doings were proved to be in vain. They
were defeated there and then, and became utterly humiliated.” (Verses 117-119)

Falsehood may appear powerful. It may dazzle people’s eyes, strike fear in their
hearts and give the majority of people the impression that it is unstoppable and that
it has its own rights. But once it comes into confrontation with the truth, with its
intrinsic characteristics of calmness and self confidence, falsehood’s bubble bursts
and its fire dies down. The truth is thus seen to be much weightier, with firmer roots
and a more solid foundation. The Qur’ānic expression here makes all these
connotations clear as it describes the triumph of the truth as an accomplished fact,
solid and stable. Everything else disappears and all the sorcerers’ doings prove to be
in vain. Falsehood and its advocates are vanquished, humiliated. This contrasts with
the great display they tried to put out: “They were defeated there and then, and became
utterly humiliated.” (Verse 119)

But the surprise is not over yet. The scene brings yet another, even greater
surprise: “The sorcerers fell down prostrating themselves, and said: `We believe in the Lord
of all the worlds, the Lord of Moses and Aaron.’” (Verses 120-122)

How does this happen? It is simply the truth exercising its authority over people’s
feelings and consciences. It opens up hearts to prepare them to receive its light and
accept its reassurance. The sorcerers are the best people to know how far their skill
can go, and they are the best to evaluate the nature of what Moses worked out and
whether it was an act of skilful sorcery or something brought about by a power far
greater than any human being can have. A learned specialist in any field is the first to
acknowledge the truth in that field whenever it appears clearly to him, because he
can recognize the truth much quicker than those who have only superficial
knowledge of his specialty. This explains how the sorcerers moved from open
challenge to total submission, after having recognized the truth with open minds.

nsya