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qāla firʿawnu ʾāmantum bihī qabla ʾan ʾādhana lakum ʾinna hādhā la-makrun makartumūhu fī l-madīnati li-tukhrijū minhā ʾahlahā fa-sawfa taʿlamūna
Pharaoh said, ‘Do you profess faith in Him before I may permit you? It is indeed a plot you have devised in the city to expel its people from it. Soon you will know [the consequences]!
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah al-‘Araf – Verse 123
123 . “Pharaoh said: ‘Did you believe in him before I should give you permission? Surely this is a plot you have plotted in the city that you may expel its people from it, but soon you shall know (the consequences)!”
When a new stroke was struck upon the bases and pillars of the power and authority of Pharaoh because of the victory of Moses (as) over the sorcerers and that they believed in Moses (as), Pharaoh was frightened and got excited. That was why he applied two plots as follows: The first was his accusation against the sorcerers which perhaps was admired by common people. The verse says:
This is the worst form of colonialism that a nation be taken as slaves and captives so that they may not have even the right of thinking, contemplating, and heartily believing in a person or a religion. This is the very plan which, in the present age, is pursued under the title of ‘New colonialism’, too. Then, Pharaoh added:
This accusation was so unfounded and infamous that none could accept, except some perfectly unaware persons among common people. After that, Pharaoh threatened them ambiguously, but it was said intensively and firmly. He said: