Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): "أَلْقَی عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِیَ ثُعْبَانٌ مُبِینٌ [So he threw down his rod, and behold, it was a clear serpent]. At that moment not one of Pharaoh's companions remained; all of them fled. Pharaoh was overcome by terror and could not control himself. Pharaoh said, 'I adjure you by Allah, and by the fostering [bond between us], to hold this serpent back from me.' So he held it back from Pharaoh. Then he drew his hand out from his collar, and suddenly his hand was shining white for those who looked. When Musa (peace be upon him) took the staff in his hand, Pharaoh's state returned to normal and he was about to affirm Musa (peace be upon him). Haman went over to Pharaoh and said to him, 'You are a god who is worshipped — have you now become a follower of a slave?' Then Pharaoh said to the nobles and chiefs of his people who were around him, [Pharaoh] said to the group around him: 'This is indeed a knowing, skilled magician! He wants, by his magic, to drive you out of your land! What do you advise?' ... they were gathered for the appointed meeting on a known day. (Shu'ara/34–38) Pharaoh and Haman had both learned magic, and it was by magic that they had overcome the people, and it was through sorcery that Pharaoh laid claim to divinity. In the morning he sent messengers into the cities to collect the magicians and sent them into all the cities of Egypt. They gathered a thousand men; from among the thousand magicians they chose a hundred, and from the hundred they chose eighty. The magicians said to Pharaoh, 'You know that there is none in the world more skilled in magic than we are; so if we prevail over Musa (peace be upon him), what reward will we have with you?' Pharaoh said, 'In that case you will indeed be among those brought near!' (Shu'ara/42) — 'With me, I shall make you partners in my kingdom and rule.' The magicians said, 'But if Musa (peace be upon him) prevails over us and nullifies our magic, it will be clear that what Musa (peace be upon him) has brought is not of the nature of magic or trickery, and in that case we shall believe in him and affirm his mission.' Pharaoh said, 'If Musa (peace be upon him) prevails over you, I too along with you will affirm him — but gather your kayd (trickery),' that is, your device. He said: 'The appointed time for this contest was a day that was a festival for them. When the morning of the appointed day arrived and the day advanced to its middle, Pharaoh assembled the people and the magicians. He had a dome eighty cubits tall which had been clad in steel plating, such that when sunlight fell upon that steel no one was able to look at it because of its gleam and radiance. Pharaoh and Haman arrived and sat upon it, watching. Musa (peace be upon him) came forward and looked at the sky. The magicians said to Pharaoh, 'We see a man looking up at the sky — our magic does not reach the sky; the magic of the magicians has taken hold of everything that is on the earth.' They said to Musa (peace be upon him), 'Either you throw your staff first, or we shall cast our ropes and sticks upon the ground.' Musa (peace be upon him) said to them, "Cast down what you are going to cast!" So they threw their ropes and their staffs. They came forward, quivering like ropes in motion and moving like snakes. They said, 'By the might of Pharaoh, we shall surely be the victors!' (Shu'ara/44) ... Then Musa (peace be upon him) threw down his staff, and it melted into the ground like lead and became molten; then it raised its head and opened its mouth and placed its upper jaw upon the top of Pharaoh's dome. Then it circled about upon the ground and swallowed all of their ropes and staffs and overcame them all. When the people saw that serpent they scattered and fled because of its horror and immensity, for until that time no eye had seen anything like it and no one had described its like. Following the people scattering and fleeing, ten thousand men, women and children were killed underfoot. The serpent circled around Pharaoh's dome.' He said, 'Pharaoh and Haman wet their clothes, and the hair of their heads turned white, and out of the intensity of the terror they fainted.' Then Musa (peace be upon him) too took flight along with the people. Allah called out to him: "Take hold of it and do not fear; We shall return it to its former state." (Ta-Ha/21) Musa (peace be upon him) returned and wrapped a cloak he had over his hand, then put his hand into its mouth, and suddenly it turned into a staff as it had been. And it was as Allah the Exalted says: at once all the magicians fell down in prostration. (Shu'ara/46) When they saw that serpent they said, 'We believe in the Lord of the worlds — the Lord of Musa and Harun!' (A'raf/121–122) Pharaoh at that moment became severely enraged and said, "Have you believed in him before I gave you permission?! Surely he is your chief" (Shu'ara/49) — meaning Musa (peace be upon him) — "who has taught you the magic [and this is a plot]! But soon you will know! I shall surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I shall crucify you all!" (Shu'ara/49) They said to him, as Allah the Mighty and Majestic relates, 'No matter, [do whatever you can]! We are returning to our Lord! Indeed, we hope that our Lord will forgive us our sins, since we are the first of the believers!' (Shu'ara/50–51). As a result, Pharaoh imprisoned everyone who believed in Musa (peace be upon him), until Allah sent down upon them the flood, and the locusts, and the lice, and the frogs, and the turning of the Nile's water into blood, so that he released the people of Bani Isra'il. Then Allah revealed to Musa (peace be upon him): 'Travel with My servants by night [out of Egypt], for you will indeed be pursued!' (Shu'ara/52)."