Ash-Shu'ara · Makki · ayah 41 of 227

Ash-Shu'ara 26:41

فَلَمَّا جَآءَ ٱلسَّحَرَةُ قَالُوا۟ لِفِرْعَوْنَ أَئِنَّ لَنَا لَأَجْرًا إِن كُنَّا نَحْنُ ٱلْغَـٰلِبِينَ

“And when the magicians arrived, they said to Pharaoh, "Is there indeed for us a reward if we are the predominant?"”

Saheeh International

Essence

The magicians' first words at court were about their fee; the rest of the surah answers them through prophets who ask no wage of anyone.

A reflection

The question every prophet in this surah answers

The magicians walk into Pharaoh's presence and ask one thing: a-inna lanā la-ajran, is there a wage for us? Hold on to that word, ajr. Ash-Shu'ara is about to repeat it five times, in five mouths.

Nuh stands before his people and says: I ask you no wage for it. My wage is only with the Lord of the worlds (26:109). Hud says the same words (26:127). So does Salih (26:145). So does Lut (26:164). So does Shuʿayb (26:180). The sentence returns word for word, like a bell rung at each new station of the surah.

Set those five beside this one. Here are skilled men, the best of their craft, gathered from across Egypt. Their opening question is the fee. There, men sent by Allah, often poor and mocked, facing a hostile crowd. Their opening declaration is that they want no fee from anyone present.

The contrast is not between people who want reward and people who do not. Every one of those prophets says plainly that he does want an ajr. The difference is the address on the invoice. The magicians send theirs to Pharaoh. The prophets send theirs to the Lord of the worlds.

That difference changes everything about the work. A man paid by Pharaoh must win for Pharaoh, or lose his pay. A man whose wage is with Allah can speak the truth to a king and lose nothing that matters. That is why the messengers in this surah are so free.

The fuller reflection on the prophets' refrain sits with Nuh at 26:109. Here, simply notice who asked first, and of whom.

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.