Quran Universe
7:109

قَالَ ٱلۡمَلَأُ مِن قَوۡمِ فِرۡعَوۡنَ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَسَٰحِرٌ عَلِيمٞ

Qala almalao min qawmi firAAawna inna hatha lasahirun AAaleemun

Said the eminent among the people of Pharaoh, "Indeed, this is a learned magician

Word by word
  1. قَالَSaid
  2. ٱلۡمَلَأُthe chiefs
  3. مِنof
  4. قَوۡمِ(the) people
  5. فِرۡعَوۡنَ(of) Firaun
  6. إِنَّIndeed
  7. هَٰذَاthis
  8. لَسَٰحِرٌ(is) surely a magician
  9. عَلِيمٞlearned
Al-A'raf · 7:109Makkah

When the truth was clear, they gave it a label.

Calling it magic so they could ignore it

The court's reaction
clear signsstaff, shining hand
renamed
just a sorcerera skilled one
agreed by
the chiefsFir'awn's inner circle
What the label did
he is a magicianso we can dismiss it
this is a signso we must respond

Once Fir'awn felt safe and returned to his throne, he told his chiefs this was a well-versed sorcerer, and they agreed. Ibn Kathir says they plotted to portray Musa as a liar and a fake, to put out the light he brought.

A friend points out, kindly, that you snap at your kids when you are tired. You say: oh, she is just being dramatic. One word, and the point is gone. A label is a quick way to not listen.

If I can name what is wrong with the messenger, I can ignore the message.

Dismissing the speaker does not make the truth go away.

Try this

Recall one piece of advice you dismissed by labeling the person. Think about the advice itself for two minutes.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

The chiefs of the people of Fir'awn said: "This is indeed a well-versed sorcerer. (109)"He wants to get you out of your land, so what do you advise? (110)

Fir'awn's People say that Musa is a Magician!

The chiefs and noblemen of the people of Fir'awn agreed with Fir'awn's statement about Musa. After Fir'awn felt safe and returned to his throne, he said to the chiefs of his people,

إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَسَاحِرٌ عَلِيمٌ

(This is indeed a well-versed sorcerer) and they agreed. They held counsel to decide what they should do about Musa. They conspired to extinguish the light that he brought and bring down his word. They plotted to portray Musa as a liar and fake. They feared that he might lure people to his side by his magic, they claimed, and thus prevail over them and drive them away from their land. What they feared occured, just as Allah said,

وَنُرِيَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَامَانَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا مِنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا يَحْذَرُونَ

(And We let Fir'awn and Haman and their hosts receive from them that which they feared.)[28:6]

After they conferred about Musa, they agreed on a plot, as Allah said about them,