Egypt's king was known as Pharaoh. The Prophet Moses was sent in Pharaoh's time and called him to God. Moses cast his staff on the ground and it transformed into a snake. In those days, Egypt was famous for magic. It was well-known as a place for great magicians. The Pharaoh said: I will defeat Moses with the help of these magicians. A certain day was fixed and all the great magicians of Egypt were invited. Moses was also invited. A vast ground filled with people came to see the spectacle. All the famous magicians had ropes and sticks which they threw on the ground. They began to wriggle like snakes. Then Moses said he will cast his staff on the ground. When he cast his staff, it manifested as God's miracle. The Quran says about this:  فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُونَ (7.117) And it immediately swallowed up their false devices. People think "swallowed up" means it ate up everything. But this wrong. The magicians' snakes became apparent as sticks and ropes next to Moses' staff. Moses' exposed their magic. The sticks and ropes appeared as lifeless objects. The magicians saw this and knew that there was a limit to their magic. They knew what Moses had demonstrated was beyond any limits. It went far beyond magic.

Magicians were experts in their art. They didn’t take long to understand that what Moses showed was not magic, but far superior to it. At that moment they said:  قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ رَبِّ مُوسَى وَهَارُونَ (7.121-22) We believe in the Lord of Moses and Aaron! Pharaoh became very angry. He said to the magicians: I had called you to counter Moses, but instead you are supporting him. When the magicians came to Egypt, they asked: قَالُوا إِنَّ لَنَا لَأَجْرًا إِنْ كُنَّا نَحْنُ الْغَالِبِينَ (7.113) Shall we have a reward, if we should prevail? The Pharaoh replied: Yes This is how it started. But when the magicians realized the truth and discovered God, they declared their faith. The Pharaoh said that he would get all the magicians killed. None would be left alive. The magicians replied: فَاقْضِ مَا أَنْتَ قَاضٍ إِنَّمَا تَقْضِي هَذِهِ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا (20.72) So decide whatever you will. You can only decide about this world's life. Our life extends to the world Hereafter. The present world is temporary, lasting for few days. When a person makes this discovery, he changes completely. Everything pales into insignificance when you find something great. If next to a line you draw a longer line, then the previous line appears smaller. When you discover God, everything becomes insignificant in comparison.