How can one respond to the misconception of contradiction between the Quranic verses: "He said to the chiefs around him, 'Indeed, this is a skillful magician'" and "The chiefs of Pharaoh's people said, 'Indeed, this is a skillful magician'," as well as "He said, 'If you have come with a sign, then produce it, if you are of the truthful'" and "He said, 'Then produce it, if you are of the truthful'"?
The Holy Qur’an mentions the statement of the chiefs and the statement of Pharaoh, "Indeed, this is a skillful sorcerer," without contradiction, as everyone said it. The statement in Surat Al-A'raf is attributed to the chiefs because of their mention at the beginning of the story, and in Surat Ash-Shu'ara it is attributed to Pharaoh because he was addressed. Each context mentions what is most appropriate.
As for the difference in the saying "فأت بها" (bring it) and "فأت به" (bring him/it), even though the event is one, the reason is that the dialogue was not in Arabic, and the Qur’an mentions the meaning of the dialogue. "Al-Ayah" (sign) is feminine and "Al-Shay' Al-Mubin" (clear thing) is masculine, and both mean a clear indication of the truth. The difference in expression while preserving the meaning is considered eloquence.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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