Opening the ayah…
وَقَالُوا۟ يَٰٓأَيُّهَ ٱلسَّاحِرُ ٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ بِمَا عَهِدَ عِندَكَ إِنَّنَا لَمُهْتَدُونَ
Wa qālū yā'ayyuha ssāḥiru (u)d'ʻu lanā rabbaka bimā ʻahida ʻindaka 'innanā lamuh'tadūna
And they said, "O thou sorcerer! Invoke thy Lord for us according to His covenant with thee; for we shall truly accept guidance."
Translation: Abdullah Yusuf Ali
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Opening the guide…
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4-I guide
Calling him a magician, they asked Musa to pray to his Lord by the promise made to him, saying they would then follow guidance.
Start with bismillah.
Ask: "What happened when Musa met Pharaoh's magicians?"
Watch the Smart Stories Studio video Prophet Musa and Pharaoh's Magicians.
Now listen to the ayah together in the app, with the translation. Ask: "What did they still call Musa while asking for help?"
Each child keeps one wonder question, for example: "Can you ask for help and still be rude?" Younger children can draw theirs.
Find it in the mushaf: Surah Az-Zukhruf is surah 43. Find ayah 49. The key words ad'u lana rabbak mean pray to your Lord for us. In trouble, Pharaoh's people begged Musa to pray for them, but still called him "magician". Their words were rude even while they asked for help. Pharaoh's own magicians, by contrast, believed as soon as they saw the truth.
Fact: What did the magicians do when they saw Musa's staff?
Ages 5–8: Polite asking. Practise asking for help using kind words.
Ages 9–12: Two reactions. Compare how the magicians and the chiefs reacted to the truth.
Finish with: "I found that the magicians ___."
Talk together:
Make a small plan: "This week, I will ask for help politely and say thank you."
Action: Ask for help politely and say thank you.
