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 هَـذَا لَسَـحِرٌ 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,

﴿وَنُرِىَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَـمَـنَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا مِنْهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يَحْذَرونَ﴾

(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,

﴿قَالُواْ أَرْجِهْ وَأَخَاهُ وَأَرْسِلْ فِى الْمَدَآئِنِ حَـشِرِينَ - يَأْتُوكَ بِكُلِّ سَـحِرٍ عَلِيمٍ ﴾

(111. They said: "Put him and his brother off (for a time), and send callers to the cities to collect'') (112. "That they bring to you all well-versed sorcerers.'') Ibn `Abbas commented,

﴿أَرْجِهْ﴾

("Put him off''), means, "delay him (for a time).''

﴿وَأَرْسِلْ فِى الْمَدَآئِنِ﴾

("and send to the cities''), areas and provinces of your kingdom -- O Fir`awn,

﴿حَـشِرِينَ﴾

("to collect'') to gather magicians from various lands. At this time, magic was the trade of the day and it was widespread and popular. They had the idea that what Musa brought was a type of magic similar to the magic that the sorcerers of their time practiced. Because of this incorrect assumption, they brought all the magicians in order to defeat the miracles that he showed them. Allah said about Fir`awn,

﴿فَلَنَأْتِيَنَّكَ بِسِحْرٍ مِّثْلِهِ فَاجْعَلْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكَ مَوْعِداً لاَّ نُخْلِفُهُ نَحْنُ وَلاَ أَنتَ مَكَاناً سُوًى ﴾

﴿قَالَ مَوْعِدُكُمْ يَوْمُ الزِّينَةِ وَأَن يُحْشَرَ النَّاسُ ضُحًى - فَتَوَلَّى فِرْعَوْنُ فَجَمَعَ كَيْدَهُ ثُمَّ أَتَى ﴾

(Then verily, we can produce magic the like thereof; so appoint a meeting between us and you, which neither we nor you shall fail to keep, in an open place where both shall have a just and equal chance.'' ﴿Musa﴾ said: "Your appointed meeting is the day of the festival, and let the people assemble when the sun has risen (forenoon).'' So Fir`awn withdrew, devised his plot and then came back.) ﴿20:58-60﴾. Allah said,

﴿وَجَآءَ السَّحَرَةُ فِرْعَوْنَ قَالْواْ إِنَّ لَنَا لأَجْرًا إِن كُنَّا نَحْنُ الْغَـلِبِينَ - قَالَ نَعَمْ وَإِنَّكُمْ لَمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ ﴾

(113. And so the sorcerers came to Fir`awn. They said: "Indeed there will be a (good) reward for us if we are the victors.'') (114. He said: "Yes, and moreover you will (in that case) be of the nearest (to me).'')