( قَالُوا يَا مُوسَىٰ ) (They said, “O Moses): The magicians gathered and the people were summoned. This encounter between the magicians and Prophet Moses (PBUH) became the most significant event of that time. It seems that during the era of the Pharaoh and Prophet Moses (PBUH), magic was widespread. As a fact, magic involves deceiving people’s eyes with something other than its reality.

( إِمَّا أَن تُلْقِيَ وَإِمَّا أَن نَّكُونَ نَحْنُ الْمُلْقِينَ) (either you throw [your staff], or we will be the ones to throw [first]): They did not care whether Prophet Moses (PBUH) or they themselves threw their staffs first.