69وَأَلقِ ما في يَمينِكَ تَلقَف ما صَنَعوا ۖ إِنَّما صَنَعوا كَيدُ ساحِرٍ ۖ وَلا يُفلِحُ السّاحِرُ حَيثُ أَتىٰMuhammad AsadAnd [now] throw that [staff] which is in thy right hand - it shall swallow up all that they have wrought: [for] they have wrought only a sorcerer's artifice, and the sorcerer can never come to any good, whatever he may aim at!"1Lit., "wherever he may come" - i.e., irrespective of whether he aims at a good or at an evil end (Razi). The above statement implies a categorical condemnation of all endeavours which fall under the heading of "magic", whatever the intention of the person who devotes himself to it. (In this connection, see also surah 2, note 84.)