فَأَلْقَىٰهَا فَإِذَا هِىَ حَيَّةٌ تَسْعَىٰ 20
Translations
So he threw it down, and thereupon it was a snake, moving swiftly.
Transliteration
Fa-alqāhā fa-idhā hiya hayyatun tasʿā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the moment when Prophet Musa (Moses) cast down his staff, and it transformed into a living serpent that moved swiftly. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this miraculous transformation served as one of the nine signs (ayat) given to Musa to prove his prophethood to Pharaoh and his people. The verb 'tasʿā' (hastening/moving quickly) emphasizes the vividness and reality of the miracle, demonstrating Allah's absolute power over creation and the natural laws.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the account of Musa's encounter with Allah at Mount Tur (Sinai), where he received his prophetic mission. The context deals with the preparation of Musa for his confrontation with Pharaoh, and Allah is giving him miraculous signs to strengthen his faith and provide evidence of his divine message to the Egyptian people.
Related Hadiths
The transformation of the staff is mentioned in various hadith collections discussing the miracles of the prophets. Sahih Muslim contains narrations about the signs of the prophets, including references to Musa's miracles as evidence of divine power and prophethood.
Themes
Key Lesson
This miracle teaches believers that Allah's power transcends natural laws and that He provides His prophets with clear signs to authenticate their message. It reminds us that when facing opposition to truth, we should trust in Allah's support and the clarity of His signs, which ultimately distinguish truth from falsehood.
Related Ayahs
ٱذْهَبْ أَنتَ وَأَخُوكَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِى وَلَا تَنِيَا فِى ذِكْرِى
Go, you and your brother, with My signs and do not slacken in My remembrance.
فَأَكَلَا مِنْهَا فَبَدَتْ لَهُمَا سَوْءَٰتُهُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِن وَرَقِ ٱلْجَنَّةِ ۚ وَعَصَىٰٓ ءَادَمُ رَبَّهُۥ فَغَوَىٰ
And they [i.e., Adam and his wife] ate of it, and their private parts became apparent to them, and they began to fasten over themselves from the leaves of Paradise. And Adam disobeyed his Lord and erred.
فَتَنَـٰزَعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَهُم بَيْنَهُمْ وَأَسَرُّوا۟ ٱلنَّجْوَىٰ
So they disputed over their affair among themselves and concealed their private conversation.
يَتَخَـٰفَتُونَ بَيْنَهُمْ إِن لَّبِثْتُمْ إِلَّا عَشْرًا
They will murmur among themselves, "You remained not but ten [days in the world]."