وَأَلْقِ عَصَاكَ ۚ فَلَمَّا رَءَاهَا تَهْتَزُّ كَأَنَّهَا جَآنٌّ وَلَّىٰ مُدْبِرًا وَلَمْ يُعَقِّبْ ۚ يَـٰمُوسَىٰ لَا تَخَفْ إِنِّى لَا يَخَافُ لَدَىَّ ٱلْمُرْسَلُونَ 10
Translations
And [he was told], "Throw down your staff." But when he saw it writhing as if it were a snake, he turned in flight and did not return. [Allāh said], "O Moses, fear not. Indeed, in My presence the messengers do not fear.
Transliteration
Wa alqi 'asaaka, falamma ra'aha tahtazzu ka'annaha jannun walla mudbirran walam yu'aqqib. Ya Musa la takhaf inni la yakhaafu ladayya al-mursalun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commands Prophet Musa (Moses) to cast down his staff, which miraculously transforms into a serpent that moves with life-like motion, causing Musa to flee in fear. Allah then reassures him not to fear, establishing that the Messengers of Allah have a special status and protection from Him—this staff-to-serpent miracle was one of the nine signs given to Musa to convince Pharaoh. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this ayah demonstrates both the power of Allah's miracles and the psychological strength required of His messengers to overcome natural fear through divine confidence.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah An-Naml (The Ant), a Meccan surah that recounts various stories of prophets and their encounters with divine signs. The context here is the account of Musa's mission to Pharaoh, establishing the timeline of how Allah equipped Musa with miraculous signs before his confrontation with the Egyptian ruler.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari records that 'Abdullah ibn Abbas reported the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioning the nine signs given to Musa, which included the transformation of the staff. Additionally, in Sahih Muslim, there is mention of how the righteous from among the Messengers were tested with signs to strengthen their faith and conviction.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that natural human fear is understandable, but trust in Allah's promises and protection should ultimately overcome it; furthermore, those who are chosen for divine missions are granted special assistance and should not despair when facing overwhelming circumstances.
Related Ayahs
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَتَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ وَادِ ٱلنَّمْلِ قَالَتْ نَمْلَةٌ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّمْلُ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ مَسَـٰكِنَكُمْ لَا يَحْطِمَنَّكُمْ سُلَيْمَـٰنُ وَجُنُودُهُۥ وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ
Until, when they came upon the valley of the ants, an ant said, "O ants, enter your dwellings that you not be crushed by Solomon and his soldiers while they perceive not."
وَيَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِى ٱلصُّورِ فَفَزِعَ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ إِلَّا مَن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَكُلٌّ أَتَوْهُ دَٰخِرِينَ
And [warn of] the Day the Horn will be blown, and whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth will be terrified except whom Allāh wills. And all will come to Him humbled.
فَتِلْكَ بُيُوتُهُمْ خَاوِيَةًۢ بِمَا ظَلَمُوٓا۟ ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ
So those are their houses, desolate because of the wrong they had done. Indeed in that is a sign for people who know.
قَالُوا۟ ٱطَّيَّرْنَا بِكَ وَبِمَن مَّعَكَ ۚ قَالَ طَـٰٓئِرُكُمْ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۖ بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ تُفْتَنُونَ
They said, "We consider you a bad omen, you and those with you." He said, "Your omen [i.e., fate] is with Allāh. Rather, you are a people being tested."