قَالَ أَلْقِهَا يَـٰمُوسَىٰ 19
Translations
[Allāh] said, "Throw it down, O Moses."
Transliteration
Qala alqi-ha ya Musa
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commands Prophet Musa (Moses) to cast down his staff, which becomes a serpent as a sign of Allah's power. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this miraculous transformation served as one of the clear signs (ayat) given to Musa to strengthen his faith and to serve as evidence when confronting Pharaoh. Al-Qurtubi notes this was a test of Musa's obedience and trust in Allah's commands, even when the outcome seemed frightening.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs during Allah's conversation with Musa at Mount Sinai (Tur), where Allah is preparing him for his prophetic mission to Pharaoh. The context involves Allah granting Musa extraordinary miracles to validate his message, including the transformation of his staff into a serpent and his hand becoming white. This sets the stage for Musa's confrontation with Pharaoh's magicians.
Related Hadiths
The miracle of the staff is referenced in Surah Al-A'raf (7:107-108) with similar descriptions. While no single hadith directly quotes this ayah, Sahih Muslim contains numerous reports about the miracles of the prophets and how Allah supported them with clear signs.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that obedience to Allah's commands, even when they seem unusual or challenging, leads to miraculous outcomes and strengthens our faith. It reminds believers that Allah equips His messengers and servants with what they need to fulfill their duties, and that fear should give way to trust in divine wisdom.