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قQuranicpediaEncyclopedia of the Glorious Qur’an

Staff of Musa عَصَا مُوسَى

In review — pending scholar verification

The shepherd's staff of Musa, transformed by Allah's leave into a serpent — the first of the nine signs given to Musa for his confrontation with Pharaoh.

Overview

The Staff of Musa (Arabic: عَصَا مُوسَى; ʿaṣā Mūsā) is the shepherd's staff of Musa, transformed by Allah's leave into a serpent at Mount Sinai as the first of the signs by which Musa was sent to Pharaoh.

The Quran narrates the staff's use repeatedly:

  • Transformed into a serpent before Allah's address (Surah Ṭāhā 20:17–21; Al-Qaṣaṣ 28:31).
  • Swallowed the serpents conjured by Pharaoh's magicians (Surah Al-Aʿrāf 7:117).
  • Struck the sea, parting it for the Exodus (Surah Ash-Shuʿarāʾ 26:63).
  • Struck a rock, producing twelve springs of water for the twelve tribes (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:60).

Quranic references

  • Surah Al-Baqarah 2:60 — the twelve springs.
  • Surah Al-Aʿrāf 7:107, 7:117 — the staff at Pharaoh's court.
  • Surah Ṭāhā 20:17–21 — Allah's question, "What is in your right hand?"
  • Surah Ash-Shuʿarāʾ 26:32, 26:63 — at the court and at the sea.
  • Surah Al-Qaṣaṣ 28:31 — the call.

Significance

The staff is a Quranic symbol of signs by Allah's leave: the wood is ordinary; the transformation is divine. Each event — the serpent, the parting, the springs — is paired with a clear acknowledgement that the agency is Allah's, not the staff's and not Musa's.

See also

References

  1. The Quran: Surahs Al-Baqarah 2:60; Al-Aʿrāf 7:107, 7:117; Ṭāhā 20:17–21; Ash-Shuʿarāʾ 26:32, 26:63; Al-Qaṣaṣ 28:31.
  2. Ibn Kathir, Qiṣaṣ al-Anbiyāʾ, chapter on Musa.