سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ

Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 107

The Heights · Meccan · Juz 9 · Page 164

فَأَلْقَىٰ عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِىَ ثُعْبَانٌ مُّبِينٌ ﴿107﴾
Then [Mûsâ (Moses)] threw his stick and behold! it was a serpent, manifest!
فَأَلْقَىٰ fa-alqā So he threw
عَصَاهُ ʿaṣāhu his staff
فَإِذَا fa-idhā and suddenly
هِىَ hiya it
ثُعْبَانٌۭ thuʿ'bānun (was) a serpent
مُّبِينٌۭ mubīnun manifest

Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

(Ayah 107){ فَاَلْقٰى عَصَاهُ … :} Musa (peace be upon him) immediately threw down his staff, and it became a terrifying serpent. Some commentators have written its strange and wondrous characteristics, for example, when it opened its mouth, its lower jaw touched the ground and its upper jaw rose eighty (80) hands high, reaching the height of the palace wall, and when it advanced towards Pharaoh, he fled and lost control of his bowels, and the people also ran away. Pharaoh screamed, "Musa! Catch it, I will believe." Musa (peace be upon him) caught it, and it became a staff again. (Ibn Kathir, Biqa'i) Although there is no Sahih chain for this and we have no means to confirm or deny it, however, from the attribute of {’’ ثُعْبَانٌ ‘‘} in {’’ مُبِيْنٌ ‘‘ } and from swallowing so many staffs and ropes that filled the field, its extraordinary nature is certainly evident, and from this, the fear of Pharaoh and his chiefs is clearly apparent, because despite threats of killing, due to Allah's help with Musa (peace be upon him) and the terror of these miracles, they could not dare to harm him. See Surah Al-Mu’min (26).

Through this miracle, Allah Almighty's boundless power was also manifested before Pharaoh and his people, that if He wills, He can grant life to a lifeless and harmless staff and make it such a great and terrifying serpent, and if He wills, He can turn a dreadful serpent into a lifeless staff. The truth is that this miracle alone was sufficient for Pharaoh, but despite accepting in his heart (see Bani Isra'il: 102), after repeatedly seeing miracles and promising to believe, he kept deceiving, until he was drowned in the sea.

Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

The exegesis of this verse has been done along with the previous verse.

Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

The tafsir of this ayah is included with the following verse(s).