Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 107

(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.