Musa tll:JI 9″ were by virtue of this holy staff. These miracles have
been mentioned by the Holy Quran under different topics repeatedly. The history of this holy staff is very ancient and it comprises of hundreds of historical events that impart thousands of moral lessons. Those who possess the spiritual insight can avail the light of guidance from these events. The staff was as tall as Sayyiduna Musa rll.!J1 4,, i.e. ten arms-length [approx. 15ft]. Its head was split into two branches that would emit the light at night like a lamp. It was made from the heavenly tree of Salvadora Persica [Peelu] and Sayyiduna Aadam rll.!J1 4 had brought it with him from the Paradise.
The excellence of the blessed staff has been mentioned by Sayyid ‘Ali Ujhoori 4,, J #ii i;.;.j in his couplets:
واٰدَمُ مَعَہٗ اُنْزِلَ الْعُوْدُ وَالْعَصَا
لِمُوْسٰی مِنَ الْاٰسِ النَّبَاتِ الْمُکَرَّمِ
وَ اَوْرَاقُ تِیْنٍ وَّالْیَمِیْنُ بِمَکَّۃَ
وَ خَتْمُ سُلَیْمٰنَ النَّبِیِّ اَلمُعَظَّم
Translation: Five things descended from the Paradise with Sayyiduna Aadam rll:.J1 4,,_. ‘Oud (the fragrant wood), the blessed staff ofSayyiduna Musa rll.!J14″ which was made up of the great wood of Salvadora Persica [Peelu], the leaves of the fig-tree, Hajar-ulAswad present in Makkah Mu’ azzamah and the holy ring of the Blessed Nabi
Sulayman rll.!J1 4″.
(Iafseer As-Saawi, vol. 1, pp. 69; Al-Baqarah, Ayah 60)
After Sayyiduna Aadam rll:.J1 4″, the holy staff was passed on as a prophetic heritage to several distinguished Ambiya rll:.J1j i>p1 ” one after the other. Then finally, it reached Sayyiduna Shu’ayb rll:.J1 4″, who was a Nabi sent to the people of Madyan. When Sayyiduna Musa rll.!J1 4″ migrated from Egypt to Madyan, Sayyiduna Shu’ayb rll:.J1 4,,
got his daughter, Sayyidatuna Safoora J 1 e,..;,j married with Sayyiduna Musa rll:.J1 4″. Sayyiduna Musa rll:.J1 4,, served Sayyiduna Shu’ayb rll:.J1 4″ for ten years. He rll.!J1 4″ would herd the goats of Sayyiduna Shu’ayb rll.!J1 4 during that period. At that time, upon receiving the command of Allah J;j, Sayyiduna Shu’ayb rll.!J14″ gave the holy staff to Sayyiduna Musa rll.!J14″.
When Sayyiduna Musa tll!J1 ,, left Madyan for his homeland [Egypt] with his blessed wife and reached in the sacred valley of ‘Tuwa’, Allah .k,_; blessed him with the glimpse of His Divine Light and raised his rank by bestowing him with the Prophethood. The Holy Quran describes how Allah .k,_; addressed Sayyiduna Musa tll!J1 4,, at that time in the following words:
وَمَا تِلْکَ بِیَمِیۡنِکَ یٰمُوۡسٰی ﴿17﴾قَالَ ہِیَ عَصَایَ ۚ اَتَوَکَّؤُا عَلَیۡہَا وَ اَہُشُّ بِہَا عَلٰی غَنَمِیۡ وَلِیَ فِیۡہَا مَاٰرِبُ اُخْرٰی ﴿18﴾
‘And what is this which you have in your right hand, 0 Musa?’ He submitted, ‘This is my staff; I lean on it, and I knock down leaves for my goats with it, and there are other tasks of mine in it.’
[Kanz-ul-Iman (Translation ofQuran)] (Part 16, Surah Taahaa, Ayah 17-18)
In the context of مَاٰرِبُ اُخْرٰی. other tasks that were accomplished through
that staff; Sayyiduna I Allamah Abul Barakaat I Abdullah Bin Ahmad Nasafi 4,, Jl,li 1 j has mentioned following things in Tafseer of this part of the Quranic Ayah:
l. Holding it and walking taking its support.
2. Talking to it as a pastime.
3. The staff becoming a tree and providing shade during the daytime.
4. In the night time, the two forked branches of the staff would glow and provide light.
5. Using it as a protection against enemies, wild beasts, snakes and scorpions.
6. At the time of drawing out water from a well, the staff would turn into a rope and its two forked branches would turn into a bucket.
7. As and when required the staff would turn into a tree and would bear desired fruits.
8. Water would emerge upon inserting the staff into the ground etc.
(Madarik-ut-Tanzeel, vol. 3, pp. 251; part 16, Surah Taahaa, Ayah 18)
Sayyiduna Musa tll!J1 used to perform the above-mentioned things with the holy staff. When Sayyiduna Musa tll!J1 went to the court of pharaoh to guide him towards the right path, pharaoh denied Sayyiduna Musa tll!JI 9″ and blamed him to be a magician. Thereafter wonderful miracles were exhibited through the blessed staff. The Holy Quran has mentioned three of those miracles repeatedly:
