Surah Al-Araf, Verse 107 and 108

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*Surah Al-Araf, Verse 107:*

فَأَلْقَىٰ عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ ثُعْبَانٌ مُّبِينٌ

Then [Musa (Moses)] threw his stick and behold! it was a serpent, manifest!

#COMMENTARY

The serpent played a large part in Egyptian mythology. The great sun-god Ra won a great victory over the serpent Apophis, typifying the victory of light over darkness. Many of their gods and goddesses took the forms of snakes to impressed their foes with terror. Moses's rod as a type of a serpent at once appealed to the Egyptians mentality. The contempt which the Egyptians had entertained in their minds before was converted into terror. Here was some one who could control the reptile which their great god Ra himself had such difficulty in overcoming!

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*Surah Al-Araf, Verse 108:*

وَنَزَعَ يَدَهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ بَيْضَاءُ لِلنَّاظِرِينَ

And he drew out his hand, and behold! it was white (with radiance) for the beholders.

#COMMENTARY

But the second Sign displayed by Moses was even more puzzling to the Egyptians. Moses drew out his hand from the folds of the garments on his breast, and it was white and shining as with divine light! This was to counter any suggestions of evil, which the serpent might have created. This was no work of evil, -of black magic, or a trick or illusion. His hand was transfigured-with a light which no Egyptians sorcerers could produce. In Islamic literature the *white hand"* of Moses has passed away into a proverb, for a symbol of divine glory dazzling to the beholders.