The Quran

Preface

وَأَلقِ عَصاكَ ۚ فَلَمّا رَآها تَهتَزُّ كَأَنَّها جانٌّ وَلّىٰ مُدبِرًا وَلَم يُعَقِّب ۚ يا موسىٰ لا تَخَف إِنّي لا يَخافُ لَدَيَّ المُرسَلونَ

Yusuf Ali

“Now do thou throw thy rod!”¹ But when he saw it moving (of its own accord)as if it had been a snake, he turned back in retreat, and retraced not his steps: “O Moses!” (it was said), “Fear not: truly, in My presence, those called as messengers have no fear,-²

Moses was now transported into an entirely new world. What he had taken to be an ordinary fire was a dream of the spiritual world-rays from the angels of light. The desert in which he had been was the lower life stripped of its ornaments, leading to the divine light of Sinai. Through that Light he heard the Voice of the Source of Wisdom and Power. His own rod or staff was no longer the dead piece of wood that had hitherto supported him. It became instinct with life, a life that moved, and had the power of offence and defence in it, as all living Good must have in its fight with Evil. His own transformation is described in the next note.
In this great, new, wonderful world, that was opening out to Moses, he had to get his vision adjusted to his new surroundings, as an ordinary man has to adjust his sight before he can see into any very strong light that is new to him. The staff which had become alive as a snake frightened him: yet it was to be his own instrument of work in his new mission. All fear was to be cast out of his mind, as befitted a man chosen by God.