Then they asked the twentieth question: “Tell us about the staff of Moses, O Muhammad, where did it come from and what did it look like?”
The Pride of Creation, Muhammad Mustafa (ﷺ) replied:”The staff of Moses originated in paradise, and its top end was forked. The Prophet Adam (ع) had cut it from one of the trees in paradise. When he was expelled from the gardens, he brought with him three things: one was the staff of Moses, the other was the signet-ring of Solomon, and the third were two leaves from the trees of paradise which he and Eve used to cover their nakedness. “… and they took to stitching upon themselves leaves of the Garden.” [Surat al-Anbiya, 20:19]
When Adam (ع) came down to the earth one of the leaves of paradise was eaten by four animals. After eating the leaf, these four animals each manifested very remarkable properties: one of them was the musk deer which inhabits the province of Hatay; another was the whale from whom ambergris is obtained; the third part was eaten by the silk worm which spins pure silk, and the fourth part was eaten by the bee which produces honey and wax. All of these substances are for us reminders of paradise.
The other leaf was distributed throughout the world, and from it sprang all the loveliness on the earth, all the sweet-scented flowers and useful healing herbs – this came from the gift of the second leaf of paradise.
The secret of King Solomon’s power over all creatures, including the winds and the unseen beings, lay in the seal of the ring which had come to him from our father Adam (ع), from paradise.
The third gift from paradise was the staff of Moses. This stick Adam kept with him as long as he lived in the world. Then it was passed down to his sons until it finally came to Shu`ayb (ع) (Jethro). Moses came to stay with Shu’ayb after he had fled from Egypt, and he was shepherding Shu’ayb’s flock. Shu’ayb had given him his staff and said to him: “Do not go near the valley of Zinhar. There lives a mighty dragon who will do harm to you and your flock. Whoever has gone to that valley has not returned.” Moses looked after Shu’ayb’s sheep. One day it happened that the sheep took the road towards that valley and nothing that Moses (ع) could do dissuaded them from going that way. All he could do was to follow his sheep. They went straight to that valley of Zinhar and began pasturing there. The Lord sent upon Moses an irresistible drowsiness and he fell into a deep sleep, with his staff by his side. Meanwhile, the frightful dragon awoke and came out of his hole. He saw Moses and the flock and prepared to attack them. By the leave of Allah Almighty, that staff came alive and turned into a very huge dragon that fought the dragon of Zinhar and defeated him. After this, it returned to its former shape and lay down at Moses’s side. When Moses awoke, he saw his sheep peacefully grazing but his staff was covered with blood, and when he looked about him, he saw bits and pieces of the dragon’s body scattered about; signs that a fierce battle had been waged. Moses thanked his Lord from the bottom of his heart, and upon his safe return with his flock, he informed Shu’ayb and all his family of what had happened. Everyone went out to see the slain dragon, and they saw that Moses had told the truth, so they thanked the Lord and brought sacrifices. Now Moses knew about the miraculous powers of his staff. Whenever Moses felt hungry, he just planted his stick in the ground, and in an instant it became a tree on which hung many tasty kinds of foods. When he felt thirsty, he struck his staff against a rock and from it would gush a spring for him to drink from. If he came to a well, the water level of which was too low to reach, he would let down his stick and the water would rise to the top of the well. When he grew tired, he would mount his staff like a horse and ride it; if he was travelling by night, the staff would light up his way for him like a lantern. When he came to a great expanse of water, a river or lake, the staff would become as a bridge for him to cross. When he fell asleep, the wonderful staff would perform guard duty for him … and its miracles were very many. For a long time Moses shepherded Shuayb’s sheep. Then one day he received the revelation from his Lord to go to Egypt and to call Pharaoh to the true religion. Moses took leave of Shu’ayb and set out on his way to Egypt. He arrived in Egypt and knocked with his staff on Pharaoh’s gate, and the palace was shaken as if by an earthquake and its roof cracked open.”
Then they asked the twentieth question: “Tell us about the staff of Moses, O Muhammad, where did it come from and what did it look like?”
The Pride of Creation, Muhammad Mustafa (ﷺ) replied:”The staff of Moses originated in paradise, and its top end was forked. The Prophet Adam (ع) had cut it from one of the trees in paradise. When he was expelled from the gardens, he brought with him three things: one was the staff of Moses, the other was the signet-ring of Solomon, and the third were two leaves from the trees of paradise which he and Eve used to cover their nakedness. ‘… and they took to stitching upon themselves leaves of the Garden.’ [20:19]
When Adam (ع) came down to the earth one of the leaves of paradise was eaten by four animals. After eating the leaf, these four animals each manifested very remarkable properties: one of them was the musk deer which inhabits the province of Hatay; another was the whale from whom ambergris is obtained; the third part was eaten by the silk worm which spins pure silk, and the fourth part was eaten by the bee which produces honey and wax. All of these substances are for us reminders of paradise.
The other leaf was distributed throughout the world, and from it sprang all the loveliness on the earth, all the sweet-scented flowers and useful healing herbs – this came from the gift of the second leaf of paradise.
The secret of King Solomon’s power over all creatures, including the winds and the unseen beings, lay in the seal of the ring which had come to him from our father Adam (ع), from Paradise.
The third gift from paradise was the staff of Moses. This stick Adam kept with him as long as he lived in the world. Then it was passed down to his sons until it finally came to Shu’ayb (Jethro). Moses came to stay with Shu’ayb after he had fled from Egypt, and he was shepherding Shu`ayb’s flock. Shu’ayb had given him his staff and said to him: ‘Do not go near the valley of Zinhar. There lives a mighty dragon who will do harm to you and your flock. Whoever has gone to that valley has not returned.’ Moses looked after Shu`ayb’s sheep. One day it happened that the sheep took the road towards that valley and nothing that Moses (ع) could do dissuaded them from going that way. All he could do was to follow his sheep. They went straight to that valley of Zinhar and began pasturing there. The Lord sent upon Moses an irresistible drowsiness and he fell into a deep sleep, with his staff by his side.
Meanwhile, the frightful dragon awoke and came out of his hole. He saw Moses and the flock and prepared to attack them. By the leave of Allah Almighty, that staff came alive and turned into a very huge dragon that fought the dragon of Zinhar and defeated him. After this, it returned to its former shape and lay down at Moses’s side. When Moses awoke, he saw his sheep peacefully grazing but his staff was covered with blood, and when he looked about him, he saw bits and pieces of the dragon’s body scattered about; signs that a fierce battle had been waged. Moses thanked his Lord from the bottom of his heart, and upon his safe return with his flock, he informed Shu’ayb and all his family of what had happened. Everyone went out to see the slain dragon, and they saw that Moses had told the truth, so they thanked the Lord and brought sacrifices. Now Moses knew about the miraculous powers of his staff.
Whenever Moses felt hungry, he just planted his stick in the ground, and in an instant it became a tree on which hung many tasty kinds of foods. When he felt thirsty, he struck his staff against a rock and from it would gush a spring for him to drink from. If he came to a well, the water level of which was too low to reach, he would let down his stick and the water would rise to the top of the well. When he grew tired, he would mount his staff like a horse and ride it; if he was travelling by night, the staff would light up his way for him like a lantern. When he came to a great expanse of water, a river or lake, the staff would become as a bridge for him to cross. When he fell asleep, the wonderful staff would perform guard duty for him … and its miracles were very many.
For a long time Moses shepherded Shu`ayb’s (ع) sheep. Then one day he received the revelation from his Lord to go to Egypt and to call Pharaoh to the true religion. Moses took leave of Shu’ayb and set out on his way to Egypt. He arrived in Egypt and knocked with his staff on Pharaoh’s gate, and the palace was shaken as if by an earthquake and its roof cracked open.”
