# Why did Moses carry a staff?

*Moses' staff in Surah Taha and the culture of the Pharaohs*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/gdlcbtkyhgm/s/4/
- Date: 2019-12-29 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Who is Uzair in the Quran? Ezra or Osiris? | Mufti Abu Layth (14:29–19:24)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdlCbTkYHgM&t=869s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/gdlcbtkyhgm/

**Topics:** Moses; Contested verses; The ancient Near East and scripture

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Mufti Abu Layth says Moses' staff partly reflects the Pharaonic culture he grew up in, and that keeping cultural practices is fine without affiliating with paganism.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says he thinks part of Moses' staff was the culture of the Pharaohs he grew up in, where the pine-cone staff symbolised Osiris.

**Evidence, his words at 15:45:** “I actually think part of this stick thing was the culture in which Moses grew up with the Pharaohs see the Pharaohs this stick and especially the pine cone staff was symbolic of Osiris” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdlCbTkYHgM&t=945s)

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth, saying many may disagree with this interpretation, reads Surah Taha 20:17-18, where Allah asks Moses what is in his right hand and Moses replies that it is his staff, on which he leans, with which he tends his sheep, and for which he has other uses. Mufti says the usual explanation is that Moses was a shepherd, but he thinks the staff partly reflects the Pharaonic culture Moses grew up in, where the pine-cone staff symbolised Osiris. Mufti feels Moses recognised this and so justified having the staff instead of simply naming it. Mufti says this shows there is no harm in keeping aspects of a culture, even pagan ones, as long as one does not affiliate with the paganism. Mufti concludes that Uzair in 9:30 being Osiris makes far more sense to him than the forced fit of Ezra.

## Sources and names cited

- Quran 20:17-18: https://quran.com/20/17-18
- Quran 9:30: https://quran.com/9/30
- Musa (Moses)
- Osiris
- Ezra

## Transcript (machine tier, 14:29–19:24)

[13:53] the time in their language so hence were are literally a hoot or zero nip number so the early Jews had said that about Osiris and speaking on how much this culture of Osiris was embedded in Egyptian surroundings and Egyptian understanding is I speaking of the staff thing this the stick I want to take our attention to I know many people may disagree with me on this interpretation yeah but I want to take our attention to

[14:29] surah taha yeah so you've got verse 17 yeah Allah addresses Moses and he says what man till capya me Makia what is that that you hold in your right hand [Laughter] you see now this verse is incredibly interesting why because what does moosa aleihsalaam respond with you see he says all I hear are sunny aasaiya he said that this is my staff my stick that a

[15:08] Tabaco i Lee had that I you know I lean on it and what a host should be allowed under me and I use it when I'm you know seeing to my attending to my flock of sheep I will kind of use this stick and wall efe have Mahara and he says and I have other needs with this sticker so why do you think that you see the general understanding is that Moses why did he have this staff oh because he was a shepherd fair enough

[15:45] I actually think part of this stick thing was the culture in which Moses grew up with the Pharaohs see the Pharaohs this stick and especially the pine cone staff was symbolic of Osiris that Osiris this thing this is nice that this is what he had and hence the Pharaohs all had it this kind of staff and Moses Elise and I'm grew up in that culture that this was the the power thing this was the slick thing this was the awesome thing to do to have a kind

[16:21] of a stick like that and in some ways I feel that that's what Allah kind of just highlights not to criticize but to show that look that kind of connection and in these verses I feel Moses recognizes that and hence he doesn't answer it like that he says because Allah says it warmer tilaka be a meaning I am Muslim and what is that by the way in your right hand Carla here are saya he says it's my stick he could just stop thee he goes on

[17:00] to justify why he has he to what Co Ali you know I mean on it how should be how I live under me I tend to my flock with it wali Fe inaudible ha you know and I've got other needs in his collar LT I am you know crappie and and then it appears to move now you see to me this verse demonstrates one the the kind of culture of the of the Pharaohs in which Moses grew

[17:40] and he also shows on other coming back to a question we're looking at earlier on that there is no harm in having certain aspects of a culture so long as you don't really see that even if they were pagan istic but you don't see or affiliate to that paganism there's nothing wrong with that and to me this verse about Musa Allison is speaking about that so that you see with this in mind it makes perfect sense that yahood is the early Israelites and you can see when they leave Egypt in the Quran them

[18:18] saying to Moses halana ila and Kamala Omaha you know they see these people worshiping statue they still have that sentiment it's still very fresh and Osiris would have been a very powerful figure so for the early Jews to think that he was a kind of he had an element of divinity to him just in the way that some if a Hindu was to convert to Islam but would still maybe hold that kind of position for arm it that makes a lot more sense to me that in this verse of

[18:56] the Quran Jose is Osiris so I wanted to share that with you guys because a few people had asked me and although I had initially mentioned the Israel thing I was not too content with it myself I felt they didn't really fit nicely that it was kind of like a forced fit and this actually seems to make a lot of sense so I hope that's of some help people cool let's move on to some other questions

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment GdlCbTkYHgM/s/4. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/gdlcbtkyhgm/s/4/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.