Al-Qur'an Surah Taha Verse 17

Mufti Taqi Usmani

And what is that in your right hand, O Mūsā?”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

˹Allah added,˺ “And what is that in your right hand, O  Moses?”

Ruwwad Translation Center

What is that in your right hand, O Moses?”

A. J. Arberry

What is that, Moses, thou hast in thy right hand?'

Abdul Haleem

‘Moses, what is that in your right hand?’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And what is that in thy right hand, O Musa!

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"And what is that in the right hand, O Moses?"

Abul Ala Maududi

And what is in your right hand, O Moses?"

Ahmed Ali

What is that in your right band, O Moses?"

Ahmed Raza Khan

“And what is this in your right hand, O Moosa?”

Ali Quli Qarai

‘Moses, what is that in your right hand?’

Ali Ünal

"What is that in your right hand, Moses?"

Amatul Rahman Omar

`Moses, What is that you have in your right hand?´

English Literal

And what (is) that at your right (hand) you, Moses?

Faridul Haque

"And what is this in your right hand, O Moosa?"

Hamid S. Aziz

"Let not then him who believes not therein and follows his lusts (prejudices, fantasies, superstitions) ever turn you away there from, lest you be ruined.

Hilali & Khan

"And what is that in your right hand, O Musa (Moses)?"

Maulana Mohammad Ali

So let not him, who believes not in it and follows his low desire, turn thee away from it, lest thou perish.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And what is this in your right hand, O Musa!

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And what is that in thy right hand, O Moses?

Muhammad Sarwar

The Lord asked, "Moses, what is in your right hand?"

Qaribullah & Darwish

What is that in your right hand, Moses'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

"And what is that in your right hand, O Musa"

Wahiduddin Khan

"What do you have in your right hand, Moses?"

Talal Itani

And what is that in your right-hand, O Moses?”

Tafsir jalalayn

And what is that, that happens to be, in your right hand, O Moses?' (the interrogative is meant as an affirmative, [but it is expressed as an interrogative] in order that the miracle [to be manifested] in it be [shown as] consequent upon it).

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Stick of Musa turned into a Snake

This was a proof from Allah for Musa and a great miracle. This was something that broke through the boundaries of what is considered normal, thus, it was a brilliant evidence that none but Allah could do. It was also a proof that no one could come with the likes of this (from mankind) except a Prophet who was sent (by Allah).

Concerning Allah's statement,

وَمَا تِلْكَ بِيَمِينِكَ يَا مُوسَى



And what is that in your right hand, O Musa!

Some of the scholars of Tafsir have said,

"He (Allah) only said this to him in order to draw his attention to it."

It has also been said,

"He only said this to him in order to affirm for him what was in his hand. In other words, that which is in your right hand is a stick that you are familiar with. You will see what We are about to do to it now."

وَمَا تِلْكَ بِيَمِينِكَ يَا مُوسَى


And what is that in your right hand, O Musa,

This is an interrogative phrase for the purpose of affirmation