Overall meaning : The Almighty says: Mention to the people, Muhammad, the time when Moses said to his family, when he was journeying from Midian to Egypt on a cold, pitch-dark night, ‘I have seen a fire in the distance; I will bring you from there some information as to which way to go, or I will bring you a brand from it with which you may warm yourselves.’
When Moses came close to the fire, Allah Almighty called out to him, saying, ‘Blessed is the one who is close to the fire and blessed are those around it! Limitless in His glory is Allah, the lord of all the worlds, and infinitely exalted is He above all defects and imperfections! Moses, I am Allah. I alone am worthy of worship, the Almighty and the Invincible; the All-Wise in everything I do. Now, cast down your staff!’
He threw it down, and it turned into a huge serpent. When Moses saw it come alive, slithering so rapidly like a small snake, he turned and fled without ever going back to it. ‘Moses,’ We reassuringly said, ‘do not be afraid. Messengers have nothing to fear in My presence. Only those who wrong themselves by sinning should fear. If, however, they repent and do good after their evil deeds, then I will surely forgive them and have mercy on them, for I am All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.
‘Now put your hand, Moses, into the top opening of your garment, then take it out. It will come out shining white, yet unharmed, with no disease whatsoever, leprosy or otherwise. These are two of the nine signs with which We send you to Pharaoh and his people, for they are an unbelieving, rebellious people.’
When Our clear nine signs that testify to Moses’s truthfulness and the truth of his message came to Pharaoh and his people, they said, ‘This is clearly nothing but magic.’ They denied them in their wickedness and their pride although they were firmly convinced that they were from Allah. See, then, Muhammad, what happened in the end to these evildoers who spread corruption in the land because of their stubborn unbelief and disobedience: We utterly destroyed them all.