What does Quran 20:20 mean?

Quran 20:20 (Surah Taa-Haa, Ayah 20) translates to: "So he threw it down, and thereupon it was a snake, moving swiftly."

Which Surah and Juz is Quran 20:20 from?

This ayah is from Surah Taa-Haa (Taa-Haa), the 20th surah of the Quran. It appears in Juz 16.

Are there hadiths related to Quran 20:20?

Yes — there are 5 hadiths related to this ayah from Sunan an-Nasa'i, Sunan Abu Dawud, Sahih al-Bukhari.

What tafsir is available for Quran 20:20?

Commentary on this ayah is available from Ibn Kathir, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Abbas, Al-Jalalayn — classical scholars of Quranic exegesis.

What topics does Quran 20:20 relate to?

This ayah connects to these Quranic topics: Miracles, Prophet Musa, Divine Signs, Prophethood, Tawhid.

Ayah 19

قَالَ أَلْقِهَا يَٰمُوسَىٰ...

20:20Taa-Haa

Ayah 21

قَالَ خُذْهَا وَلَا تَخَفْ ۖ سَنُعِيدُهَا سِيرَتَه...

فَأَلْقَىٰهَا فَإِذَا هِىَ حَيَّةٌۭ تَسْعَىٰ

Fa-alqaahaa fa -izaa hiya haiyatun tas'aa

So he threw it down, and thereupon it was a snake, moving swiftly.

Themes in this ayah

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Lessons from past peoples79

Scores run 0–100: how strongly this ayah speaks to a theme. 70+ is central, 50+ is clear, under 50 is weak.

1 other theme with a weak connection

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Lessons from past peoples

20:20Ayah 1135

43 ayahs in Taa-Haa are strongly about lessons from past peoples. This is one of them.

← Previous on Lessons from past peoples20:10When he saw a fire and said to his family, "Stay here; indeed, I have perceived a fire; perhaps I can bring you a torch or find at the fire some guidance."Next on Lessons from past peoples →20:38When We inspired to your mother what We inspired,

Tafsir

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View Full Tafsir: Al-Jalalayn on 20:20→

And he cast it down and lo! it was a serpent a giant snake moving swiftly moving about on its belly swiftly with the speed of a small snake — which is called al-jānn and which is also used to refer to this serpent in another verse Q. 2710; Q. 2831.

"We were with the Messenger of Allah in Al-Khaif, which is in Mina, when the following was revealed: 'By the winds sent forth one after another.' A snake came out, and the Messenger of Allah said: 'Kill it.' So they rushed to kill, but it went back into its hole."

Sunan Abu Dawud #5256Nafi said:

After that, that is, after Abu Lubabah had mentioned him this tradition, Ibn ‘Umar found a snake in his house; he commanded regarding it and it was driven away to al-Baqi'.

Sunan Abu Dawud #5263Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud:

Kill all the snakes except the little white one which looks like a silver wand. Abu Dawud said: A man said to me: A white snake does not wind in its movement. If it is correct, that is a sign in it, if Allah wills.

Sahih al-Bukhari #3172Narrated `Aisha:Sahih

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Kill the snake with two white lines on its back, for it blinds the on-looker and causes abortion."

Sahih Muslim #5690Asma' b. 'Ubaid reported about a person who was called as-Sa'ib having said:Sahih

We visited Abu Sa'id Khudri. When we had been sitting (with him) we heard a stir under his bed. When we looked we found a big snake, the rest of the hadith is the same. And in this Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) is reported to have said: Verily in these houses there live aged (snakes), so when you see one of them, make life hard for it for three days, and if it goes away (well and good), otherwise kill it for (in that case) it would be a nonbeliever. And he (the Holy Prophet) said (to his Companions): Go and bury your companion (who had died by the snake bite).