A Strange Interpretation of “He Said: It Is My Staff”

Question

The preacher Zayd, while delivering a sermon (wa‘z) and explaining the tafsir of the following verse: [ar]وَمَا تِلْكَ بِيَمِينِكَ يَـٰمُوسَىٰ قَالَ هِىَ عَصَاىَ أَتَوَكَّؤُا۟ عَلَيْهَا وَأَهُشُّ بِهَا عَلَىٰ غَنَمِى وَلِىَ فِيهَا مَـَٔارِبُ أُخْرَىٰ[/ar] “And what is that in your right hand, O Moses?’ He said, ‘It is my staff; I lean on it, and with it I bring down leaves for my sheep, and I have other uses for it’” (Surah Ta-Ha, 20:17–18)

Answer

Attributing to Allah, Exalted is He, something He did not say is a grave error and audacity — it is slander. This must never be done again. No one should preach at all without knowledge. However, if there is some reliable book by a trustworthy, truthful scholar, whose contents the preacher is able to convey and relate correctly, and the audience is able to hear and understand…

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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