( فَأَلْقَىٰ عَصَاهُ) (So Moses threw his staff): In the Arabic text of the verse, the first letter is a proposition which indicates that something happened suddenly; he threw his staff directly. This act of throwing the staff was already practiced by Prophet Moses (PBUH) as mentioned in other verses, when Allah (swt) initially spoke to him and granted him reassurance at the time when Prophet Moses (PBUH) first began his journey with his family in the desert:

 ( 10 )   إِذْ رَأَىٰ نَارًا فَقَالَ لِأَهْلِهِ امْكُثُوا إِنِّي آنَسْتُ نَارًا لَّعَلِّي آتِيكُم مِّنْهَا بِقَبَسٍ أَوْ أَجِدُ عَلَى النَّارِ هُدًى ( 11 )   فَلَمَّا أَتَاهَا نُودِيَ يَا مُوسَىٰ ( 12 )   إِنِّي أَنَا رَبُّكَ فَاخْلَعْ نَعْلَيْكَ ۖ إِنَّكَ بِالْوَادِ الْمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى ( 13 )   وَأَنَا اخْتَرْتُكَ فَاسْتَمِعْ لِمَا يُوحَىٰ ( 14 )   إِنَّنِي أَنَا اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدْنِي وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِذِكْرِي ( 15 )   إِنَّ السَّاعَةَ آتِيَةٌ أَكَادُ أُخْفِيهَا لِتُجْزَىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا تَسْعَىٰ   ( 16 )   فَلَا يَصُدَّنَّكَ عَنْهَا مَن لَّا يُؤْمِنُ بِهَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ فَتَرْدَىٰ ( 17 )   وَمَا تِلْكَ بِيَمِينِكَ يَا مُوسَىٰ ( 18 )   قَالَ هِيَ عَصَايَ أَتَوَكَّأُ عَلَيْهَا وَأَهُشُّ بِهَا عَلَىٰ غَنَمِي وَلِيَ فِيهَا مَآرِبُ أُخْرَىٰ (19)   قَالَ أَلْقِهَا يَا مُوسَىٰ ( 20 )   فَأَلْقَاهَا فَإِذَا هِيَ حَيَّةٌ تَسْعَىٰ ( 21 )   قَالَ خُذْهَا وَلَا تَخَفْ ۖ سَنُعِيدُهَا سِيرَتَهَا الْأُولَىٰ 

(( 10 )   When 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.” ( 11 )   And when he came to it, he was called, “O Moses, ( 12 )   Indeed, I am your Lord, so remove your sandals. Indeed, you are in the sacred valley of Tuwa. ( 13 )   And I have chosen you, so listen to what is revealed [to you].( 14 )   Indeed, I am Allah. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me and establish prayer for My remembrance. ( 15 )   Indeed, the Hour is coming – I almost conceal it – so that every soul may be recompensed according to that for which it strives. ( 16 )   So do not let one avert you from it who does not believe in it and follows his desire, for you [then] would perish. ( 17 )   And what is that in your right hand, O Moses?” ( 18 )   He said, “It is my staff; I lean upon it, and I bring down leaves for my sheep and I have therein other uses.” ( 19 )   [Allah] said, “Throw it down, O Moses.” ( 20 )   So he threw it down, and thereupon it was a snake, moving swiftly. ( 21 )   [Allah] said, “Seize it and fear not; We will return it to its former condition.) (Taa-Haa)

This was the first training.

The scene shifted to inside the Pharao’s palace, where he told Prophet Moses (PBUH) to bring forth the miracle, so Prophet Moses (PBUH) immediately threw his staff and it obviously transformed into a serpent.

( وَنَزَعَ يَدَهُ ) (And he drew out his hand): It seems that the Prophet’s (PBUH) hand was in his pocket.

( فَإِذَا هِيَ بَيْضَاءُ لِلنَّاظِرِينَ ) (; thereupon it was white [with radiance] for the observers): It lit up as if it were a bright light. It is important to clarify a point in this verse concerning some claims made by the orientalists who attack the Holy Quran. They questioned how there are different descriptions for the staff of Prophet Moses (PBUH). One verse describes it as:

( فَأَلْقَىٰ عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ ثُعْبَانٌ مُّبِينٌ) (So Moses threw his staff, and suddenly it was a serpent, manifest).

In another verse, it says:

 وَأَلْقِ عَصَاكَ ۚ فَلَمَّا رَآهَا تَهْتَزُّ كَأَنَّهَا جَانٌّ

(And [he was told], “Throw down your staff.” But when he saw it writhing as if it were a snake) (An-Naml: 10)

While in a different verse, it is described as:

 فَأَلْقَاهَا فَإِذَا هِيَ حَيَّةٌ تَسْعَىٰ 

(So he threw it down, and thereupon it was a snake, moving swiftly) (Taa-Haa: 20)

Some think that there is a difference between a snake, a serpent, and a moving creature, but actually, there is no contradiction between them, this claim is delusional. The form that this staff took; once as a snake, and one time as a serpent, and another time as a long creature resembling a serpent or a snake moved as if it had a life of its own; these descriptions are complementary and not contradictory. When Prophet Moses (PBUH) cast his staff before the Pharao and his assembly and took his hand out before them, the Pharao immediately looked at his great advisors.