What Is That in Your Right Hand?

In this wonderful conversation between the Creator and His servant Mūsā (peace be upon him), Mūsā is holding his stick — the stick he has lived with for a very long time. He knows his stick very well. Mūsā knows his stick very well. So Allah (swt) asks him about his stick:

What is that in your hand, O Mūsā — what is in your right hand? Allah (swt) wants him to say what he knows about his stick, because Allah wants to show him what he does not know. So Mūsā told Allah (swt), according to his knowledge, what he knew about this stick which he had owned for a very long time. He said: this is my stick, on which I lean, and with which I beat down branches for my sheep, and in which I find other uses. I use it to lean on when I need to climb. I use it to beat down branches and leaves to feed my sheep. And I also use it for other things.