What is meant by "other purposes" in the verse: "And what is that in your right hand, O Moses? He said: 'It is my staff; I lean upon it, and I beat down [leaves] for my sheep with it, and I have other purposes in it'"?

The "other needs" (ma'arib ukhra) mentioned in the noble verse refer to necessities. Al-Shawkani, in Fath al-Qadir, enumerated various uses for the staff, including: its use in prayer, counting things, driving animals, leaning on it for support during travel and walking, crossing rivers, preventing falls, placing clothes on it for protection from heat and cold, bringing distant objects closer, carrying a food bag (sufra) and a water skin (idawa), using it for striking and knocking on doors, warding off dogs, and serving as a substitute for a spear or sword in combat.