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The Prophet Yusuf (peace be upon him) and his family settled in
Egypt. They were called the Israelites. Gradually they increased
in number and gained considerable power. These Israelites did
not intermingle with other native people. They remained isolated
and were considered as foreigners in Egypt.
Cruel Act of Pharaoh in respect of Israelites
At that time Egypt was ruled by the king Fir'aun (Pharaoh). He
was arrogant, tyrant and powerful. He thought himself to be god.
In their kingdom the people led miserable lives. They were
forced to work as slaves. They were chained and whipped if they
refused to work. The Israelites were looked down upon in that
society. They suffered badly due to destitution and indigence.
Some of them grew weak and died of starvation. When Pharaoh
noticed that the Israelites were increasing in number, he was
much alarmed. He held discussions with his counsellors on this
topic. They decided that Israelites should be snubbed. They
should not be allowed to become powerful and supreme in the
land. They planned to oppress and persecute them in different
ways. Pharaoh ordered that all male children born in the
families of the Israelites should be put to death. This
tyrannical act of Pharaoh against the Israelites has been
described in the following Verses of the Holy Qur'an:
"Surely Fir'aun exalted himself in the land and divided its
people into parties, oppressing one party from among them by
killing their sons and sparing their women. Surely he was one of
the mischief-makers." (28:3, 5)
When the people heard those terrible orders they were much
upset. The soldiers started complying with the orders of their
king. Whenever they got wind of the male baby born to any
family, they would yank him out of his mother's arms. They did
not care for the feelings of the crying mothers. They used to
throw the infants mercilessly into the river. It was an awful
act of cruelty but no one dared to disobey the orders of Pharaoh
because every one was much scared of him. Many innocent babies
were drowned in this way and numerous unfortunate parents
expressed lamentations over the death of their dear ones.
The Prophet Musa (Moses) Enclosed into Chest and Cast into the
River
In that era one of the Israelite woman gave birth to a male baby
who was: extremely beautiful. The
mother thought that the soldiers of Pharaoh would soon find him
out. They would throw him to the fish in the river. God revealed
to her to be patient and not to be frightened. She was
communicated the glad-tidings that her son would become an
Apostle. The newly born baby was named Musa (Moses). He was very
attractive. His mother fed and concealed him for a few months.
When she was unable to hide him any longer, God guided her
saying:
"And We revealed to Musa's mother saying: Give him suck. When
you fear for him, cast him into the river and do not fear nor
grieve, surely We will restore him to you and make him one of
the apostles." (28: 7)
The same direction is expressed in other Verses:
"Call to mind the occasion when We revealed to your mother: Put
him into the chest and cast it down into the river, then the
river shall throw him on the shore; then shall take him up to
one who is an enemy to Me and enemy to him and I cast down upon
you love From Me and that you may be brought up before My eyes."
(20:38-39)
When the Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) had attained the age
of a few months, his mother got made a very tight box. She put a
blanket in the box. She lifted her affectionate son and kissed
him again and again. She put him in the box with tears in her
eyes. Her heart was beating violently. She pushed the box into
the water when it was still dark. The box moved slowly on the
surface of the water. His sister watched the box at a distance
but the mother went back home wailing and sobbing. She was full
of anxiety due to the separation of her beloved baby.
The Prophet Musa's sister was hiding from place to place along
the shore of the river. She was constantly watching the box and
praying for the safety of her brother. The box went on moving
and gradually came near the shore. Some People were washing
their clothes at the shore. By chance they saw the box floating
slowly. They waded through the water and picked up the box. They
were greatly surprised to see a beautiful infant enclosed in the
box. He had a smiling countenance.
The Prophet Musa Grows up in Pharaoh's House
The people took the box to Pharaoh and his family. All of them
were full of excitement. The Prophet Musa's sister followed them
but no one recognised her. The wife of Pharaoh fell in love with
the baby. She decided to make him her own son:
"And Fir'aun's wife said: Joy of the eye to me and to you, do
not slay him, may be he will be useful to us or we may take him
for a son. But they knew not what they did.'' (28: 10)
The Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) became awfully hungry. He
began to cry out of hunger. The baby was handed over to a woman
who was appointed to nurse him. He did not take her breast and
kept on weeping. Every one was in a fix what to do. The sister
of Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) who was standing near
remarked: May I bring a woman whom the baby requires? She was
directed to go immediately and call her. She rushed towards her
house and informed her mother of the whole situation. She
requested her mother to accompany her to Pharaoh's house. The
Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) was still crying due to hunger.
The mother gave him her breast. He was much pleased and drank
milk to his heart's content. Pharaoh's wife requested the mother
of Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) to stay with them and nurse
him. The Holy Qur'an states:
"So We restored him to his mother that her eyes might be
refreshed and that she might not grieve and that she might know
that the promise of Allah is true but most of them do not know."
(28: 13)
The Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) was brought up in Pharaoh's
house like a prince. His mother was taking care of him and he
was the apple of her eye. The Prophet Musa (peace be upon him)
learnt a great deal about Pharaoh and his indecent ways of life.
He came to know about his cruel treatment towards Israelites.
Although he led a luxurious life yet deep inside his heart he
had pains.
An Egyptian is Killed by Prophet Musa
One day he saw an Israelite fighting hard with one of the men of
the King. They were shouting and hitting each other. The Prophet
Musa (peace be upon him) appeared on the scene. He tried to
pacify them. When he saw that the Egyptian was not going to
spare him in spite of several requests, he lifted up his stick
and hit the man of the King. The man became dizzy and fell to
the ground with a bang. The Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) and
his companions stepped forward to support the man but he was
limp like a rag. Soon after he passed away.
The Prophet Musa Repents
The Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) felt sorry for what had
happened. It was an accidental and not intentional act. One blow
of the stick is quite insufficient to cause the death of a
person. His head was twirling. He called his action as a devil's
doing who misled human beings. He realised his mistake and
prayed for Divine protection. The Holy Qur'an states:
"He found therein two men fighting, one being of his party and
the other of his foes and he who was of his party cried out to
him for help against him who was of his enemies. Musa struck him
with his fist and despatched him. He said: This is of the
devil's doing; surely he is an open enemy leading astray. He
said: My Lord: Surely l have done harm to myself, so, You should
protect me." (18: 18)
The Prophet Musa's Migration and Marriage
Soon the news of the murder of a man spread far and wide. The
people flew into a rage. They hatched a plan to kill the Prophet
Musa (peace be upon him). He became scared and was directed to
migrate to another place. The Holy Qur'an states:
"A man came running from the remotest part of the City. He said:
0' Musa Surely the Chiefs are consulting together to slay you.
Therefore, begone at once. Surely I counsel you as a friend."
(28:19)
The Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) packed up his luggage and
left Pharaoh's house in the pitch dark when every one was
enjoying a sound sleep. He reached Madian after a long tiresome
journey. He sat down to take rest near a watering place.
The Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) saw two young girls waiting
at a distance. Their sheep were standing near the spring for
drinking water. The Prophet Musa (peace he upon him) thought
that the girls needed some help. Although he was tired and
hungry yet he wished to help them. He went up to the girls and
asked if they needed help. The girls were modest and bashful.
They said that they were waiting so that the shepherds might go
away. The Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) drove the sheep to
the spring to drink water. It was a kind act of Prophet Musa
(peace be upon him). The girls expressed a deep sense of
gratitude for this favour. They took their sheep and proceeded
towards their house. The Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) went
back to rest. He became depressed and prayed to Almighty Allah
to help him. In the meanwhile two women came to him and said:
"My father invites you so that he may give you the reward of
your having watered for us." (28:24)
The Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) accompanied them. When be
entered the house, he introduced himself politely; Soon after he
dined with the members of the family. The Prophet Musa (peace be
upon him) was asked to stay with them. The time passed on
happily. One day the master of the house said:
"I desire to marry one of these two daughters of mine to you on
the condition that you should serve me for eight years but if
you complete ten, it will be of your own free will, and I do not
wish to be hard on you. If Allah pleases, you will find me one
of good. He said: This will be an agreement between you and me.
whichever of the two terms I fulfil, there shall be no wrong
doing to me and Allah is a witness of what we say." (28:27, 28)
According to the agreement Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) got
married to one of the girls of that family. He took care of the
farm and the sheep efficiently. The Prophet Musa (peace be upon
him) had been away from his family for many years. He missed his
kith and kin. One day he set out on a journey from Madian. His
family accompanied him.
The Call of Prophet Musa to Prophethood
The Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) crossed the sandy desert
and reached the mountain, Tur. He perceived a brilliant light
from a distance. The Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) thought
that to be fire land reached near it to warm himself. All of a
sudden a voice was-heard from the right side of the Valley. It
uttered:
"Surely. I am your Lord: so put off your shoes because you are
in the sacred Valley which is blessed twice I have chosen you;
so hearken to what shall be revealed: Verily, I am Allah, there
is no god but I, therefore serve-Me-and keep up prayers for My
remembrance." (10: 22)
The Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) was puzzled and scared. The
thing which looked like fire was not fire in the real sense of
the word but it was the reflection of the glory of God. It was a
moment of great honour for the Prophet Musa (peace be upon him).
Some Miracles of Prophet Musa
God commanded Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) to throw the
stick that was in his hand on the ground. He threw the stick in
compliance with the orders. To his surprise he saw the stick
moving like a long wiggling snake and it greatly scared him. He
thought that it was going to bite him. God directed the Prophet
Musa (peace be upon him) not to lose courage and pick up the
snake. He obeyed and caught hold of the terrible looking snake.
When he touched it, it was restored to its former shape. The
Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) was much amazed to see those
happenings.
Soon afterwards God ordered the Prophet Musa (peace be upon him)
to thrust his hand into his armpit. He did so. When he took out
his hand, it was shining white when he put his hand back into
his armpit and pulled it out it had been changed into its normal
position.
Allah, the Almighty made the Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) to
perform those miracles so that he might feel better and become
sure of the existence of Allah and His power. He was going to
derive benefits out of such miracles in future.
The Prophet Musa Settles in Egypt Again
Allah commanded the Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) to go to
Egypt to deliver the Israelites from Pharaoh and reform his
depraved people. The Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) was not
good at arguing. He had an impediment in his tongue to speak
freely. He sought permission from Allah to take his brother
Prophet Harun with him as an aider because he was an eloquent
speaker. The permission was immediately granted.
The Prophet Musa Argues with Pharaoh
The Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) settled with his family in
Egypt. They went to Pharaoh to argue with him. They conveyed him
the message of Allah but he made fun of them. He did not lose
heart and kept on preaching. The king and his people were not
convinced. Finally in desperation, the Prophet Musa (peace be
upon him) said: 0' King! Do you like me to show you that my
message is true? He replied in affirmative with an unbelieving
smile on his face. The Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) threw
his stick on the ground and it changed its shape as a terrible
looking snake. The people were wonder-struck and got scared of
it. When the Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) picked it up, it
became a stick again. Every one was much amazed. Then the
Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) put his hand in his armpit.
When he got it out, his hand was shining brilliantly. The Holy
Qur'an states:
"Then he threw down his staff and lo! it was an obvious serpent.
And he drew forth his hand and lo! it appeared white to the
beholders." (26:32)
The Prophet Musa Contests with Magicians
The Chiefs said that the Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) was an
enchanter. He intended to turn the minds of the people. Pharaoh
was much worried. He feared lest people should begin to follow
him. He fixed a special day for contest between the Prophet Musa
(peace be upon him) and other magicians. He sent collectors in
various parts of the country to bring enchanters to hold
competition and prevail upon the Prophet Musa (peace be upon
him). He promised to reward the winners.
On the appointed day thousands of people gathered there. There
was a great deal of excitement. Every one was eager to see the
performances of the magicians of the king and the miracles of
Prophet Musa (peace be upon him). First of all the royal
magicians threw their sticks. They moved and looked like snakes
from a distance. They deceived the eyes of the people and
frightened them. The people were much surprised. They
appreciated the magicians for their astonishing performances.
Soon after the Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) cast his stick.
The stick became a hungry serpent by the order of Allah. It
wiggled and moved like a dart. It devoured every moving stick
that the magician had thrown. The spectators were much
impressed. Some of the priests thought that such miracles could
be done only by the order of Allah. Most of the magicians drew
back humiliated and prostrated themselves adoring. They said: We
believe in the Lord of the Worlds; the Lord of Prophet Musa and
Prophet Harun (peace be upon them).
On seeing this state of affairs Pharaoh was much worried. He
became mad with rage because his men were inclined to follow the
Prophet Musa peace be upon him) and adopt his new religion. He
threatened them of dire consequences. He said:
"I shall certainly cut off your hands and your feet on opposite
side, then I will crucify you altogether. (7: 124)
Persecution of Prophet Musa slid his followers
Pharaoh and his men began to persecute the followers of Prophet
Musa (peace be upon him). The Israelites remained patient. They
began to worship and glorify God in their homes. They kept
praying to God. They said:
"O' Our Lord! Make us not subject to persecution of the unjust
people, and deliver us by Your mercy from the unbelieving
people." (20: 86)
When the Israelites were under the burden of hardships and
sufferings, Allah ordered the Prophet Musa (peace be upon him)
to leave the area with his followers. He promised to save them.
In compliance with the Commandment of Allah the Prophet Musa
(peace be upon him) directed his people to migrate secretly to
another place.
The Prophet Musa Leaves Egypt
When it was dark, a scanty band of the Israelites left Egypt.
They took all precautionary measures to escape from the
eye-sight of the guards. They moved as fast as they could with
firm conviction that they would he saved by Allah. Next day the
residence of the Israelites were found desolate and without
hustle and bustle. Pharaoh was informed. He lost his temper and
sent heralds to chase the absconders. He wanted to take revenge
of his disgrace. He ordered his soldiers to arrest the
Israelites and bring them back. When the followers of Prophet
Musa (peace be upon him) were near the sea-shore, they heard the
sound of the hoofs of their horses. They were much frightened.
They thought that they would be overtaken and punished by the
enemies.
The Sea Splits and Pharaoh is Drowned
When the Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) and his followers were
being chased Allah revealed this order to him:
"Strike the sea with the rod; and it clove asunder and each part
become like a large mountain." (26: 60)
The water of the sea went up high with the great uproar. The
bottom of the sea turned into dry land. It was an amazing
miracle. The people could hardly believe their eyes. The
Israelites ran desperately and went far ahead. Pharaoh and his
huge army chased them in hostility. There was a great uproar
again. The water from both the sides poured. It rushed over
Pharaoh and his soldiers. They were completely drowned. The Holy
Qur'an relates this incident in the following Verses:
"And We made the children of Israel to pass through the sea,
then Fir'aun and his hosts followed them in hostility and for
oppression until when drowning overtook him, he said: I believe
that there is no god but He in Whom the children of Israel
believe and I am of those who submit. What now! said God, and
indeed you have been rebellious and was of the mischief makers.
But this day We save you in your body so that you may be a sign
to those after you and most surely most people are heedless of
Our Signs". (20:90-92)
The body of Fir'aun is still present in the Egyptian Museum as
an admonitory sign to those who are transgressors.
When Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) and thousands of his
followers got rid of Pharaoh, they expressed a deep sense of
gratitude to Allah. They had witnessed an impressive miracle.
Now they were free to live according to the teachings of Allah.
The Prophet Musa Receives Instructions
Allah commanded Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) to go to a
certain mountain for austerity. He had to stay there for forty
days. During this period Allah, the Almighty gave a lot of
religious knowledge to Prophet Musa (peace be upon him). He gave
him the tablets which contained ten Commandments. One day he
(Musa) said:
"My Lord! Show me Thyself so that I may look upon Thee. He
said': you cannot bear to see Me but look at the mountain, if it
remains firm in its place, then you will see Me. When his Lord
manifested His glory to the mountain He made it crumble and Musa
fell down in swoon. When he recovered, he said: Glory be to You:
I turn to You and! am the first of believers". (7:142)
At the end of the appointed time Prophet Musa (peace be upon
him) went to his people to tell them about the revelations which
he had received.
Israelites Worship the Calf
The Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) was much grieved to know
that his followers had become addicted to praying to the cow
instead of Allah. Whenever his brother Prophet Harun (peace be
upon him) forbade them to do so, they made fun of him. Sometimes
they tortured him. The Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) tried
hard to uproot this form of idolatry from the hearts of the
Israelites. Some men who had gone astray, repented but most of
them insisted on worshipping a cow. The Prophet Musa (peace be
upon him) said to his people:
"Surely, Allah commands you that you should sacrifice a cow."
(2: 71)
Most of them did so hesitatingly but the others refused. The
Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) kept on conveying the people
the new message of God.
Another Miracle
One season came there was hardly any rain. It overtook the
people with draughts and diminution of fruit. There was an acute
shortage of water and food. The people began to die of
starvation. The Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) prayed to Allah
and He provided them with eatables. Water was not available in
the area. They approached Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) for
help. He prayed to Allah for a miracle. Allah directed the
Prophet to hit a special high cliff with his stick. The Prophet
Musa (peace be upon him) touched the cliff saying: By the name
of our Lord, Almighty Allah. At once the water gushed forth.
There were twelve places in that cliff from which sprang out
cool clear water. The people were much amazed at the sight of
this wonderful miracle. The Holy Qur'an states:
"And when Musa prayed for drink for his people, We said: Smite
with your staff the rock, and there gushed out therefrom twelve
springs so that each tribe knew their drinking place: Eat and
drink of that which Allah has provided and do not act corruptly
making mischief in the earth." (2: 60)
The Israelites were of twelve branches each a descendant of a
son of Prophet Ya'qub (peace be upon him). So each branch came
to drink from one of the springs of water from that cliff. The
people drank water to their hearts content. They do not have to
shove and push for the water because Allah gave them twelve
springs.
Israelites Win Victory and Prosper
After staying in the desert for some time Prophet Musa (peace be
upon him) planned to proceed towards the blessed land,
Palestine. The Prophet Musa ( peace be upon him) sent twelve men
in advance to go and had a bird's eye view of the blessed land.
They came back after many days. They told him that there were
fertile farms and green trees. There was plenty of water. It
made every one eager to go there. It was also reported that the
owners of the blessed land were strong and brave. They had
invincible armies. It was impossible to capture that land
without fighting. The Israelites were much terrified because
they were weak and armless. The Prophet Musa (peace be upon him)
and a small group of Israelites wished to fight tooth and nail
whereas most of them did not agree to fighting. Some of them
said to Prophet Musa (peace be upon him): You go with your God
and fight against them. We will stay here and wait.
As the years passed, they increased in number. They gained
strength gradually. They formed a small army of their own and
marched with faith in their hearts towards the rich blessed
land. They fought hard and became victorious in the battle. They
became the rulers of Palestine. The inhabitants of that land
lived with them in peace and harmony. Allah showered favours on
Israelites and they began to prosper wonderfull.
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