May 15th: Prophet Musa (part3)

Prophet Musa (part 3)


Israelites after destruction of Pharaoh:
- Aya: “So We took Our vengeance on them and drowned them in the sea, because they had disbelieved in Our signs, and were heedless of them. And we gave heritage to those who had been abased, the eastern and the western parts of that land that We had blessed, and perfectly fulfilled the most fair Word of your Lord upon the Children of Israel, due to what they endured patiently: and We destroyed completely the works of Pharaoh and his people and what they had constructed. And We crossed the Children of Israel through the sea, and then they came upon a people devoted to their idols. They said: ‘O Moses! Make for us a god like the gods they have’. He said: ‘You are surely most ignorant people’” (7:136-138)
- Aya: “Surely, that which they are engaged upon shall be shattered, and false is that they have been doing. He said: ‘How can I seek for you a god other than Allah. Who has preferred you above the worlds?’ And when We rescued you from the people of Pharaoh, who afflicted you with the worst torment, slaughtering your sons, and sparing your women, and in this was a great test from your Lord” (7:139-141)
- Allah saved Bani Israel from the biggest tyrant that every existed.
- They saw the miracle of Allah infront of their own eyes: the sea split, Pharaoh and his army drowning, how Allah delivered them to safety.
- What was the first thing after they reached to safety?
- They found a group of people worshipping idols and wanted to imitate them.
- It was only part of Bani Israel who made this request, not all of them.
- This was clearly an ignorant demand after they had just seen Allah’s great signs.
- Bani Israel believed in Allah. But when they saw what the other people were doing they wanted to copy them.
- They thought that the idols would bring them closer to Allah.
- This action was an act of kufr.
- Musa excused them with their ignorance, he didn’t call them kuffar. He taught them.
- He told them that those people are in ignorance and what their doing is an act that they will be punished for.
- He reminded them of the favors of Allah upon them.
- He explained to them that no worship should be offered to anyone but Allah, without associating any partner with Him.

After this incident, Musa and Bani Israel travel in the direction of Jerusalem:
- When they reached Jerusalem, which was ruled by non-believers. Musa commanded them to attack those people so they can have the land that Allah has promised them.
- Aya: “And when Musa said to his people: ‘O my people! Remember Allah’s blessing upon you when He appointed Prophets from among you, and appointed you kings, and gave you such as He had never given to any of the worlds. O my people! Enter the sacred land, which Allah has prescribed for you, and do not turn back or you will become losers.’” (5:20-21)
- Retreating from the battle field is one of the biggest sins. Bani Israel didn’t retreat… they didn’t even want to fight.
- They refused to fight them, and disobeyed Allah’s command.
- Aya: “They said: ‘O Musa! Surely, there is a people of exceeding strength in that land, never shall we enter it until they depart from it, so if they depart from it, then shall we enter” (5:22)
- They said, those people are powerful and strong so we’re not going to enter it until they leave.
- How did they expect those powerful and strong people to leave without them fighting them first?
- They didn’t want to sacrifice or put in any effort.
- There was still some good amongst them so two men from them said:
- Aya: “Two men of those who feared Allah, whom Allah had blessed said: ‘March on them through the gate, so if you enter it, surely, you will have the upper hand, and put all your trust in Allah, if you are believers’”
- These two men told them, all you need to do is enter the gate. Was this another miracle that would happen? Allah knows best. But this was the advice they gave.
- Allah described these two men to have fear of Him. You cannot conquer the enemy if you are not afraid of Allah first not the enemy.
- Aya: “They said: ‘O Musa! We shall never enter it as long as they are there, so go you and your Lord and fight, surely we will be sitting here’.”
- They showed cowardice. They were afraid of those people when they just saw how Allah freed them from Pharaoh who was more powerful!
- When the Prophet (pbuh) asked the companions if they should fight in the battle of Badr, the companions said: “We are not going to say what Bani Israel said to Musa, we are going to say: Go and fight with your Lord we will be there fighting with you”
- This was a grim moment for Prophet Musa, he raised his hands and said:
- Aya: “Musa said: ‘My Lord! I control no one except myself and my brother, so separate us from these wicked people.’”
- Allah punished them.
- Aya: “Allah said: ‘So it shall be forbidden to them for 40 years, while they shall be wandering about in destitution in the land, so grieve not for those wicked people’”
- As a punishment Allah left them in wandering for 40 years in the desert (Sinai) with no destination, in a total state of bewilderment. They were lost in the desrt.

- Even though Bani Israel were being punished by their wandering in the desert. He is so merciful and he was answering their dua.
- He gave them food and shade.
- Aya: “And We shaded you with cloud and sent down on you [Al-Mann] and [Assalwa]”
- Mann is a kind of sweet or honey, salwa is a kind of bird.
- They needed water, so Musa made dua for them
- Aya: “And Musa prayed for water for his people, so We said: ‘Strike the rock with your staff’, whereupon twelve springs gushed forth, each tribe knew its own spring. ‘Eat and drink of Allah sustenance, and do not act wickedly, corrupting the earth’”
- So Allah gave them, food, shade and water.
- They went again to Musa and asked him to make dua, they said:
- Aya: “O Musa! We cannot bear one kind of food, so pray to your Lord for us to produce of that which the earth grows its herbs, cucumbers, garlic, lentils and onions’”
- Allah provided them with mann and salwa, special good. Yet they were still not pleased.
- They asked for lentils, onions, garlics, and herbs. They wanted vegetarian food, even though Allah blessed them with special meat.
- The issue here is not the particular type of food that they were asking for, the issue here is that they refused to sacrifice.. and now they’re not even willing to give up the type of food that they grew up with. The food they asked for was the food that they were used to eating in Egypt.
- Aya: “He (Musa) said: ‘Will you exchange the better for the worse? Go down to Egypt and you will find what you demand’. And disgrace and humiliation were stamped upon them, and they drew on themselves the Wrath of Allah. That is beccause they went on rejecting the Signs of Allah”
- Musa refused to fulfill their demans, he told them, go back to Egypt then… go back to your life of humility and disgrace.
- They weren’t willing to do anything for Allah’s sake. Not even sacrifice the type of food they liked.
- How about us? Do we give up the things we like for Allah’s sake? Do we break our habits for Allah’s sake?


Allah wanted to meet with prophet Musa and he gave him an appointment to meet after 30 days next to the mountain of Tur
- Aya: “And We appointed for Musa 30 nights, and added to them 10, this he completed the term appointed by his Lord, of 40 nights”
- Musa was commanded to fast for 30 days before the meeting, because fasting is purification.
- Because of the smell of his mouth Musa used miswak to change that smell and he went to he meeting.
- Allah told him: Don’t you know that I love the smell of the person who is fasting more than the smell of musk.
- So Allah added 10 more days. Which made is a total of 40 nights.
- Aya: “ Musa said to his brother Harun: ‘Stand in my place among my people and do right, and do not follow the way of the corrupt’”
- Musa left his brother Harun in charge after he left.
- Musa was “kaleemu-llah”. He spoke to Allah, not once or twice but many times.
- Musa wanted to reach a higher state or closeness to Allah so he made a special request.
- Aya: “My Lord! Show Yourself to me, that I may look upon You”
- Musa didn’t have any doubts or weakness of faith, he just wanted to be closer to Allah and desired to see Him.
- Aya: “Allah said: ‘You cannot see me, but look upon the mountain. If it remains firm in its place then you shall see Me’”
- Allah revealed part of Himself to the mountain while Musa was staring at the mountain.
- The mountain was destroyed, crushed down, and it turned into dust. It vanished.
- When Musa saw the mountain, he fell down in a state of shock unconscious.
- This happened to him just by staring at the mountain, what would happen to him if he has seen Allah.
- Aya: “When his Lord manifested Himself to the mountain, it crumbled to fine dust, and Musa fell down in shock. When he regained his consciousness, he said: “Glory be to You! I repent to You, and I am the first of the believers” (7:143)
- All mankind will lose their consciousness on the Day of Judgment.
- The Prophet said that when he wakes up after that state of unconsciousness he will find that Musa is already awake. He said it might be that Musa is not affected by this because he already was affected in this lifetime.
- Did anyone see Allah in this life? No, except for Prophet Muhammad.
- Will anyone see Allah on judgment day? Only the believers, after they enter jannah.
- Aya: “Allah said: ‘O Musa! I have chosen you above all people for My messages and to speak with Me, so take what I have given you and be grateful’ (meaning, don’t ask me for more than what I have already blessed you with). And we inscribed for him on the Tablets the admonitions and explanation of all things (and said): ‘Take them with strong will, and command your people to follow it according to their best sense. Soon I shall show you the abode of the wicked people’” (7:144-145)
- It was on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah (eid al-adha), when this meeting took place. It’s the same day that Allah completed the religion Islam for us.
- The tablets were made with precious jewels.


- Allah tells Musa about what’s going on in his absence from his people…
- Aya: “We have pur your people to trial in your absence, and Samiri has led them astray” (20: 85)
- Samiri was able to see something that no one else saw on the day that Pharaoh was drowned. He saw Jibril and picked up some dust from where Jibril’s horse was walking.
- He told the women of Bani Israel to bring the jewels they had (which they took from the Egyptian women), they felt guilty for having the jewels.
- He suggested they burn the jewels, they mixed it with the dust and he molded it into a calf. He made it hollow and is would make a sound when air would pass through it which sounded like a mooing cow.
- Aya: “And the people of Musa made in his absence out of their ornaments, a calf, which made a sound like a cow (mooing)”
- Samiri told them, this is your god so they started worshipping it.
- Musa had told his people that he would be gone for 30 days. However, the appointment was extended and Bani Israel didn’t know what was going on.
- They claimed that Musa couldn’t find his Lord because his lord is right there with them.
- Musa went back to his people, angry, upset, and sorry.
- As soon as Musa got there and saw them making sujood to the calf, he threw the tablets from his hand. He was in a state of shock that the tablets just fell from his hands.
- He already knew what was happening, but hearing is not like seeing.
- Aya: “And when Musa returned to his people full of anger and sorrow, he said: ‘Evil it is that you have done in my absence. Did you make haste to bring on the Judgment of your Lord?’ And he cast down the tablets, and took hold of his brother’s head, dragging him towards himself. Harun said: ‘O son of my mother! The people overpowered me, and almost killed me. So do not make the enemies rejoice over me, nor regards me as one of these evil doers’” (7:150)
- Harun had advised them, he told them that this is a trial, he reminded them that Allah is one, and he asked them to follow him. Yet they did not listen to him.
- This calf was so attractive to them that their “hearts absorbed it”
- They had told Harun: We will not stop worshipping the calf until Musa comes back.
- Musa grabbed Harun by his head and beard and pulled him towards himself. He wanted to know why Harun didn’t go and tell him what was happening..
- When Harun responded to him, first he reminded him that they’re brothers so he would have more mercy on him.
- Bani Israel had threatened Harun that they would kill him. Harun told Musa, don’t let those enemies rejoice because of this issue you have with me. (be private about your disagreements and personal matters)
- Harun explained to Musa that he didn’t want the problem to get out of hand in his absence and that’s why he chose to wait for him.
- Musa said: “O Allah! Forgive me and my brother and include us both in Your mercy because You are the Most Merciful”
- Musa then said to his people:
- Aya: “O my people! Did not your Lord make a handsome promise to you? Did the time seem too long to you? Or did you wish that Allah’s anger should alight upon you, and so you broke your promise to me?’. They said: ‘We have not failed in our promise to you of our own doing, but we were made to bear the burdens of the ornaments of the people, and we threw them into the fire as Samiri suggested” (20: 86-87)
- There’s two problems here: 1) They had guilt in their hearts because of having this gold even though Allah made is halal for them. Yet they didn’t have guilt for committing shirk with Allah. Their scales are reversed.
- Aya: “Did they not see that it could not return them a word and that it had no power to do them any harm or any good”
- Musa now addresses Samiri:
- Aya: “What then is your case O Samiri?”
- The Samiri said:
- Aya: “I saw what the people did not see, and I grasped a handful of dust from the track of the messenger, and threw it into it, thus my inner self prompted me”
- Musa punished Samiri by telling him to go, he cannot be part of their ummah anymore.
- Aya: “Musa said: ‘Then go away! Surely, it will be for you, in this life, to say: Touch me not. And surely, there is a threat for you that you cannot escape”
- Notice that Musa first spoke to his people, then to Harun, then to Samiri… even though Samiri was the cause of the problem.
- Then Musa said to Samiri: “And look at your god to which you have been devoted, we will certainly burn it and scatter its particles in the sea. Verily your God is only Allah, He has full knowledge of all things” (20: 97-98)
- Now Bani Israel realized their mistake and wanted to repent.
- Aya: “And when they repented, and saw that they had gone astray, they said: ‘If your Lord does not have mercy on us, and does not forgive us, we shall be among the losers” (7: 149)
- Not all of Bani Israel worshipped the calf but they ALL had to pay the price because it happened infront of their eyes and they did not stop it.
- Aya: “Musa said to his people: ‘O my people! Surely, you have wronged yourselves by your worship of the calf, so repent to your Creator, and slay yourselves, this will be better for you with your Creator and He will relent towards you’”
- Their punishment was to kill themselves. However, this wasn’t literal. It meant that the people who didn’t worship the calf would kill the ones who did. Which is like killing themselves because they were all related.
- 70,000 people were killed. This was the hefty price they had to pay for the big sin they committed.
- Allah accepted their repentance from them even though they committed shirk. This is out of His mercy.


- Musa chose 70 men from amongst the best of Bani Israel, their religious scholars. They went to meet with Allah along with Musa.
- They went to apologize for the sin that was committed.
- They were commanded to wash their clothes, have a bath, and perfume themselves.
- When they reached the mountain it was covered with a thick cloud. Musa entered it and went to speak with Allah.
- When Allah had finished speaking to Musa, the clouds scattered and he came back to his people.
- They said: “O Musa! We will not believe in you until we see God openly” (2:55)
- These are the BEST from amongst Bani Israel… they came to apologize for a sin and now they are committing one.
- As they demanded that, a thunderbolt seized them, and they all fell dead.
- Now Musa is in a dilemma. These are the best 70 people amongst his people. If he returns back without them, the rest of Bani Israel will be in a state of dispare.
- If Allah doesn’t accept from the best of them then how will the rest feel.
- Musa then prayed to Allah “My Lord! If it has been Your Will, You could have destroyed them and me before this. Would You destroy us for what the foolish among us have done?”
- He asked Allah to forgive them.
- Allah said: “My punishment I afflict with it whom I will, and My Mercy encompasses everything. And so I will ordain it (My Mercy) for those who are pious and pay the alms, and those who believe in Our Revelations. Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet” (7:156-157)
- This makes it clear that Prophet Muhammad was mentioned to the Jews and they were commanded to follow him when he came along.
- Aya: “Then we raised you up after your death so that you may be grateful”


- When Musa came with the Tablets that contained the Torah, he commanded them to receive it with firmness and good will. But they said: “Show them to us, if its injunctions and teachings were easy, then we will take it”
- Musa said to them: No, take it with all its injunctions.
- They repeated the same argument many times.
- Allah then commanded the angels to raise the mountain above their heads, until it was like a cloud over their heads, and then it was said to them: “There is no choice except to accept it, otherwise this mountain will fall upon your heads”
- So they accepted it, then they were commanded to bow down in prostration which they did. This story is known amongst the Jews as well.
- It’s said that they made sujood on their cheeks so they could look up at the mountain with one eye.

The Story of the Cow:
- A very wealthy man from among Bani Israel was murdered.
- He was very old and had nephews who wished he would die so they could inherit him
- One night someone murders him and his body is found in the middle of the way in the morning
- No one knew who killed him
- Bani Israel came to Musa and asked him to help them find the killer.
- Musa asked Allah and Allah commanded them to slaughter a cow.
- Bani Israel took it as a joke. “We’re coming you about a murder and we want you to help us find the killer, and you’re telling us to slaughter a cow?”
- They said to Musa: “Do you mock us”
- He said: “I seek refuge in Allah from being ignorant”
- It would be ignorance of him to attribute something to Allah which Allah did not say.
- This also shows the rudeness of Bani Israel, that they would question the truthfulness of their prophet.

- Had Bani Israel followed the order and slaughtered a cow it would have been accepted from them. But they kept arguing and their mission was made harder each time.
- They finally believed that this is a command of Allah.
- They said: “Ask your lord to clarify what kind it should be”
- They were commanded to slaughter a cow of middle age, not young and not old.
- They said: “Ask your lord to clarify what color it is”
- Musa told them that it should be a yellow cow, so deep and bright in color that it delights the people looking at it.
- However, these specification didn’t seem enough for them… they asked for more.
- They said: “Ask your lord to tell us what it is because cows look alike and we aren’t able to find it”
- Musa said: “He says it is a cow which does not plough the spoil, nor water the fields, sound without a blemish on it:
- They finally said: “Now you have told us the truth”
- The chances of them finding such a cow were very slim so it took them a while to find it.
- They finally found that it was owned by an orphan..
- They asked him to buy the cow from him, but he refused.
- They offered him a lot of money but he refused.
- They offered him gold in its weight but he refused.
- He finally agreed to a price of 10 times its weight in gold.
- Then they slaughtered it and Musa commanded them to hit the dead man with a portion of its meat.
- Allah brought the man to life, he stood up and Musa asked him: Who killed you. He said: My nephew and then he fell dead again.
- Aya: “This Allah brings the dead to life, and shows you His signs so that you may understand”
- This was another miracle for Bani Israel.
- Yet Allah says that after that their hearts were hardened… Allah says in the Quran that they were harder than rocks. Allah says that there are stone out of which rivers gush forth, and stones that water flows from them, and stones that fall down out of fear of Allah. Yet their hearts were harder than stones that did nothing.
- This story teaches us not to ask too many questions that have no benefit to us.

The Story of Qarun:
- Qarun was a cousin of prophet Musa.
- He was called “Munawwar”, the enlightened one, because he read the Torah with a beautiful voice.
- Allah mentions in the Quran the abundance of Qarun’s treasures.
- The keys for those treasures needed to be carried by a group of heavy-built men.
- He was very arrogant and some people admonished him for his behaviour.
- They would say: “Do not exult, indeed Allah does not love the exultant”
- Exult means: to feel triumphantly happy and powerful.
- They advised him to seek the hereafter, and said: “But seek, in that which Allah has given you the Home of the Hereafter” (28:76)
- They advised him to use his wealth and spend it in the ways of Allah
- They also told him that it’s ok for him to enjoy some of it in this life
- They said “Do good, as Allah has been good to you”
- Qarun was proud of his immense wealth and authority and he payed no attention to all the advise he was getting.
- He said: “All that I have is due to a knowledge that I possess”
- He claimed that the wealth he had was due to his knowledge, he wasn’t thankful for it.
- He claimed that he deserved his wealth.
- He claimed that if he wasn’t so dear to Allah, then Allah wouldn’t have granted him this wealth.
- Aya: “Did he not know that Allah had destroyed before him generations of people who were mightier than him in strength and greater in riches. And the sinners shall not be asked about their sins (they will enter hellfire without reckoning)” (27:78)
- Being wealthy is not a sign of Allah’s love. Allah gives dunya to the believers and the non-believers.
- One day Qarun came out in a big procession, displaying all the wealth and glitter he had.
- The people who wanted to be like him were looking and wishing they had the same.
- The religious scholars among them said: “Woe to you! The reward of Allah is better for the one who believes and does righteous deeds, and none shall attain it except the steadfast” (28:80)
- Allah punished Qarun by having the earth swallow him
- Aya: “So We caused the earth to swallow him and his dwelling place, and there was none to protect him from Allah, nor could he help himself” (28:81)
- Hadith: “While a man was walking, dragging his lower garment in arrogance, Allah caused him to be swallowed by the earth, and so he will be sinking into the earth until the Day of Judgment”
- When the one who were just desiring his wealth witnessed this horrific scene, they said: “And if Allah had not been Gracious to us, He would surely have caused us to be swallowed up also. Indeed, the ungrateful never prosper” (28:82)
- The life of there hereafter is the real life that will be a cause of celebration and pride
- Hadith: “Whoever was mindful of his prayer, it will be a light, a proof and salvation for him on the Day of Judgment, and whoever disregarded it, he will not have a light, a proof and salvation; and will be raised together with Qarun, Pharaoh, Haman, and Ubai bin Khalaf”

The excellence of Musa:
- 1) He will not lose consciousness on judgment day.
- 2) Allah spoke to Musa directly
- 3) He was very bashful and modest
- 4) He was so honorable before Allah that when he interceded for his brother to be made a Prophet, Allah accepted his prayer.
- 5) He was very patient with all the troubles and trials he was put through
- 6) He was there during isra and mirage when prayers were prescribed for us, he helped reduce the number of prayers from 50 to 5. And we still get the reward of 50.
- Hadith: “All nations have been shown to me, and I saw a Prophet and with him was only a small group, and another Prophet with only one or two people, and another Prophet with no believers at all. Then I came to see a great multitude of people, and so I asked: ‘Are they the people of my ummah?’ It was said to me: ‘No, it is Musa and his people. But look up in the horizon.’ And I saw a huge multitude of people. Then I was told: ‘Look this side’. And there I saw a huge multitude of people. Then I was told: ‘They are your ummah, and from among them seventy thousand who will enter the Paradise with no reckoning or punishment”

Musa and His Pilgrimage:
- Hadith: “When the Prophet passed by the valley of Azraq, he asked: ‘Which valley is it?’ They replied: ‘The valley of Azraq’. The Prophet said: ‘As though I am looking at Musa and he is descending from the mountain trail, praying to Allah with his talbiyah’”
- This is proof to us that Prophet Musa went and made hajj.

The death of Musa:
- Hadith: “The angel of death was sent to Musa. When he came to him, Musa beat him and pushed him away. The angel went back to his Lord and complained: ‘You have sent me to a slave who does not want to die’. Allah said: ‘Go back to him, and tell him to put his hand on the back of an ox, and whatever he covers with his hand, of the hair of that ox, he will be granted a year for every hair.’ Musa said: ‘O my Lord! Then what will happen?’ He replied: ‘Death’. Musa said: ‘Then why not now’” (Bukhari)
- The angel of death came to Musa in a form of a man and asked him if he’s ready to die… Musa slapped him in the face and knocked his eye out.
- Musa and Harum died before the Israelites were taken out of their wandering in the dessert.
- Musa requested that he would die near Jerusalem, which is an indication that they hadn’t entered it.