Prophet Solomon
- Aya: “And Solomon was David’s heir, and said: ‘O people! We have been taught the speech of the birds, and we have been given from everything: indeed this is a manifest bounty’”(27:16)
- Solomon inherited David in Prophethood and kingdom. He didn’t inherit the wealth because the wealth of Prophets is not inherited.
- Solomon understood the language of all kinds of birds and ants and spoke to them in their language.
Solomon’s wisdom:
- Aya: “And remember David and Solomon, when they gave judgment concerning the tillage, when the sheep of the people had strayed there, and We did witness their judgment. And We inspired Solomon the right understanding of it, and We gave each of them wisdom and knowledge” (21:78-79)
- The story of the two neighbors, one had a flock of sheep and the other had a farm. One day the man who owned the sheep forgot to close the gate and the sheep went to the farm during the night and ate all the crops. The two men came to Prophet David for his judgment (this was obviously before Prophet David died). He ruled that the owner of the sheep should compensate the owner of the farm with an equal value to the lost crops. When Prophet Solomon heard this he interjected with his opinion. He said: “Were it I to be the judge, I would have decided to surrender the sheep to the owner of the farm, so they could benefit from the sheep until the owner of the sheep fixes the farm and returns it to its previous state”
- When Prophet David heard this, he canceled his previous ruling and ordered the new one.
- Another incident…
- This story is narrated in Bukhari and Muslim. Two women shepherds were tending to their flocks while they left their two newborn sons behind. When they came back they found that the wolf had attacked and eaten one of the boys. Both of them claimed that the boy who was still alive was hers. They went to Prophet David and he ruled that the boy belonged to the eldest of them. When they passed by Solomon, he said: ‘Bring me a knife and I will cut this boy into two pieces, a half for each of you.’ The younger woman said: ‘No, may Allah bestow His Mercy on you, this is her son.’ So Solomon changed the verdict in the favor of the younger woman.
- Allah gave both David and Solomon knowledge and wisdom.
Solomon is tested:
- Aya: “And we granted to David, Solomon, how excellent a slave, indeed he was penitent. When in the evening he was presented with horses of the highest breeding; and he said: ‘It seems I have preferred the enjoyment of the good things more than the remembrance of my Lord, until it (the sun) set behind the veil. Bring them back to me.’ And he began to stroke them on their necks and legs.”
- Solomon was presented one evening with horses of fine breeding, and he became distracted in admiring them that the time for asr prayer passed and the sun set.
- He asked for the horses to be brought back to him and he stroked over their legs and necks… this either means that he passed hand over the horses to honor them for jihad. Other scholars say that this means that Solomon slaughtered all the horses.
- Another test happened to Prophet Solomon…
- Aya: “Certainly We tried Solomon, and We cast upon his throne a mere body, and he repented”
- Hadith: “Once Solomon said: ‘I would sleep tonight with seventy women, who will all bear a child who will fight in the way of Allah.’ His companion said: ‘InshaAllah’. But he did not say so. So only one woman got pregnant and she gave birth to a child who only had half a body (deformed).” The Prophet (pbuh) said: “If he had said that (InshaAllah), all would have been born and fought in the way of Allah” (Bukhari)
- Prophet Solomon was tested here, he forgot to say “InshaAllah”. This is a reminder for us all to always say “inshaAllah”.
- Aya: “ He said: ‘My Lord! Forgive me and grant me a kingdom that will not be given to anyone after me, surely. You are the Giver.’ So We subjected the wind to his power which blew gently by his order wherever he desired. And the satans, every kind of builder and diver, and others fettered in chains. ‘These are Our Bounties, whether you bestow them or withhold them, no account will be asked.’ And he enjoyed nearness with Us, and a fair return.” (38: 35-40)
- Solomon asked for a kingdom to be his miracle. A kingdom that is different than any other. No other person was ever given a kingdom like the kingdom of Solomon.
- Allah subjected to him the wind, it blew gently to his order wherever he willed.
- He controlled wind for a distance of a month.
- Allah made the devils servants to Prophet Solomon. Some would dive in the oceans and some would build for him.
- Allah also taught him the language of birds and ants.
- Allah also made a fountain of brass to flow for him.
- The jinn also were his servants, they would build for him rooms, images, basins, cooking, etc.
- Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had the choice of being a kind Prophet or a slave prophet and he preferred to be a slave prophet.
- Aya: “And to Solomon We subjected the wing, its going was month’s journey, and its return was a month’s journey. And we made a fountain of molten brass to flow for him, and of the jinn there were those who roked for him by the Command of his Lord, and if any of them swerved away from Our Command, We made them taste the chastisement of the Blazing Fire. They made for him whatever he desired: arches, images, basis as large as wells, and fixed cauldrons: ‘Work thanks, O family of David, only few of My slaves are grateful”
- Notice that Allah says here “work thanks”, because thanking Allah is not just through our tongues but also through our actions.
- Hadith: “The Prophet once started the prayer. Then we heard him saying: ‘I seek refuge in Allah from you I curse you with the curse of Allah.’ He said that three times. And then spread out his hand as though he was trying to hold something. When he finished his prayer, we said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! We heard you saying something in your prayer which we had never heard you saying before, and we also saw you stretching out your hands.’ The Prophet replied: ‘The enemy of Allah, Iblis, came to me with a blazing fire, so that he may throw is in my face. So I said: I seek refuge in Allah from you three times, then I said: I curse you with the curse of Allah three times, but he did not go back. Then I wanted to capture him, but had it nor been for the prayer of our brother Solomon, he would have been fastened (to one of the pillars in the masjid), and the children of Al-Madinah would have played with him”
- The Prophet (pbuh) didn’t want to share one of the special miracles that Prophet Solomon had because he wanted his brother Solomon to be unique.
The valley of ants:
- Aya: “And for Solomon were assembled his hosts of jinn, men and birds, and they were ranged in order and rank. When they came to the valleys of the ants, an ant said: ‘O you ants! Enter your dwelling places, lest Solomon and his hosts trample you without noticing.’ So he smiled, amused at her speech, and said: ‘My Lord! Inspire me that I may be grateful for Your favors which You bestowed on me and my parents, and that I may do righteous deeds as may please You, and admit me by Your Mercy, among Your righteous slaves” (27:17-19)
- Solomon heard the ant and understood what she said to the other ants. He smiled at hearing what others couldn’t hear.
- When Allah blessed you with a special skill, use it to obey Him and be thankful for it.
Hoopoe and Belqis:
- Allah mentions the story of hoopoe, when it was found absent from the army.
- All sorts of birds in Solomon’s army had their commanders and leaders who would come to him to report to him regularly about everyday matters.
- The duty of hoopoe was to find out the source of water.
- Hoopoe has the ability to discover the water from beneath the earth and take the water out.
- When Solomon ordered it to come to his presence, it was found absent.
- Solomon said: “How is it I do not see the hoopoe bird? Or is he not here? I will punish him severely, or even slaughter him, unless he brings me an acceptable excuse”
- Solomon threatened to discipline it for its absence without any notice, unless it has an excuse.
- The hoopoe soon came back and said: “I have come to know something that you do not know, and I have come from Sheba with sure news for you. There I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given abundance of everything, and she has a magnificent throne”
- The kingdom of Sheba ruled the lands of Yemen.
- The Queen has an abundance of everything that kings and queens typically possess.
- Her throne was adorned by all kinds of precious stones and pearls, and was made of gold.
- The hoopoe then mentioned that those people, though granted such vast bounties of Allah’s Mercy, did not worship Him. They worshipped the sun.
- After what Solomon heard from the hoopoe, he sent a letter to the queen of Sheba inviting her to the way of Allah and His worship, and to merge her kingdom in his kingdom.
- Aya: “Solomon said: ‘We will see whether you have told the truth, or whether you have lied. Go with this letter of mine and deliver it to them, then stand aside and see what answer they return’” (27:27-28)
- When the ltter was delivered to Queen Belqis by the hoopoe, she read it, and then summoned all her ministers and advisors for consultation regarding the contents of that letter.
- She said: “There has been thrown onto me (she didn’t even know who delivered it) an honorable letter (she called it honorable because it was from Solomon the most honorable of his time), it is from Solomon, and it is ‘In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Do not be arrogant, and come to me in submission (to the true religion)’”
- She sought their advice on the matter and said: “O chiefs! Counsel me on this matter, no affair have I decided before but after I had consulted you”
- They said: “If you require an army to fight against him, here we are in your service with all the might of his kingdom. Nontheless, we leave the matter on your discretion and will, and we will obey whatever you may command us to do”
- She said: “Surely, when kings enter a town, they ruin it, and make the noblest of its people abased, and thus do they behave”
- She told them in her opinion that is Solomon conquered their kingdom, they would be humiliated.
- She then said: “I am sending them a gift to see what my emissary brings back”
- She wanted to bribe Solomon and sway their attention away from her and her kingdom by sending a gift and establishing a friendship.
- She didn’t know that Solomon was a Prophet and he would never compromise.
- Aya: “So when her emissary came to Solomon, he said: ‘Are you sending us wealth? What Allah has bestowed on me is better than what he has bestowed on you. It is you who rejoice in your gifts”
- He commanded the emissary to go back and threatened to send a huge army that they would not be able to handle.
- When the emissary came to the queen with this threat, they did not find any option but to surrender themselves to Solomon.
- They went with their queen to meet Solomon.
- When Solomon came to hear the news of their coming, he addressed the jinn in his presence, saying:
- Aya: “’O congregation! Which one of you will bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?’ A cunning jinn said: ‘I will bring it to you before you rise from your council, indeed I have full strength and I am trustworthy.’ One who possessed the knowledge of the scripture said: ‘I will bring it to you in the wink of an eye.’ So when he saw it placed before him, he said: ‘This is from my Lord’s Bounty, to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful. And whoever is ungrateful. Indeed my Lord is All-Sufficient, the Generous’. He said: ‘Disguide her throne for her, and we will see whether she recognizes it or if she is unable to’” (27: 38-41)
- Aya: “So when she came, it was said: ‘Is your throne like this?’ She said: ‘It just seems the same.’ ‘And we were given the knowledge in advance of it, and had submitted to Allah.’ And that which she worshipped other than Allah, had diverted her (from the Right Path), surely, she was from pagan people. It was said to her: ‘Enter the palace.’ And when she saw it, she through it was a pool of water, and uncovered her legs. He said: ‘It is a palace paved with crystal glass.’ She said: ‘My Lord! I have wronged myself, and I now submit myself together with Solomon, to the Will of Allah, the Lord of the worlds’” (27: 42-44)
- Then Solomon ordered the ornaments of that throne to be changed, so that it is disguised for her test whether she could recognize it or not.
- She didn’t think it was her throne because it was changed, and because she didn’t think it would be possible that her throne would be there, as she left it behind in her palace.
- Solomon had a grand palace built of crystal glass, and throughout the passages inside the palace, there were water streams covered with crystal glass.
- In those water streams there were kept fish and other water creatures, looking like an aquarium throughout the palace.
Building Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa:
- It was first built by Prophet Jacob.
- The first masjid to be build was the Kaabah (by Prophet Ibrahim), and the second was Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa.
- Prophet Solomon expanded the masjid. We don’t believe that he built it as the Jews do.
- After Solomon finished the building he made dua and asked for 3 things.
- Hadith: “When Solomon completed the building of Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa, he asked Allah for 3 favors, of which he was given only two, and we hope that the 3rd favor will be for us. Solomon asked for judgment that could correspond to the judgment of Allah (so that whatever he ruled would please Allah), and Allah accepted his prayer. He also asked for a kingdom which nobody could be given after him, and this prayer was also accepted. He also asked Allah that any one who leaves his home only for the purpose of prayer in his mosque, all his sins may be forgiven to become like the day he was born. We hope that Allah may grant it to us” (Ahmad)
The Death of Solomon:
- Aya: “Then when We decreed his death, nothing indicated to them that he was dead, except the worm of the earth which kept gnawing away at his staff, so when he fell down, the jinn realized that if they had known the unseen, they would not have abided in the humiliating chastisement” (34:14)
- After Solomon died, the wood worm kept eating his staff for one year till he fell down.
- Solomon ruled as a king for 20 years, after his death his son succeeded him as king and ruled for 17 years, then the kingdom of Israel disintegrated.
Prophets Zackariya and Yahya:
- Prophet Zackariya was a carpenter.
- He reached old age without having any children. His wife was barren.
- Aya: “This is a mention of the mercy of your Lord to his slave Zackariya, when he called upon his Lord secretly. Saying: ‘My Lord! My bones within me are feeble, and my head has gone grey, and in calling on you my Lord, I have never been unblessed. And now I fear for my near kin after I am done, and my wife is barren, so grant to me an heir from You; who shall be my inheritor (in Prophethood), and the inheritor of the House of Jacob, and make him, my Lord, one with whom you are well pleased’” (19: 1-6)
- He also made the dua:
- Aya: “My Lord! Leave me not without offspring, though You are the best inheritors.” –rabbi la tatharni fardan wa anta khayrul waritheen.
- Notice how Prophet Zackariya made dua to Allah secretly.
- Prophet Zackariya also mentioned how he never invoked Allah for any thing but He accepted his prayer.
- The reason he came to pray for a son was that whenever he entered the chamber of Mary, of whom he was a guardian, he always found fruits of various kinds without any season for them. It then occursed to him that Allah, the Provider, Who can provide fruits without seasons, can grant him a child in his old age and even though his wife is barren.
- Aya: “And she (Mary) was assigned to the care of Zackariyya, and whenever Zackariyya entered her chamber, he found her provided with sustenance. He said: ‘O Mary! Where did you get this from?’ She said: ‘It is from Allah, surely, Allah bestows upon whom He pleases without measure.’ Then Zackariya prayed to his Lord, saying: ‘My Lord! Grant to me from You righteous progeny, surely, You are All-hearing of prayers.” (3: 37-38)
- Allah accepted his prayer.
- Aya: “Then angels called to him while he was standing in prayer in the chamber: ‘Allah gives you glad tidings of Yahya, confirming the truth of a Word from Allah, and noble, chaste and righteous Prophet” (3:29)
- Aya: “O Zackariya! We give you glad tidings of a boy whose name is Yahya, no namesake have We given him before (no one else had this name before).’”
- Zackariya was very surprised at the good news, he was 77 years old at that time.
- Aya: “O my Lord! How shall I have a son, seeing that my wife is barren, and I have reached to the extreme old age” (19:8)
- The angel told him…
- Aya: “So shall it be. Your Lord says: ‘That is easy for me, and I have created you before when you were nothing’” (19:9)
- Allah healed his wife for him and granted him a righteous son.
- Zackariya asked Allah for further sin that he may really assure himself, so he prayed to Allah to make some sort of a sign to know that his wife has become pregnant.
- Allah said to him: “Your sign will be that you will not be able to speak for 3 days, except by signals and sign language. However, it will not affect your health or limbs. You will be perfectly healthy in all aspects”.
- Aya: “O Yahya! Take hold of the Book with firmness.’ And we granted him wisdom while he was yet a child”
- Now Allah addresses Yahya (John) and tells us that he granted him knowledge and wisdom in his childhood.
- He was also granted tenderness, especially with his parents.
- Aya: “So peace upon him the day he was born, and on the day he dies, and the day he shall be raised to life” (19:15)
- These are the three major stages of life, when one moves from one kind of world to another, totally different than the previous one.
- We are not sure how Prophet Zackariya died, though there is an opinion that Bani Israel sawed him in half.
- Hadith: “Allah commanded Yahya to fulfill five duties, and to command Bani Israel to carry them out as well. But Yahya held up for a while, so he was told by Jesus (his cousin): ‘You have been commanded to act according to 5 teachings, and to command them to Bani Israel. So would you tell them yourself or shall I convey it to them?’ yahya said: ‘My brother! I fear that if you do it, I may be punished or swallowed by the earth’. Then yahya gathered Bani Israel in the Masjid til the Masjid became full. Then he sat on the elevated place, praised Allah and glorified Him, and said: ‘Allah the Almighty has commanded me 5 things that I do them personally and that I shall command you to carry them out.
First: You should not worship other than Allah without associating with Him any partner. Because its similitude is like the one who bought a slave with the best of his wealth, silver or gold, but the slave started working for others. Tell me who will like his slave to act in this manner and serve other than him. Allah has created you and gave you provision, so worship Him alone, and do not associate any partner with Him.
Second: I command you to pray. Allah turns His Face towards His slave as long as the slave does not distract himself. So once you are in prayer, do not let yourselves become distracted towards other things.
Third: I command you of fasting, because its similitude is like a man who has got a bad of musk among a multitude of people, of whom every one enjoys its fragrance. And the smell of the mouth of a fasting person is purer to Allah than the fragrance of musk.
Fourth: I command you to give out in charity. Because its parable is like the one who was captured by an enemy, and they tied his hand up with his neck, and then wanted to behead him. The man at this point asked his enemy: ‘Is it possible that I pay ransom and free myself?’ After they agreed, he starts paying his ransom with everything, small or big, till he has freed himself.
Fifth: I also command you to remember Allah frequently. The similitude of this is of a man whom his enemy chased him, but he found a fortified castle and entered it. The man is more protected from his enemy (Satan) when he is in Allah’s remembrance’” (Ahmad)
The murder of Yahya:
- Different reasons are given regarding his murder.
- Most popular reason: one of the kinds of that time in Damascus wanted to marry one of his close relative (and it was forbidden in their shariah to do so). Yahya forbade him from marrying her. The woman hid her resentment against Yahya. At some occasion, when the kind desired for her to fulfill his lust, the woman asked him the head of Yahya. The kind at once agreed to her demand, and sent soldiers to kill him and bring his head in a bowl.
- The woman died at once when the head of Yahya was delivered to her.
- There is a difference of opinion regarding where he was killed, some say he was killed in Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa and some say that he was killed in Damascus.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
May 22nd: Prophets Joshua, Samuel, and David
Prophets Joshua, Samuel, and David
Joshua
- He is from the lineage of Prophet Yusuf and Ibrahim.
- He was mentioned in Quran as a servant with Prophet Musa, his name is not mentioned in Quran however it is mentioned in sahih hadith.
- He was a righteous student of his teacher, Prophet Musa
- When Prophet Musa passed away Prophethood was passed along to him
- He became the leader of the children of Israel
- They were delivered to the holy land under his leadership, they were victorious
- The Prophet (pbuh) tells us why this victory was delayed
- Bani Israel were raised in servitude and slavery. when they left Egypt they were not fit to fight
- In the 40 years of wilderness, the elders died and the youth were raised by Musa and Harun.
- Musa was the most important and best Prophet sent to bani Israel, but victory did not happen on his hands
- Prophet Musa organized bani Israel according to their tribes, he was getting them ready to fight after they come out of the wilderness.
- Aya: “And Allah had taken the covenant from the Children of Israel, and We appointed from among them twelve chieftains. And Allah said: ‘I am with you, only if you establish prayer, pay the alms, believe in my Messengers and stand with them, and lend to Allah a good loan. So I will expiate your sins, and I will admit you to gardens beneath which rivers flow, so whoever of you disbelieves after that, surely, he has gone astray from the Right Way’” (5:12)
- Joshua was fighting with the people Jerusalem (al-jababirah). The sun was about to set while they were fighting, he knew that they needed more time.
- Joshua pointed to the sun and said “You are receiving orders and I am receiving orders so stop”
- Allah made the sun stop until they finished fighting the enemy and then it set
- If you have Allah on your side then that’s all you need
- Hadith: “The sun has never been held back for a human being from setting except for Joshua” (Ahmad)
- Hadith: “One of the Prophets went for a battle, so he said to his people: ‘No one should come with me who has just had a wife but has not yet slept with her, no one who has built a house but did not yet put its roof up, nor the one who has bought goats or pregnant camels and is waiting for them to deliver.’ So the Prophet went for the battle, and approached a town after he had prayed the Asr prayer. Then he said to the sun: ‘You are commanded and I am commanded. O Allah hold it back for a while.” So Allah held it back, till the conquered the town. Then they all gathered what they found as spoils of the war. The fire then came to eat the spoils, but did not eat it. The Prophet then said: There is some one who has cheated from the spoils. So he asked one man from every tribe to come forward and pledge to him. They all came to pledge to him, but the hand of one man stuck with the hand of the Prophet. He said: ‘The cheat is from among you, so now let every one of your tribe come forward and pledge to me.’ They came and offered their pledge to him, and so the hands of two or three people for stuck with his hand, and he said: ‘You are the cheaters, you took the spoils of the war.’ So they took out gold equivalent to the head of a cow. They put the gold together with other spoils, and the fire came and are it. The spoils of war were not allowed for anyone before us. This is because Allah saw our weakness and incapacity, so He purified it for us” (Ahmad)
- He wanted the people who came with him to have sincerity, and not to be distracted. Their hearts shouldn’t be attached to something else.
- They won and started to establish their nation under the banner of “la ilaha illa Allah”
- Bani Israel continued to fight many wars.
Samuel:
- Aya: “Have you not seen the chiefs of the Children of Israel, after Musa, when they said to a Prophet of theirs: ‘Appoint for us a king that we may fight in the cause of Allah.’ He said: ‘Is it not possible that if fighting is prescribed for you, you may not fight?’ They said: ‘How could we refuse to fight in the cause of Allah, when we have been turned out of our homes and separated from our children?’ Yet when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned away, except a few of them, and Allah is All-Knowing of those evildoers” (2:246)
- He said you’re asking for fighting, but when fighting is prescribed for you will you fight
- They said of course. But Allah tells us that when fighting was ordered for them, they turned away, except for a few of them
- Aya: “And their Prophet said to them: ‘Allah has appointed Talut (Saul) as a king for you.’”
- So their Prophet tells them, ok your wish has been granted but they were not pleased.
- Aya: “They said: ‘How is he entitled to be a king over us, when we are better fitted than him, and he is not even gifted with wealth in abundance?’”
- He was from a lower race or class, and he wasn’t wealthy. Their hearts were diseased: they were arrogant.
- Aya: “He said: ‘Allah has chosen him above you, and has gifted him abundantly with knowledge and bodily strength. Allah bestows sovereignty on whom He pleases, and Allah is Alla-Sufficient, All-Knowing’”
- Their Prophet gave them the answer “Allah commanded it”. He didn’t need to say anything else. But since they gave two reasons why they didn’t want Talut as their leader, he gave them two reasons why he should be their leader.
- He gave them two reasons: he had knowledge (this doesn’t mean knowledge of fiqh, but knowledge in what is appropriate in his case which is fighting), and he also had strength (he was physically strong).
- Aya: “And their Prophet said to them: ‘Indeed the sign of his kingship is that the ark (tabut) shall come to you, in it is serenity from your Lord, and the relics left by the families of Musa and Harun, carried by angels.’ Surely, in this there is a sign for you, if you are believers” (2:247-248)
- Allah wanted to appoint Talut as their king through a ceremony.
- Allah wanted to strengthen their hearts in order to accept him as their leader, so a miracle was going to happen.
- When Bani Israel were at work with the Philistines and were defeated, their “Ark of Covenant”, which they had brought to the battlefield, to bless the war in their favor, was captured by their enemy and taken away. Now Allah is promising the return of this treasure and it will be carried by angels which they will see.
- Now Talut was appointed as their king.
- Aya: “So when Talut went forth with the army, he said: ‘Allah will test you at the river, whoever drinks of its water will not be my companion, and whoever does not taste it, he is surely my companions, and he who takes but a mere sip.’”
- He left the children, women and elderly and took only the soldiers. They numbered 80,000.
- Talut is not looking for numbers, he knew that what they will face ahead needs an iron will. So he wanted to take them through a series of tests so only the strong soldiers will be with him.
- Weak soldiers will cause more harm than benefit.
- He told them about the test.
- He made them march in the desert, he made them thirsty, exhausted and tired.
- When they reached the river (it’s said that it’s the River Jordan), he told them not to drink from it. And whoever drinks from it cannot continue with them.
- If one drank a handful then they could still remain as part of the group (it’s probably easier not to drink than to take that one sip)
- 80,000 went through the test and only 4,000 passed the test.
- 76,000 were left behind.
- Aya: “But they all drank of it, except a few of them. So when he crossed it (the river), he and the believers with him, they said: ‘We have no power this day to fight against Jalut (Goliath) and his armies.’ Those who had firm belied that they will meet Allah, said: ‘How often has a small company overcome a big company by Allah’s Will, and Allah is with those who are patient’”
- They said we have no way of fighting Jalut, they were a small amount compared to Jalut and his army.
- The believers disagreed and told them that they could win by Allah’s will.
- The other didn’t believe in the unseen, so they also failed.
- In the end Talut was left with 314 soldiers, our of 80,000.
- Hadith: The companions said: “We the companions of the Propeht were discussing that the number of those who attended Badr Battle was the same number of those who participated with Talut”
- Aya: “And when they advanced against Jalut and his army, they prayed: ‘Our Lord! Pour out upon us constancy (sabr) and make our foothold firm, and help us against the disbeliever people.’ So they rooted them by Allah’s Will.”
- After we do our part in preparation, we put our trust in Allah and we make dua for Him to help us. That is what they did.
- They asked Allah to pour patience over them, because they knew that they needed a lot of it.
- The battle started, a huge army was fighting this small army.
- Jalut was the kind of the enemy, a powerful, huge, strong, arrogant man. He was challenging Talut’s army to fight him.
- Talut asked: who will go and fight him?
- A young, short man said I will go.
- Talut asked again when he saw the young man, but no one came forward except this young man.
- This young man had courage, he went up to Jalut with a sling shot.
- Jalut said: “Go back, I don’t want to fight you, I don’t want to kill you, send someone else”
- But the young man said: I want to kill you.
- The young man fired his sling shot and he killed Jalut.
- The young man was David.
- Now Bani Israel will enter into their golden age. Just like the Muslims entered their golden age after the battle of badr.
- This was the best era for Bani Israel, after that it was their downfall as the curse of the Prophets was over them.
Dawud:
- He was from the progeny of Ibrahim.
- David was short with blue eyes, of little hair.
- After David killed Jalut, he became a hero overnight, and Israelites loved him.
- David was now their king and it was the first time that Prophethood and kingship came together. Allah gave him a strong kingdom.
- Allah also taught him wisdom (good judgment and the ability to run the affairs of his people) and other things that he willed.
- Aya: “And David slew Jalut, and Allah gave him sovereignty and wisdom, and taught him of what he pleased” (2:251)
- Miracles of Dawud:
-He was given a very beautiful voice,
-He was able to interpret the speech of animals (this was also given to his son Sulaiman),
Aya: “And we bestowed upon David bounty from Us: ‘O mountains and birds, echo Allah’s praise with him’” (34:10)
-When he made dhikr the birds and mountains would make thikr with him,
-Iron would be soft in his hands (without fire or hammers),
Aya: “And We softened the iron for him”
-He improved the making of armor.
Aya: “Make coats of mail, and set the links in even measure (not too large and not too small)”
Aya: “and it was We Who taught him the making of garments (armor) for you, to fortify you in your wars, so will you then be thankful?”
- People had iron but it was hard for them to use it.
- Allah also taught him how to make armory in a new way. Before that they would make it in the form of iron plates (heavy solid plates, not flexible). Prophet Dawud would make armory out of rings of iron which was light and flexible.
- Hadith: “The best food a man could eat is what is earned by him, and the Prophet of Allah David are from what he earned from his own handwork” (Ahmad)
- Allah granted him extraordinary resolve for devotion.
- Hadith: “The best prayer to Allah is the prayer of David, and the best fasting to Allah is the fasting of David: he slept for the first half of the night, then woke up for one third and prayed, and then he slept for the rest of one-sixth. He fasted one day and broke fast one day” (Bukhari and Muslim)
- Hadith: “Recitation has been made easy for David: he would ask for his horse to be saddled, then he would start recitation of the Quran, and would finish before the horse is saddled. And David would not eat except from what he earned from his own hands”
- It is said that his book was revealed during Ramadan.
- Allah gave him decisiveness. Aya: “And We strengthened his kingdom, and bestowed on him wisdom and sound judgment” (38:20)
- Hadith: “Two people took their case to David about a cow. One of them claimed that the other person seized the cow from him by force. But the defendant denied the claim. So David postponed the case till night. When it was night, Allah revealed to him to kill the claimant. When it was morning, David said to him: “Allah has revealed to me that I should kill you, so I am going to kill you without any doubt. Now tell me what is the truth about your claim?’. He said: ‘By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, I am true in what I claimed, but I had murdered his father before it.’ David therefore ordered him to be killed. After this case, David’s authority was greatly recognized among Bani Israel, and they obeyed him thoroughly.”
- Allah tests Dawud:
- Aya: “Had the story of the disputant come to you? When they climbed over the wall of the private chamber: when they entered before David, and he was terrified of them, and they said: ‘Do not dear, we are two disputants, one of us has wronged the other, so judge between us justly, and do not do injustice, and guide us to the right way. This man is my brother, and he has ninety-nine sheep, and I have one sheep. But he said to me: Entrust it to me, and he prevailed over me in the argument’”
- Aya: “David said: ‘Surely, he has been unjust to you in demanding your sheep in addition to his sheep, and surely many partners do wrong to each other, except those who believe and do righteous deeds, and how few are they?’ And David realized that We had tried him, so he sought forgiveness from his Lord, and fell, bowing, and turned in repentance. So we forgave him that, and he has a place of nearness with Us, and a fair return”
- Aya: “Oh David! We have appointed you as a khalifah on the earth, so judge between the people with justice, and do not follow vain desires, lest it leads you astray form the way of Allah. Surely, those who go astray from the way of Allah, for them awaits a severe chastisement, as they forgot the Day of Reckoning” (38: 21-25)
- Allah is addressing David in this verse, however it is intended for the rulers and those who are in authority. Allah has commanded them to be just, and to be followers of the truth revealed from Allah, not the kind of truth based on traditions and personal opinions. Those who follow a path other than that are threatened with a severe punishment.
- Death of David:
- When Allah created Adam, He took out all his progeny from his back, and there were Prophets among them clearly distinct from others. Adam saw among them one who was glowing. Adam said: “O my Lord! Who is this?” Allah replied: “He is your son David.” Adam said: “what is the age of him?” Allah said: “60 years”. Adam said: “My Lord increase his age!”. Allah said: “No, except that I may take from your age and increase his age”. Adam’s life span was 1000 years, so he gave him forty years out of his own age. So when the age of Adam came to end, the angel of death approached him. Adam said: “Is not there 40 years left from my age?” So Adam forgot what he had granted his son David out of his age. So Allah out of His Mercy granted Adam his original age of 1000 years and to David 100 years.
- Hadith: “David took great care of guarding his family. So when he went out, he locked the door, so nobody could enter his house until he returned. One day he went out, and locked the door. Suddenly his wife came to see a man in the middle of his house, so she said to the members of the family in the house: ‘How has this man entered the house when the door was locked? By Allah! David is going to feel disgraced.’ When David came back, he saw the man standing in the middle of the house, so he asked him: ‘Who are you?’ He replied: ‘I am the one who does not fear any king, neither could be barred by any hurdle’ David said: ‘So you could not be but the angel of death, so welcome to Allah’s command’. Then he stayed till he took his soul out of his body. When he was washed, and wrapped in the Kafan, the sun came up shining. So Sulaiman said to the birds: ‘Provide shade to David’, so when they did, it became dark, Sulaiman commanded the birds again: ‘Contract one wing each’” (Ahmad)
Joshua
- He is from the lineage of Prophet Yusuf and Ibrahim.
- He was mentioned in Quran as a servant with Prophet Musa, his name is not mentioned in Quran however it is mentioned in sahih hadith.
- He was a righteous student of his teacher, Prophet Musa
- When Prophet Musa passed away Prophethood was passed along to him
- He became the leader of the children of Israel
- They were delivered to the holy land under his leadership, they were victorious
- The Prophet (pbuh) tells us why this victory was delayed
- Bani Israel were raised in servitude and slavery. when they left Egypt they were not fit to fight
- In the 40 years of wilderness, the elders died and the youth were raised by Musa and Harun.
- Musa was the most important and best Prophet sent to bani Israel, but victory did not happen on his hands
- Prophet Musa organized bani Israel according to their tribes, he was getting them ready to fight after they come out of the wilderness.
- Aya: “And Allah had taken the covenant from the Children of Israel, and We appointed from among them twelve chieftains. And Allah said: ‘I am with you, only if you establish prayer, pay the alms, believe in my Messengers and stand with them, and lend to Allah a good loan. So I will expiate your sins, and I will admit you to gardens beneath which rivers flow, so whoever of you disbelieves after that, surely, he has gone astray from the Right Way’” (5:12)
- Joshua was fighting with the people Jerusalem (al-jababirah). The sun was about to set while they were fighting, he knew that they needed more time.
- Joshua pointed to the sun and said “You are receiving orders and I am receiving orders so stop”
- Allah made the sun stop until they finished fighting the enemy and then it set
- If you have Allah on your side then that’s all you need
- Hadith: “The sun has never been held back for a human being from setting except for Joshua” (Ahmad)
- Hadith: “One of the Prophets went for a battle, so he said to his people: ‘No one should come with me who has just had a wife but has not yet slept with her, no one who has built a house but did not yet put its roof up, nor the one who has bought goats or pregnant camels and is waiting for them to deliver.’ So the Prophet went for the battle, and approached a town after he had prayed the Asr prayer. Then he said to the sun: ‘You are commanded and I am commanded. O Allah hold it back for a while.” So Allah held it back, till the conquered the town. Then they all gathered what they found as spoils of the war. The fire then came to eat the spoils, but did not eat it. The Prophet then said: There is some one who has cheated from the spoils. So he asked one man from every tribe to come forward and pledge to him. They all came to pledge to him, but the hand of one man stuck with the hand of the Prophet. He said: ‘The cheat is from among you, so now let every one of your tribe come forward and pledge to me.’ They came and offered their pledge to him, and so the hands of two or three people for stuck with his hand, and he said: ‘You are the cheaters, you took the spoils of the war.’ So they took out gold equivalent to the head of a cow. They put the gold together with other spoils, and the fire came and are it. The spoils of war were not allowed for anyone before us. This is because Allah saw our weakness and incapacity, so He purified it for us” (Ahmad)
- He wanted the people who came with him to have sincerity, and not to be distracted. Their hearts shouldn’t be attached to something else.
- They won and started to establish their nation under the banner of “la ilaha illa Allah”
- Bani Israel continued to fight many wars.
Samuel:
- Aya: “Have you not seen the chiefs of the Children of Israel, after Musa, when they said to a Prophet of theirs: ‘Appoint for us a king that we may fight in the cause of Allah.’ He said: ‘Is it not possible that if fighting is prescribed for you, you may not fight?’ They said: ‘How could we refuse to fight in the cause of Allah, when we have been turned out of our homes and separated from our children?’ Yet when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned away, except a few of them, and Allah is All-Knowing of those evildoers” (2:246)
- He said you’re asking for fighting, but when fighting is prescribed for you will you fight
- They said of course. But Allah tells us that when fighting was ordered for them, they turned away, except for a few of them
- Aya: “And their Prophet said to them: ‘Allah has appointed Talut (Saul) as a king for you.’”
- So their Prophet tells them, ok your wish has been granted but they were not pleased.
- Aya: “They said: ‘How is he entitled to be a king over us, when we are better fitted than him, and he is not even gifted with wealth in abundance?’”
- He was from a lower race or class, and he wasn’t wealthy. Their hearts were diseased: they were arrogant.
- Aya: “He said: ‘Allah has chosen him above you, and has gifted him abundantly with knowledge and bodily strength. Allah bestows sovereignty on whom He pleases, and Allah is Alla-Sufficient, All-Knowing’”
- Their Prophet gave them the answer “Allah commanded it”. He didn’t need to say anything else. But since they gave two reasons why they didn’t want Talut as their leader, he gave them two reasons why he should be their leader.
- He gave them two reasons: he had knowledge (this doesn’t mean knowledge of fiqh, but knowledge in what is appropriate in his case which is fighting), and he also had strength (he was physically strong).
- Aya: “And their Prophet said to them: ‘Indeed the sign of his kingship is that the ark (tabut) shall come to you, in it is serenity from your Lord, and the relics left by the families of Musa and Harun, carried by angels.’ Surely, in this there is a sign for you, if you are believers” (2:247-248)
- Allah wanted to appoint Talut as their king through a ceremony.
- Allah wanted to strengthen their hearts in order to accept him as their leader, so a miracle was going to happen.
- When Bani Israel were at work with the Philistines and were defeated, their “Ark of Covenant”, which they had brought to the battlefield, to bless the war in their favor, was captured by their enemy and taken away. Now Allah is promising the return of this treasure and it will be carried by angels which they will see.
- Now Talut was appointed as their king.
- Aya: “So when Talut went forth with the army, he said: ‘Allah will test you at the river, whoever drinks of its water will not be my companion, and whoever does not taste it, he is surely my companions, and he who takes but a mere sip.’”
- He left the children, women and elderly and took only the soldiers. They numbered 80,000.
- Talut is not looking for numbers, he knew that what they will face ahead needs an iron will. So he wanted to take them through a series of tests so only the strong soldiers will be with him.
- Weak soldiers will cause more harm than benefit.
- He told them about the test.
- He made them march in the desert, he made them thirsty, exhausted and tired.
- When they reached the river (it’s said that it’s the River Jordan), he told them not to drink from it. And whoever drinks from it cannot continue with them.
- If one drank a handful then they could still remain as part of the group (it’s probably easier not to drink than to take that one sip)
- 80,000 went through the test and only 4,000 passed the test.
- 76,000 were left behind.
- Aya: “But they all drank of it, except a few of them. So when he crossed it (the river), he and the believers with him, they said: ‘We have no power this day to fight against Jalut (Goliath) and his armies.’ Those who had firm belied that they will meet Allah, said: ‘How often has a small company overcome a big company by Allah’s Will, and Allah is with those who are patient’”
- They said we have no way of fighting Jalut, they were a small amount compared to Jalut and his army.
- The believers disagreed and told them that they could win by Allah’s will.
- The other didn’t believe in the unseen, so they also failed.
- In the end Talut was left with 314 soldiers, our of 80,000.
- Hadith: The companions said: “We the companions of the Propeht were discussing that the number of those who attended Badr Battle was the same number of those who participated with Talut”
- Aya: “And when they advanced against Jalut and his army, they prayed: ‘Our Lord! Pour out upon us constancy (sabr) and make our foothold firm, and help us against the disbeliever people.’ So they rooted them by Allah’s Will.”
- After we do our part in preparation, we put our trust in Allah and we make dua for Him to help us. That is what they did.
- They asked Allah to pour patience over them, because they knew that they needed a lot of it.
- The battle started, a huge army was fighting this small army.
- Jalut was the kind of the enemy, a powerful, huge, strong, arrogant man. He was challenging Talut’s army to fight him.
- Talut asked: who will go and fight him?
- A young, short man said I will go.
- Talut asked again when he saw the young man, but no one came forward except this young man.
- This young man had courage, he went up to Jalut with a sling shot.
- Jalut said: “Go back, I don’t want to fight you, I don’t want to kill you, send someone else”
- But the young man said: I want to kill you.
- The young man fired his sling shot and he killed Jalut.
- The young man was David.
- Now Bani Israel will enter into their golden age. Just like the Muslims entered their golden age after the battle of badr.
- This was the best era for Bani Israel, after that it was their downfall as the curse of the Prophets was over them.
Dawud:
- He was from the progeny of Ibrahim.
- David was short with blue eyes, of little hair.
- After David killed Jalut, he became a hero overnight, and Israelites loved him.
- David was now their king and it was the first time that Prophethood and kingship came together. Allah gave him a strong kingdom.
- Allah also taught him wisdom (good judgment and the ability to run the affairs of his people) and other things that he willed.
- Aya: “And David slew Jalut, and Allah gave him sovereignty and wisdom, and taught him of what he pleased” (2:251)
- Miracles of Dawud:
-He was given a very beautiful voice,
-He was able to interpret the speech of animals (this was also given to his son Sulaiman),
Aya: “And we bestowed upon David bounty from Us: ‘O mountains and birds, echo Allah’s praise with him’” (34:10)
-When he made dhikr the birds and mountains would make thikr with him,
-Iron would be soft in his hands (without fire or hammers),
Aya: “And We softened the iron for him”
-He improved the making of armor.
Aya: “Make coats of mail, and set the links in even measure (not too large and not too small)”
Aya: “and it was We Who taught him the making of garments (armor) for you, to fortify you in your wars, so will you then be thankful?”
- People had iron but it was hard for them to use it.
- Allah also taught him how to make armory in a new way. Before that they would make it in the form of iron plates (heavy solid plates, not flexible). Prophet Dawud would make armory out of rings of iron which was light and flexible.
- Hadith: “The best food a man could eat is what is earned by him, and the Prophet of Allah David are from what he earned from his own handwork” (Ahmad)
- Allah granted him extraordinary resolve for devotion.
- Hadith: “The best prayer to Allah is the prayer of David, and the best fasting to Allah is the fasting of David: he slept for the first half of the night, then woke up for one third and prayed, and then he slept for the rest of one-sixth. He fasted one day and broke fast one day” (Bukhari and Muslim)
- Hadith: “Recitation has been made easy for David: he would ask for his horse to be saddled, then he would start recitation of the Quran, and would finish before the horse is saddled. And David would not eat except from what he earned from his own hands”
- It is said that his book was revealed during Ramadan.
- Allah gave him decisiveness. Aya: “And We strengthened his kingdom, and bestowed on him wisdom and sound judgment” (38:20)
- Hadith: “Two people took their case to David about a cow. One of them claimed that the other person seized the cow from him by force. But the defendant denied the claim. So David postponed the case till night. When it was night, Allah revealed to him to kill the claimant. When it was morning, David said to him: “Allah has revealed to me that I should kill you, so I am going to kill you without any doubt. Now tell me what is the truth about your claim?’. He said: ‘By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, I am true in what I claimed, but I had murdered his father before it.’ David therefore ordered him to be killed. After this case, David’s authority was greatly recognized among Bani Israel, and they obeyed him thoroughly.”
- Allah tests Dawud:
- Aya: “Had the story of the disputant come to you? When they climbed over the wall of the private chamber: when they entered before David, and he was terrified of them, and they said: ‘Do not dear, we are two disputants, one of us has wronged the other, so judge between us justly, and do not do injustice, and guide us to the right way. This man is my brother, and he has ninety-nine sheep, and I have one sheep. But he said to me: Entrust it to me, and he prevailed over me in the argument’”
- Aya: “David said: ‘Surely, he has been unjust to you in demanding your sheep in addition to his sheep, and surely many partners do wrong to each other, except those who believe and do righteous deeds, and how few are they?’ And David realized that We had tried him, so he sought forgiveness from his Lord, and fell, bowing, and turned in repentance. So we forgave him that, and he has a place of nearness with Us, and a fair return”
- Aya: “Oh David! We have appointed you as a khalifah on the earth, so judge between the people with justice, and do not follow vain desires, lest it leads you astray form the way of Allah. Surely, those who go astray from the way of Allah, for them awaits a severe chastisement, as they forgot the Day of Reckoning” (38: 21-25)
- Allah is addressing David in this verse, however it is intended for the rulers and those who are in authority. Allah has commanded them to be just, and to be followers of the truth revealed from Allah, not the kind of truth based on traditions and personal opinions. Those who follow a path other than that are threatened with a severe punishment.
- Death of David:
- When Allah created Adam, He took out all his progeny from his back, and there were Prophets among them clearly distinct from others. Adam saw among them one who was glowing. Adam said: “O my Lord! Who is this?” Allah replied: “He is your son David.” Adam said: “what is the age of him?” Allah said: “60 years”. Adam said: “My Lord increase his age!”. Allah said: “No, except that I may take from your age and increase his age”. Adam’s life span was 1000 years, so he gave him forty years out of his own age. So when the age of Adam came to end, the angel of death approached him. Adam said: “Is not there 40 years left from my age?” So Adam forgot what he had granted his son David out of his age. So Allah out of His Mercy granted Adam his original age of 1000 years and to David 100 years.
- Hadith: “David took great care of guarding his family. So when he went out, he locked the door, so nobody could enter his house until he returned. One day he went out, and locked the door. Suddenly his wife came to see a man in the middle of his house, so she said to the members of the family in the house: ‘How has this man entered the house when the door was locked? By Allah! David is going to feel disgraced.’ When David came back, he saw the man standing in the middle of the house, so he asked him: ‘Who are you?’ He replied: ‘I am the one who does not fear any king, neither could be barred by any hurdle’ David said: ‘So you could not be but the angel of death, so welcome to Allah’s command’. Then he stayed till he took his soul out of his body. When he was washed, and wrapped in the Kafan, the sun came up shining. So Sulaiman said to the birds: ‘Provide shade to David’, so when they did, it became dark, Sulaiman commanded the birds again: ‘Contract one wing each’” (Ahmad)
Thursday, May 15, 2008
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.
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.
Friday, May 9, 2008
May 8th: Prophet Musa (Part 2)
Prophet Musa (Part 2)
Musa goes to Pharaoh:
- When Musa came back from Madyan, he went to his mother and brother Harun. They were having their dinner, he ate with them. Then he said to Harun “O Harun! Allah has commanded me and you that we should go to Pharaoh and invite him to His worship”.
- They arrived at the gate but it was closed. Musa said to this gatekeepers and doormen “Go and tell him that the Messengers of Allah are at the door”. The doormen started mocking them.
- Musa moved forward and he started banging on the door with his staff. Pharaoh was disturbed and he asked them to be brought in, and so they stood infront of him and invited him to the way of Allah.
- Aya: “Go both of you to Pharaoh, for he is an insolent tyrant. Then speak to him gently, that he may be mindful, or perhaps he may fear. Both said: Our Lord! We fear that he may exceed in insolence against us. Allah said: Fear not, for I am with you, I hear and see” (20:40-46)
- -Allah first reminded them to remember Him often so He will give them strength to stand infront of Pharaoh.
- “Speak to him gently”, this is Allah’s mercy with His creatures.. even the one’s who disobey Him. It’s a sign that Allah is closer to mercy and forgiveness than to wrath and revenge.
- “We fear lest he may exceed in insolence against us”. They expressed their fear from Pharaoh because they are human, but Allah comforted them.
- Aya: “Go both of you, with Our Signs. We shall be with you, listening to your call. So go to Pharaoh and say: ‘We are the Messengers of the Lord of the worlds. You must send the Children of Israel with us’. He said: ‘Did we not raise you up among us as a child, and you stayed among us for many years of your life? And then you did that deed which you did while you were of the ungrateful?’” (26:10-19)
- They first invited Pharaoh and his people to the way of Allah and to worship Him Alone, without association any partner with Him. They also asked him to release the children of Israel from their captivity.
- They told Pharaoh the consequences of following the guidance (and peace to all those who follow guidance”. They also told him the consequences of rejecting the truth (Surely, it has been revealed to us that the chastisement shall befall him who rejects and turns away)
- Pharaoh showed his arrogance with his response. He tried to embarrass Prophet Musa with his unintentional murder.
- Musa responded: “I did it, then, when I was in error, then I fled from you when I feared you, but my Lord granted me wisdom and make me one of the Messengers” (26: 20-21)
- Then Musa commented on Pharaoh’s claim to have done him a favor by raising him. He said: “And what favor do you mention? That you enslaved the Children of Israel?” (26:22)
- Then Pharaoh asked Musa: “And who is the Lord of the worlds?. He said: The Lord of the heavens and the earth, and what is between them, if you could have a firm belief. He (Pharaoh) said to those around him: Did you hear that?. Musa said: Your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers. Pharaoh said: Surely, youe Messenger who has been sent to you is a madman. Musa said: The Lord of the east and the west and what is between them, if you have understanding” (26: 23-28)
- But Pharaoh continued in his denial of the existing of Allah and he claimed it for himself. Aya: “Then he gathered his people and proclaimed, saying ‘I am your lord, the most high’” (79:23-24)
- Musa tried to bring Pharaoh’s attention to the signs of Allah’s existence all around him but Pharaoh was stubborn and arrogant.
- Aya: “Allah is the One Who has made for you the earth as a cradle, and has opened roads for you therein, and sent down water from the sky”.. then Allah says “Out of the earth did We create you, and We shall return you to it, and from it shall We bring you forth a second time” (20:49-55)
- Pharaoh said: “If you take a god other than me, I will certainly imprison you. Musa said: Even if I bring you a clear proof. Pharaoh said: Show it then if you are truthful. So he threw down his staff, and it became a large snake. And he drew his hand, and it was shining white to the onlookers” (26:29-33)
- Pharaoh claimed that what Musa showed was nothing but a trick of magic and sorcery.
- Pharaoh said: “O Musa, Have you come to drive us out of our land by your magic? We shall also bring you magic to match yours, so set an appointed time between us and you which we shall not fail to keep, in an open wide place where both shall have equal and just opportunity”.
- Musa said: “Let the encounter be on the day of the Festival of Adornment, and let the people be assembled at high noon” (20: 56-59)
- Pharaoh asked Musa to pick a place and time so that everyone can attend and see who is right. This is exactly what Prophet Musa wanted.
- Musa, without any delay, named the day of a famous festival which he knew everyone would attend.
Musa and the Magicians:
- Aya: “So Pharaoh withdrew and mustered his plot, and then came back. Musa said to them: “Woe to you! Forge not a falsehood against Allah, lest He destroy you with a severe chastisement. The one who forges falsehood must perish”
- Pharaoh gathered all the great magicians of Egypt, his ministers, dignitaries and all the people. It was Pharaoh’s command to attend, so no one dared not to.
- Before starting, Musa went to the magicians and rebuked them for practicing magic against Allah’s signs and threatened them with a Divine punishment.
- Aya: “So they disputed among themselves concerning the issue”
- Some said it seems like it’s a call of a Prophet, and others said no he’s just a magician. They finally agreed that Musa and Harun were magicians who want to take away their land.
- Pharaoh promised the magicians a great reward if they were successful.
- The magicians said: “By th might of Pharaoh, we are certainly the victorious”
- They asked Musa if he would like to go first but he told them to go ahead.
- Aya: “So when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of people and struch terror into them, and produced great magic” (7:116)
- Aya: “And so it appeared to him by their magic, that their ropes and sticks were moving. So Musa conceived a fear within himself”
- Musa feared that the people would be bewitched by their spell before he could throw his stick.
- Aya: “Fear not, certainly you have the upper hand. And throw down what is in your right hand, and it shall devour all they have faked, for they have faked only with the magician’s plot, and the magician will never succeed, wherever he goes”
- So Musa threw his stick on the ground and said: “What you have brought is sorcery, Allah will surely render it vain”
- When Musa threw his stick, it turned into a huge snake. It started devouring their ropes and sticks one by one.
- People were astonished, and the magicians were in bewilderment. They couldn’t believe their eyes. They knew their profession very well and they knew that this was NOT magic.
- So they all fell in prostration to their Lord, the Lord of the world. They announced their belief openly without fearing Pharaoh.
- Aya: “So the magicians threw themselves down prostrating, and said: ‘We believe in the Lord of Harun and Musa’. Pharaoh said: ‘You believed in Him before I gave you permission, surely, he is your chief who taught you the magic. Therefore, I shall cut off your hands and legs on opposite sides, and I will have you crucified on the trunks of palm trees, and you will know most certainly which of us is more severe in chastisement, and more lasting’. They said: ‘Never shall we prefer you to what has come to us of the clear signs and above He Who created us. Do decree whatever you desire to decree, for you only decree concerning the life of this world’” (20:70-72)
- Aya: “For us, we have believed in our Lord, may He forgive us our sins, and the magic which you have compelled us to practice”
- It is said that when the magicians fell down in prostration they saw the palaces and houses in paradise being prepared and decorated for them. That’s what strengthened their iman against Pharaoh’s threat.
- Pharaoh was of course frightened by this and he was afraid that other people will believe as well.
- Pharaoh accused Musa of being their master magician and teacher. Which was a clear lie. Everyone knew very well that Musa had never met the magicians before, plus it was Pharaoh who chose the magicians himself.
- The magicians also made dua saying: “Our Lord make us patient and cause us to die as Muslims”- this is so they won’t reject belief when the punishment is being performed.
- Pharaoh wanted their punishment to be a deterrent and example for all those who incline to believe.
- However, the magicians had tasted the sweetness of faith. They wanted Allah’s reward.
- SubhanAllah, how their situation changed in moments. In the first part of the day they were magicians and by the end of the day they were shudaha’.
Chiefs encourage Pharaoh to Kill Musa:
- The leaders and chiefs and dignitaries of the society encouraged Pharaoh to harm Musa and his people, and said: “Would you leave Musa and his people to work corruption on the land, and to forsake you?”
- However, Pharaoh said that he was not going to let them do that and he would start by killing their sons and sparing their women.
- Musa had no choice but to ask his people to be patient and seek Allah’s help against Pharaoh. He assured them that the end was for them, if they were patient and righteous.
- Aya: “And Musa said: ‘O my people! If you believe in Allah, then put your trust in Him, if you are Muslims’. So they said: ‘In Allah we trust.”
- However, they still complained to Musa that they were harmed twice. Once before he was born and now by the killings of their sons.
- Musa comforted them that after this trial they will inherit the land from their enemy.
- The killings of their sons was to make them feel helpless, humiliated and to reduce their number.
- Aya: “And Pharaoh said: ‘Let me kill Musa, and let him call on his Lord. I fear he will change your religion, or spread mischief in the land’”
The believer:
- Aya: “And a believer from among Pharaoh’s people who concealed his faith said: Will you kill a man because he said My Lord is Allah? And indeed he has brought to you clear signs from your Lord, and if he is a liar, on him will be his lie, and if he is truthful, there will befall you some of what he threatens you with. Surely, Allah does not guide any excessive liar. O my people! Today sovereignty is yours, you have the upper hand in the land. But who will help us from the punishment of Allah if it befalls us?. Pharaoh said: I only point out to you what I see myself, and I only guide you to the right path”
- This man was Pharaoh’s cousin. He had until that moment concealed his belief.
- Hadith: “The best of Jihad is to speak out about justice and truth in the presence of a tyrant ruler”
- The man asked Pharaoh, are you going to kill him just because he chose to believe in Allah? What crime is that?
- Then he pointed out that Musa did bring proofs to support his claim. So why not reflect on the message he is bringing, or at least leave him alone so you won’t be punished.
- He warned them that they might be deprived of their land and wealth if they keep opposing Musa.
- Of course Pharaoh didn’t want to hear this voice of reason, as he claimed that he knew everything.
- Pharaoh knew deep down in his heart that Musa was telling the truth, yet he was too arrogant to admit it.
- Aya: “So when Our sins came to them visibly, they said: This is nothing but magic. And they rejected them, though their souls were convinced of them, wrongfully and out of pride” (27:13-14)
- The man also reminded them of the end of the people who came before them. Like the people of Noah, Hud, Lot, etc.
- He also reminded them of Prophet Joseph and his mission in Egypt, and how he benefited them in this world and in the Hereafter, and how Musa is from his progeny.
- He reminded them how they were in doubt about Yusuf’s message: “But you persisted in doubt concerning what he came to you with, until when he perished, you said: Allah will never send a Messenger after him”
- Yet Pharaoh’s response was: “O Haman! Build for me a tower that I may have access to the heavens and may see the God of Musa, and I think he is a liar”
- He also said: “O chiefs! I do not know of any god for you other than myself, burn for me bricks of clay, O Haman, and build for me a tower, that I may climb up to the god of Musa, for I consider him to be a liar”
- Pharaoh wanted to distract his people from the truth.
- The believer said: “O my people! Follow me, and I will guide you to the right way. O my people! The life of this world is but a fleeting enjoyment, and surely the hereafter is the enduring home. Whoever does an evil deed, shall be recompensed only with the like of it, and whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, and is a believer, these shall be admitted to the Gardens, there they will be provided abundantly without reckoning”
- They argued with him and asked him to remain on Pharaoh’s religion.
- He responded: “Oh my people! How is is that I call you to deliverance and you call me to the Fire? You call me t disbelieve in Allah and to associate with Him that which I have no knowledge of, and I call you to the Almighty, the Forgiver. No doubt that those you call me to cannot be called upon in this world or in the Hereafter, and to Allah is out return, and the transgressors and the inhabitants of the fire”
- They again were too arrogant and did not listen to the believer amongst them. Allah protected the believer and they did not harm him.
Signs and Trials:
- When the message was very clear to them and they saw the signs and both prophets did their efforts in calling them to Allah, Allah put them to through trials of different kinds.
- Aya: “And certainly we seized Pharaoh’s people with years of scarcity and a reduction of fruits, that they might be mindful. SO when good came to them, they said: This is our due. But if evil afflicted them, they would ascribe is to Musa and those with him. Whereas, surely their misfortune was with Allah, but most of them do not know. And they said: Whatever sign you bring to us to enchant us, we will not believe in you. So We sent on them the flood and the locusts, the lice and the frogs, and the blood, self-explained signs, but they were arrogant and were sinful people.”
- The first thing was that they suffered from a drought which lasted for years. The purpose of this trial was to force them to realize their limits and the real Lord who handles this life.
- The second sign was the flood. An abundance of rain which destroyed their crops.
- Third was the locusts which ate all of their crops and fruits
- Fourth was the lice-black tiny insects that attacked them everywhere
- Fifth: Frogs. Frogs were EVERYWHERE. Even if one opened his mouth to drink or eat a frog would jump into it.
- Sixth: Blood. Their water was mixed with blood.
- All of these trials were for the Egyptians. Even though the children of Israel still lived in the same land, they did not suffer from any of this. Another miracle of Musa.
- Aya: “And when the plague fell upon them, they said: O Musa! Pray for us to your Lord in the name of the covenant He has made with you, if you remove the plague from us, we will surely believe in you, and we will send forth the Children of Israel with you” (7:134)
- Musa prayed to Allah to remove their suffering. But they did not fulfill their promise… then they were afflicted with locusts, and so on….
- They broke their promise every time, and so the punishment would get harsher every time.
- Pharaoh said: “Am I not better than this one, who is despicable, and who can hardly express himself? Why were not then the bracelets of gold bestowed upon him, or angels come with him as companions?. Thus did he make fools of his people, and they obeyed him, indeed they were wicked people” (43: 46-56)
The destruction of Pharaoh and his army:
- It was now time for their punishment. They were given enough chances.
- Other than the magicians, tt’s said that only 3 Egyptians believed in Musa. Pharaoh’s wife, his cousin, and the man who warned Musa to get out of town after the killing.
- Aya: “And We inspired Musa and his brother: Make separate dwellings for your people in Egypt, and make your dwellings places of worship, and establish prayer, and give glad tidings to the believers”
- This is in order for the believers to be distinguished and so they would be able to find each other quickly.
- Musa finally made a prayer against Pharaoh, he said: “Our Lord! You have given Pharaoh and his chiefs the glitters and wealth of this worldly life. Our Lord! They misled people from Your way. Our Lord! Obliterate their wealth, and harden their hearts, so they will not believe until they see the grievous punishment”
- Allah answered his prayer, as he accepted the prayer of Noah against his people.
- The Children of Israel asked Pharaoh for his permission to go to one of their festivals. He granted his permission to them unwillingly. But when the Israelites prepared themselves for this festival, they actually prepared to depart from Egypt forever.
- The Children of Israel left Egypt at once heading towards the land of Syrian. When Pharaoh came to know about their departure, he became extremely angry, and asked his army chiefs to get ready to follow them and punish them.
- Allah revealed to Musa to depart with Bani Israel at night, and He told them that Pharaoh would follow them.
- Pharaoh was enraged and wanted to punish them. He looked at them as a small number and he was sure that they would be victorious.
- Pharaoh had an army which exceeded one a half million.
- Bani Israel were about half a million, they were finally leaving Egypt after 426 years.
- Pharaoh finally caught up to Bani Israel. There was no way out for them, the sea was infront of them and Pharaoh and his army were behind them.
- They found no escape and complained to Musa. He assured them that Allah is with them.
- Musa came to the sea, and looked at it with its huge waves. He was saying: here is where I was commanded.
- Harun and Yusha’ bin Nun were with him.
- The believer from the house of Pharaoh was also with him, he actually tried to enter the sea with his horse but he couldn’t. He said to Musa: “O Messenger of Allah, where you commanded to come here”. Musa said: “Yes”
- When Pharaoh got closer and closer, people started to panic.
- Revelation came to Musa: “Strike the sea with your stick”. So he struck it.
- And so the sea parted and each part stood like a huge mountain.
- Allah created dry paths for Bani Israel so they can pass through the sea.
- When the last person of Bani Israel exited the sea, Pharaoh and his army started entering it.
- Musa wanted to strike the sea again so it would block their way, but Allah commanded him to leave it so Pharaoh and his army could enter it.
- At this point Pharaoh was frightened but he still wanted to prove himself to his army so he said: “Look how the sea has split apart for me so that I could catch my servants”
- When his army saw him entering the sea, they followed him.
- When all of them were in the sea, Allah commanded Musa to strike it with his stick and so they were all drowned.
- Aya: “And We took Bani Israel through the sea. Then Pharaoh and his soldiers perused them in insolence and hostility, until when drowning overtook him, he said: I believe that there is no god except the one whom Bani Israel believed in. And I am one of the Muslims. Now you believe, after you rebelled before and caused corruption. This day We shall save you in your body so that you may be a sign for those who come after you. But surely many among mankind are heedless of Our signs” (10:90-92)
- As soon as Pharaoh realized that he was helpless he proclaimed his belief in Allah… but it was too late.
- Hadith: “When Pharaoh said: ‘I believe that there is no god except He whom Bani Israel believed in’. Jibril said to me: If you could have seen me when I took the mud from the sea and shoved it into his mouth, fearing that the mercy of God might save him”
- Aya: “Rather, that which they before concealed appeared to them, and even if they were returned, they would commit again the very thing they were prohibited, surely they are liars” (6:28)
- Some of Bani Israel were doubtful of Pharaoh’s death, so Allah commanded the sea to raise his body high on the wave. He was wearing his armor with which he was recognized, and so his death was confirmed.
- Pharaoh and his army were drowned on the day of Ashura.
- Hadith: “when the Prophet came to Madinah, he found the Jews fasting on the day of Ashura. He asked them: What is this day that you are fasting on?. They answered: this is a day when Musa gained victory over Pharaoh. So the Prophet said to his companions: “You are more deserving of Moses then them, so you fast as well” (Bukhari)
Musa goes to Pharaoh:
- When Musa came back from Madyan, he went to his mother and brother Harun. They were having their dinner, he ate with them. Then he said to Harun “O Harun! Allah has commanded me and you that we should go to Pharaoh and invite him to His worship”.
- They arrived at the gate but it was closed. Musa said to this gatekeepers and doormen “Go and tell him that the Messengers of Allah are at the door”. The doormen started mocking them.
- Musa moved forward and he started banging on the door with his staff. Pharaoh was disturbed and he asked them to be brought in, and so they stood infront of him and invited him to the way of Allah.
- Aya: “Go both of you to Pharaoh, for he is an insolent tyrant. Then speak to him gently, that he may be mindful, or perhaps he may fear. Both said: Our Lord! We fear that he may exceed in insolence against us. Allah said: Fear not, for I am with you, I hear and see” (20:40-46)
- -Allah first reminded them to remember Him often so He will give them strength to stand infront of Pharaoh.
- “Speak to him gently”, this is Allah’s mercy with His creatures.. even the one’s who disobey Him. It’s a sign that Allah is closer to mercy and forgiveness than to wrath and revenge.
- “We fear lest he may exceed in insolence against us”. They expressed their fear from Pharaoh because they are human, but Allah comforted them.
- Aya: “Go both of you, with Our Signs. We shall be with you, listening to your call. So go to Pharaoh and say: ‘We are the Messengers of the Lord of the worlds. You must send the Children of Israel with us’. He said: ‘Did we not raise you up among us as a child, and you stayed among us for many years of your life? And then you did that deed which you did while you were of the ungrateful?’” (26:10-19)
- They first invited Pharaoh and his people to the way of Allah and to worship Him Alone, without association any partner with Him. They also asked him to release the children of Israel from their captivity.
- They told Pharaoh the consequences of following the guidance (and peace to all those who follow guidance”. They also told him the consequences of rejecting the truth (Surely, it has been revealed to us that the chastisement shall befall him who rejects and turns away)
- Pharaoh showed his arrogance with his response. He tried to embarrass Prophet Musa with his unintentional murder.
- Musa responded: “I did it, then, when I was in error, then I fled from you when I feared you, but my Lord granted me wisdom and make me one of the Messengers” (26: 20-21)
- Then Musa commented on Pharaoh’s claim to have done him a favor by raising him. He said: “And what favor do you mention? That you enslaved the Children of Israel?” (26:22)
- Then Pharaoh asked Musa: “And who is the Lord of the worlds?. He said: The Lord of the heavens and the earth, and what is between them, if you could have a firm belief. He (Pharaoh) said to those around him: Did you hear that?. Musa said: Your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers. Pharaoh said: Surely, youe Messenger who has been sent to you is a madman. Musa said: The Lord of the east and the west and what is between them, if you have understanding” (26: 23-28)
- But Pharaoh continued in his denial of the existing of Allah and he claimed it for himself. Aya: “Then he gathered his people and proclaimed, saying ‘I am your lord, the most high’” (79:23-24)
- Musa tried to bring Pharaoh’s attention to the signs of Allah’s existence all around him but Pharaoh was stubborn and arrogant.
- Aya: “Allah is the One Who has made for you the earth as a cradle, and has opened roads for you therein, and sent down water from the sky”.. then Allah says “Out of the earth did We create you, and We shall return you to it, and from it shall We bring you forth a second time” (20:49-55)
- Pharaoh said: “If you take a god other than me, I will certainly imprison you. Musa said: Even if I bring you a clear proof. Pharaoh said: Show it then if you are truthful. So he threw down his staff, and it became a large snake. And he drew his hand, and it was shining white to the onlookers” (26:29-33)
- Pharaoh claimed that what Musa showed was nothing but a trick of magic and sorcery.
- Pharaoh said: “O Musa, Have you come to drive us out of our land by your magic? We shall also bring you magic to match yours, so set an appointed time between us and you which we shall not fail to keep, in an open wide place where both shall have equal and just opportunity”.
- Musa said: “Let the encounter be on the day of the Festival of Adornment, and let the people be assembled at high noon” (20: 56-59)
- Pharaoh asked Musa to pick a place and time so that everyone can attend and see who is right. This is exactly what Prophet Musa wanted.
- Musa, without any delay, named the day of a famous festival which he knew everyone would attend.
Musa and the Magicians:
- Aya: “So Pharaoh withdrew and mustered his plot, and then came back. Musa said to them: “Woe to you! Forge not a falsehood against Allah, lest He destroy you with a severe chastisement. The one who forges falsehood must perish”
- Pharaoh gathered all the great magicians of Egypt, his ministers, dignitaries and all the people. It was Pharaoh’s command to attend, so no one dared not to.
- Before starting, Musa went to the magicians and rebuked them for practicing magic against Allah’s signs and threatened them with a Divine punishment.
- Aya: “So they disputed among themselves concerning the issue”
- Some said it seems like it’s a call of a Prophet, and others said no he’s just a magician. They finally agreed that Musa and Harun were magicians who want to take away their land.
- Pharaoh promised the magicians a great reward if they were successful.
- The magicians said: “By th might of Pharaoh, we are certainly the victorious”
- They asked Musa if he would like to go first but he told them to go ahead.
- Aya: “So when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of people and struch terror into them, and produced great magic” (7:116)
- Aya: “And so it appeared to him by their magic, that their ropes and sticks were moving. So Musa conceived a fear within himself”
- Musa feared that the people would be bewitched by their spell before he could throw his stick.
- Aya: “Fear not, certainly you have the upper hand. And throw down what is in your right hand, and it shall devour all they have faked, for they have faked only with the magician’s plot, and the magician will never succeed, wherever he goes”
- So Musa threw his stick on the ground and said: “What you have brought is sorcery, Allah will surely render it vain”
- When Musa threw his stick, it turned into a huge snake. It started devouring their ropes and sticks one by one.
- People were astonished, and the magicians were in bewilderment. They couldn’t believe their eyes. They knew their profession very well and they knew that this was NOT magic.
- So they all fell in prostration to their Lord, the Lord of the world. They announced their belief openly without fearing Pharaoh.
- Aya: “So the magicians threw themselves down prostrating, and said: ‘We believe in the Lord of Harun and Musa’. Pharaoh said: ‘You believed in Him before I gave you permission, surely, he is your chief who taught you the magic. Therefore, I shall cut off your hands and legs on opposite sides, and I will have you crucified on the trunks of palm trees, and you will know most certainly which of us is more severe in chastisement, and more lasting’. They said: ‘Never shall we prefer you to what has come to us of the clear signs and above He Who created us. Do decree whatever you desire to decree, for you only decree concerning the life of this world’” (20:70-72)
- Aya: “For us, we have believed in our Lord, may He forgive us our sins, and the magic which you have compelled us to practice”
- It is said that when the magicians fell down in prostration they saw the palaces and houses in paradise being prepared and decorated for them. That’s what strengthened their iman against Pharaoh’s threat.
- Pharaoh was of course frightened by this and he was afraid that other people will believe as well.
- Pharaoh accused Musa of being their master magician and teacher. Which was a clear lie. Everyone knew very well that Musa had never met the magicians before, plus it was Pharaoh who chose the magicians himself.
- The magicians also made dua saying: “Our Lord make us patient and cause us to die as Muslims”- this is so they won’t reject belief when the punishment is being performed.
- Pharaoh wanted their punishment to be a deterrent and example for all those who incline to believe.
- However, the magicians had tasted the sweetness of faith. They wanted Allah’s reward.
- SubhanAllah, how their situation changed in moments. In the first part of the day they were magicians and by the end of the day they were shudaha’.
Chiefs encourage Pharaoh to Kill Musa:
- The leaders and chiefs and dignitaries of the society encouraged Pharaoh to harm Musa and his people, and said: “Would you leave Musa and his people to work corruption on the land, and to forsake you?”
- However, Pharaoh said that he was not going to let them do that and he would start by killing their sons and sparing their women.
- Musa had no choice but to ask his people to be patient and seek Allah’s help against Pharaoh. He assured them that the end was for them, if they were patient and righteous.
- Aya: “And Musa said: ‘O my people! If you believe in Allah, then put your trust in Him, if you are Muslims’. So they said: ‘In Allah we trust.”
- However, they still complained to Musa that they were harmed twice. Once before he was born and now by the killings of their sons.
- Musa comforted them that after this trial they will inherit the land from their enemy.
- The killings of their sons was to make them feel helpless, humiliated and to reduce their number.
- Aya: “And Pharaoh said: ‘Let me kill Musa, and let him call on his Lord. I fear he will change your religion, or spread mischief in the land’”
The believer:
- Aya: “And a believer from among Pharaoh’s people who concealed his faith said: Will you kill a man because he said My Lord is Allah? And indeed he has brought to you clear signs from your Lord, and if he is a liar, on him will be his lie, and if he is truthful, there will befall you some of what he threatens you with. Surely, Allah does not guide any excessive liar. O my people! Today sovereignty is yours, you have the upper hand in the land. But who will help us from the punishment of Allah if it befalls us?. Pharaoh said: I only point out to you what I see myself, and I only guide you to the right path”
- This man was Pharaoh’s cousin. He had until that moment concealed his belief.
- Hadith: “The best of Jihad is to speak out about justice and truth in the presence of a tyrant ruler”
- The man asked Pharaoh, are you going to kill him just because he chose to believe in Allah? What crime is that?
- Then he pointed out that Musa did bring proofs to support his claim. So why not reflect on the message he is bringing, or at least leave him alone so you won’t be punished.
- He warned them that they might be deprived of their land and wealth if they keep opposing Musa.
- Of course Pharaoh didn’t want to hear this voice of reason, as he claimed that he knew everything.
- Pharaoh knew deep down in his heart that Musa was telling the truth, yet he was too arrogant to admit it.
- Aya: “So when Our sins came to them visibly, they said: This is nothing but magic. And they rejected them, though their souls were convinced of them, wrongfully and out of pride” (27:13-14)
- The man also reminded them of the end of the people who came before them. Like the people of Noah, Hud, Lot, etc.
- He also reminded them of Prophet Joseph and his mission in Egypt, and how he benefited them in this world and in the Hereafter, and how Musa is from his progeny.
- He reminded them how they were in doubt about Yusuf’s message: “But you persisted in doubt concerning what he came to you with, until when he perished, you said: Allah will never send a Messenger after him”
- Yet Pharaoh’s response was: “O Haman! Build for me a tower that I may have access to the heavens and may see the God of Musa, and I think he is a liar”
- He also said: “O chiefs! I do not know of any god for you other than myself, burn for me bricks of clay, O Haman, and build for me a tower, that I may climb up to the god of Musa, for I consider him to be a liar”
- Pharaoh wanted to distract his people from the truth.
- The believer said: “O my people! Follow me, and I will guide you to the right way. O my people! The life of this world is but a fleeting enjoyment, and surely the hereafter is the enduring home. Whoever does an evil deed, shall be recompensed only with the like of it, and whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, and is a believer, these shall be admitted to the Gardens, there they will be provided abundantly without reckoning”
- They argued with him and asked him to remain on Pharaoh’s religion.
- He responded: “Oh my people! How is is that I call you to deliverance and you call me to the Fire? You call me t disbelieve in Allah and to associate with Him that which I have no knowledge of, and I call you to the Almighty, the Forgiver. No doubt that those you call me to cannot be called upon in this world or in the Hereafter, and to Allah is out return, and the transgressors and the inhabitants of the fire”
- They again were too arrogant and did not listen to the believer amongst them. Allah protected the believer and they did not harm him.
Signs and Trials:
- When the message was very clear to them and they saw the signs and both prophets did their efforts in calling them to Allah, Allah put them to through trials of different kinds.
- Aya: “And certainly we seized Pharaoh’s people with years of scarcity and a reduction of fruits, that they might be mindful. SO when good came to them, they said: This is our due. But if evil afflicted them, they would ascribe is to Musa and those with him. Whereas, surely their misfortune was with Allah, but most of them do not know. And they said: Whatever sign you bring to us to enchant us, we will not believe in you. So We sent on them the flood and the locusts, the lice and the frogs, and the blood, self-explained signs, but they were arrogant and were sinful people.”
- The first thing was that they suffered from a drought which lasted for years. The purpose of this trial was to force them to realize their limits and the real Lord who handles this life.
- The second sign was the flood. An abundance of rain which destroyed their crops.
- Third was the locusts which ate all of their crops and fruits
- Fourth was the lice-black tiny insects that attacked them everywhere
- Fifth: Frogs. Frogs were EVERYWHERE. Even if one opened his mouth to drink or eat a frog would jump into it.
- Sixth: Blood. Their water was mixed with blood.
- All of these trials were for the Egyptians. Even though the children of Israel still lived in the same land, they did not suffer from any of this. Another miracle of Musa.
- Aya: “And when the plague fell upon them, they said: O Musa! Pray for us to your Lord in the name of the covenant He has made with you, if you remove the plague from us, we will surely believe in you, and we will send forth the Children of Israel with you” (7:134)
- Musa prayed to Allah to remove their suffering. But they did not fulfill their promise… then they were afflicted with locusts, and so on….
- They broke their promise every time, and so the punishment would get harsher every time.
- Pharaoh said: “Am I not better than this one, who is despicable, and who can hardly express himself? Why were not then the bracelets of gold bestowed upon him, or angels come with him as companions?. Thus did he make fools of his people, and they obeyed him, indeed they were wicked people” (43: 46-56)
The destruction of Pharaoh and his army:
- It was now time for their punishment. They were given enough chances.
- Other than the magicians, tt’s said that only 3 Egyptians believed in Musa. Pharaoh’s wife, his cousin, and the man who warned Musa to get out of town after the killing.
- Aya: “And We inspired Musa and his brother: Make separate dwellings for your people in Egypt, and make your dwellings places of worship, and establish prayer, and give glad tidings to the believers”
- This is in order for the believers to be distinguished and so they would be able to find each other quickly.
- Musa finally made a prayer against Pharaoh, he said: “Our Lord! You have given Pharaoh and his chiefs the glitters and wealth of this worldly life. Our Lord! They misled people from Your way. Our Lord! Obliterate their wealth, and harden their hearts, so they will not believe until they see the grievous punishment”
- Allah answered his prayer, as he accepted the prayer of Noah against his people.
- The Children of Israel asked Pharaoh for his permission to go to one of their festivals. He granted his permission to them unwillingly. But when the Israelites prepared themselves for this festival, they actually prepared to depart from Egypt forever.
- The Children of Israel left Egypt at once heading towards the land of Syrian. When Pharaoh came to know about their departure, he became extremely angry, and asked his army chiefs to get ready to follow them and punish them.
- Allah revealed to Musa to depart with Bani Israel at night, and He told them that Pharaoh would follow them.
- Pharaoh was enraged and wanted to punish them. He looked at them as a small number and he was sure that they would be victorious.
- Pharaoh had an army which exceeded one a half million.
- Bani Israel were about half a million, they were finally leaving Egypt after 426 years.
- Pharaoh finally caught up to Bani Israel. There was no way out for them, the sea was infront of them and Pharaoh and his army were behind them.
- They found no escape and complained to Musa. He assured them that Allah is with them.
- Musa came to the sea, and looked at it with its huge waves. He was saying: here is where I was commanded.
- Harun and Yusha’ bin Nun were with him.
- The believer from the house of Pharaoh was also with him, he actually tried to enter the sea with his horse but he couldn’t. He said to Musa: “O Messenger of Allah, where you commanded to come here”. Musa said: “Yes”
- When Pharaoh got closer and closer, people started to panic.
- Revelation came to Musa: “Strike the sea with your stick”. So he struck it.
- And so the sea parted and each part stood like a huge mountain.
- Allah created dry paths for Bani Israel so they can pass through the sea.
- When the last person of Bani Israel exited the sea, Pharaoh and his army started entering it.
- Musa wanted to strike the sea again so it would block their way, but Allah commanded him to leave it so Pharaoh and his army could enter it.
- At this point Pharaoh was frightened but he still wanted to prove himself to his army so he said: “Look how the sea has split apart for me so that I could catch my servants”
- When his army saw him entering the sea, they followed him.
- When all of them were in the sea, Allah commanded Musa to strike it with his stick and so they were all drowned.
- Aya: “And We took Bani Israel through the sea. Then Pharaoh and his soldiers perused them in insolence and hostility, until when drowning overtook him, he said: I believe that there is no god except the one whom Bani Israel believed in. And I am one of the Muslims. Now you believe, after you rebelled before and caused corruption. This day We shall save you in your body so that you may be a sign for those who come after you. But surely many among mankind are heedless of Our signs” (10:90-92)
- As soon as Pharaoh realized that he was helpless he proclaimed his belief in Allah… but it was too late.
- Hadith: “When Pharaoh said: ‘I believe that there is no god except He whom Bani Israel believed in’. Jibril said to me: If you could have seen me when I took the mud from the sea and shoved it into his mouth, fearing that the mercy of God might save him”
- Aya: “Rather, that which they before concealed appeared to them, and even if they were returned, they would commit again the very thing they were prohibited, surely they are liars” (6:28)
- Some of Bani Israel were doubtful of Pharaoh’s death, so Allah commanded the sea to raise his body high on the wave. He was wearing his armor with which he was recognized, and so his death was confirmed.
- Pharaoh and his army were drowned on the day of Ashura.
- Hadith: “when the Prophet came to Madinah, he found the Jews fasting on the day of Ashura. He asked them: What is this day that you are fasting on?. They answered: this is a day when Musa gained victory over Pharaoh. So the Prophet said to his companions: “You are more deserving of Moses then them, so you fast as well” (Bukhari)
Friday, May 2, 2008
May 1st: Prophet Musa (Part 1)
Prophet Musa (Part 1)
Birth:
- Mentioned in more than 30 surahs and he was mentioned 124 times.
- From the lineage of Ibrahim
- Aya: “We relate to you the story of Moses and Pharaoh in truth, for people who believe. Surely, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land and divided its people into sections , one of which he oppressed , killing their sons and sparing their women, indeed, he was a corruptor. And We wish to be gracious to those who were oppressed in the land, and to make them leaders, and to make them inheritors. And to establish them in the land, and to show Pharaoh and Haman and their soldiers what they feared” (28: 1-6
- The dream: A fire coming out from Jerusalem and this fire swept through Egypt and destroyed everyone except for the children of Israel.
- His people used to spy on any pregnant woman from the children of Israel… if she delivered a boy he would be slaughtered right away.
- Eventually the people complained to Pharaoh because the children of Israel were getting less in number and soon there would be no one to serve them. So Pharaoh decided to spare the boys one year and slaughter them in the next one.
- Haroon was born in a year when the males were spared.
- When Musa’s mother became pregnant with him, it was during a year that the boys would be killed. She concealed her pregnancy.
- After she delivered Musa.
- Aya: “ And We inspired the mother of Musa: ‘Suckle him, and when you fear for him, cast him into the river, and do not fear nor grieve, We shall return him to you, and We shall make him one of the Messengers’
- This is a strong inspiration because no mother would throw her newborn child into a flowing river. (The Nile river is very wide and strong).
- She put her trust in Allah and she believed that He will take care of her child more than she will.
- The above verse has 2 dos, 2 don’ts and 2 promises: breastfeed him, throw him in the river. Don’t be afraid, don’t have any sorrow. Promise: We will return him to you, and We will make him a messenger.
- She breastfed her child, she put him in a wooden box into the river and she let him go. Just to fulfill the promise of Allah.
- She followed Allah’s orders to attain His promise. What about us? Do we fulfill Allah’s orders in order to receive what He has promised us?
- People used and still do live on the banks of the Nile river. Egypt is a desert and has no rain so people would live next to the river.
- Out of all the houses that were around, the wooden box stops at the Palace of Pharaoh.
- She threw him into the river to get him away from Pharaoh, yet Allah wants this baby to go right to the palace of Pharaoh.
- Aya: “the family of Pharaoh picked him up, that he may become for them an enemy and a cause of sorrow”
- Some servants found the box, they took him not Pharaoh but to Asiya, his wife.
- She fell in love with the child. Allah put the love of this righteous child into the heart of this righteous woman.
- It is said that Asiya and Maryam will be amongst the Prophet’s wives in jannah.
- When Pharaoh came and saw him, he wanted to kill him but she asked him if she could keep the boy and she said he will be “a comfort of the eye for me and you, don’t kill him perhaps he can be of benefit for us or we can adopt him as a son”.
- Allah put support for Musa in Pharaoh’s palace. Allah can do whatever He wants.
- Pharaoh said “he will be a comfort for your eyes but I don’t want him to be a comfort for my eyes”.
- Aya: “And the heart of the mother of Musa became empty”
- She was drained, she didn’t know where her son was.
- Aya: “She (the mother of Musa) was about to disclose her case”…. She was about to go and look for him…
- Aya: “But We strengthened her heart so she might remain as one of the believers”… nothing can fill an empty heart but iman… that kept her quiet.
- Musa’s mother asked his sister to go and follow the box to see where it ends up. She knew where it was.
- Allah didn’t allow Musa to suckle from any woman…Aya: “And We had ordained that he would refuse to be suckled by any foster mother…”
- Musa’s sister goes to the Palace and she tells them “Shall I show you to a family who will look after him for you and look after him sincerely”
- They said ok we’ll try.
- They took the child to the mother of Musa and he immediately started to breastfeed.
- Asiya invites Musa’s mother to come live in the palace and feed Musa.
- Musa’s mother now sets the terms… she said no I have a husband and home to take care of so you have to bring the child to me so I can breastfeed him.
- Musa is now leaving the palace of Pharaoh with royal guards and going to the house of his parents and his mother is being paid to take care of her child.
- If she had kept the child with her, he would have been killed. But because she fulfilled Allah’s command, her child is now protected and he’s become a source of income for his family.
- “So did We return him to his mother that she might be delighted and that she might not grieve, and so that she might know that the promise of Allah is true. But most of them don’t know”
- When you depend on Allah, no matter how weak you are He can provide you with the most strength.
Musa Kills:
- Musa is now a grown young man and Allah has blessed him with knowledge and wisdom.
- Musa was described as being very large, well built, dark skinned, curly hair, had a very strong presence and personality.
- Aya: “…he entered the city at a time when its people were at noon rest”… “and he found two people fighting there, one of them from his own people and the other from his enemy. The one from his own people leaded for him to help against his enemy”
- Musa went to help the man and all he did was push the other one with his stick. But the other man fell dead. Musa didn’t mean to kill him. It was unintentional murder.
- The next day Musa saw the same man from the children of Israel fighting with another Egyptian.
- Musa rushed ahead… the man got scared and he said “do you want to kill me like you killed someone yesterday”
- Until that moment no one knew who killed the Egyptian.
- This wasn’t a regular murder, it was a political issue… someone from the high class was killed in defense of someone from the low class.
- Pharaoh was angered by this issue and wanted to kill Musa.
- Aya: “A man came running from the farthest part of the city, saying: ‘O Moses! The chiefs are conspiring to slay you, so depart this place, I am your sincere advisor”
Musa goes to Madyan:
- Musa left immediately without packing or taking anything with him
- He walked until his shoes fell apart and he ate anything he found.. tree leaves, etc.
- He finally arrived at Madyan.
- He saw a group of men standing by some wells, drinking and giving water to their cattle while two women were standing with their cattle on the side.
- Musa is tired and in bad shape yet he cannot see something wrong taking place without helping out.
- He went up to the women and asked them what’s the matter.
- They said: “We cannot draw water until the shepherds have gone away, and our father is a very old man”
- So he drew water for them
- Then he went and sat in the shade and said: “My Lord! I am in need of any good that You may send to me”
- He’s asking Allah to give him anything… “Oh Allah whatever You can bestow on me, I need it”
- When the two women came home their father was surprised at their early return, they told him what happened and he sent one of them back to get him.
- Aya: “Then one of the two women came to him, walking shyly. She said: “My father invites you that he may reward you for drawing water for us”
- Allah describes her as having “7aya2”… a quality that is needed in both men and women…
- Musa went back with her… he walked infront of her and told her to toss him a rock to let him know if she wanted him to move left or right.
- Musa started narrating the story of his life. The old man told him not worry anymore, because he was now outside of Egypt and safe from them.
- One of the daughters went to her father and said “O my father, hire him. The best man to hire are the strong and trustworthy”.
- Her father asked her how did you know that he is strong and trustworthy and she told him about his physical strength that she saw while he watered their cattle. And she knew he was trustworthy because he walked infront of her…
- The father said to Musa: “I intend to give you one of these two daughters of mine in marriage, provided you serve me for eight years. However, if you complete ten, that will be from your grace. I do not want to place any hardship upon you. If Allah wills, you shall surely find me a righteous man”
- So the dowry for the marriage was that he’d work for him for 8 years.
- Musa clarified that the deal is settled and that he is free to fulfill either of the terms.
- Musa fulfilled the term of ten years.
- Up until this point Musa is not a prophet yet.
- We learn that Musa was a shepherd.. the Prophet told us that every Prophet was a shepherd.
- Being a shepherd teaches patience, it also makes the shepherd alert so he can guard the weak sheep.
Musa and Mount Tur:
- After Musa fulfilled the term of ten years, he left with his wife heading back to Egypt.
- He was feeling homesick and wanted to see his family in Egypt and decided to go visit them secretly.
- The journey happened to be in the night while it was cold.
- They lost their way and they couldn’t see anything.
- Musa spotted a fire near mount Tur. He said to his wife: “Stay here, I see a fire”
- It seems like he was the only one who was able to see the fire.
- “I hope that I can bring you from there some directions or some burning fire so that you may warm yourself”
- He went to receive guidance and so he did…
- He got there and now Allah tells us about the amazing conversation that took place.
- Aya: “So when he came to it, he was called: ‘O Moses! Indeed I am your Lord, take off your shoes, you are in the sacred valley of Tuwa. And I have chosen you, so listen to what is revealed. Indeed I am Allah, there is no God worthy of worship but I, therefore worship Me, and establish prayer for My remembrance. Certainly the Hour is coming, I have almost concealed it so that every soul may be recompensed for its deeds. Therefore, let not him who disbelieves in it, and follows his own lusts divert you from it lest you perish”
- When Musa got to the valley he saw a green tree, with a fire burning inside of it… and the more the fire burned the greener the tree became… it was actually not fire but a light. The light was extending up to the heavens.
- Allah spoke to Musa directly.
- Musa went to the fire because he wanted guidance… a direction to Egypt… but he received guidance for humanity.
- The first order was tawheed… the oneness of Allah
- The second order was to establish prayer.
- The third thing was that people need to believe in the after life.
- Aya: “And O Moses! What is this in your right hand?”
- Musa knows his stick very well… so he answered according to his knowledge
- Aya: “This is my stick, whereon I lean and I beat down leaves with to feed my sheep, and in it I fend other uses”
- Allah tells Musa to throw the stick
- Musa throws his stick and it started to shake and turned into a huge snake, with a big jaw and it was moving very quickly.
- Allah is the creator of everything…
- This is unusual for Musa so when he saw that he started running and did not look back… he had a normal human reaction.
- Allah wants to train Musa to get rid of this natural human fear because he is going to have to face many difficult situations in his life.
- Allah stopped him saying: “O Moses! Come back and fear not, for you are secure”
- Musa came back and Allah commanded him to hold the snake saying: “Take it, and do not fear, We shall restore it to its former state”
- As soon as Musa held the snake it turned back into the stick.
- Then Allah tells him: “And put your hand underneath your arm, and it will come out shinning white without stain, and draw your hand close to your side to be free from fear”
- Musa was dark skinned… when he pulled out his hand it was white and shinning like the moon. When he put it back it returned to its natural color.
- These are 2 of nine signs that Allah gave to Musa.
- The first action that Musa is ordered to do is “Go to Pharaoh, for he is a tyrant.”
- Musa was chosen by Allah for his strength and iman.
- He asked Allah to help him, he said: “Oh Allah open up my chest, and make my mission easy, and make loose the defect from my tongue so they may understand what I see”
- Musa had a problem with speech.
- “…and give me a helper from my family, Harun my brother, add to my strength through him, and make him share my task, so that we may glorify You and remember You frequently, surely, You are All-Seeing of us’ Allah said: ‘You are granted your request O Musa”
- Aishah heard a man saying to people while they were on their way to hajj: “who did the greatest favor to his brother?”. Aishah responded and said “Musa, he did the biggest favor upon his brother Harun because he asked Allah to make his brother a prophet”
- Musa said to Allah “My Lord! I have killed one of them, and I fear that they will kill me. And my brother Harun is more eloquent in speech than I. So, send him with me so he may support me. Surely, I fear they will reject me.’ He said: ‘We will certainly strengthen your arm with your brother, and We shall give you both such an authority that they will not be able to harm you.”
- Allah says : “Go both of you to Pharaoh… and speak to him softly...”
- Allah wants them to be gentle with Pharaoh.
Birth:
- Mentioned in more than 30 surahs and he was mentioned 124 times.
- From the lineage of Ibrahim
- Aya: “We relate to you the story of Moses and Pharaoh in truth, for people who believe. Surely, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land and divided its people into sections , one of which he oppressed , killing their sons and sparing their women, indeed, he was a corruptor. And We wish to be gracious to those who were oppressed in the land, and to make them leaders, and to make them inheritors. And to establish them in the land, and to show Pharaoh and Haman and their soldiers what they feared” (28: 1-6
- The dream: A fire coming out from Jerusalem and this fire swept through Egypt and destroyed everyone except for the children of Israel.
- His people used to spy on any pregnant woman from the children of Israel… if she delivered a boy he would be slaughtered right away.
- Eventually the people complained to Pharaoh because the children of Israel were getting less in number and soon there would be no one to serve them. So Pharaoh decided to spare the boys one year and slaughter them in the next one.
- Haroon was born in a year when the males were spared.
- When Musa’s mother became pregnant with him, it was during a year that the boys would be killed. She concealed her pregnancy.
- After she delivered Musa.
- Aya: “ And We inspired the mother of Musa: ‘Suckle him, and when you fear for him, cast him into the river, and do not fear nor grieve, We shall return him to you, and We shall make him one of the Messengers’
- This is a strong inspiration because no mother would throw her newborn child into a flowing river. (The Nile river is very wide and strong).
- She put her trust in Allah and she believed that He will take care of her child more than she will.
- The above verse has 2 dos, 2 don’ts and 2 promises: breastfeed him, throw him in the river. Don’t be afraid, don’t have any sorrow. Promise: We will return him to you, and We will make him a messenger.
- She breastfed her child, she put him in a wooden box into the river and she let him go. Just to fulfill the promise of Allah.
- She followed Allah’s orders to attain His promise. What about us? Do we fulfill Allah’s orders in order to receive what He has promised us?
- People used and still do live on the banks of the Nile river. Egypt is a desert and has no rain so people would live next to the river.
- Out of all the houses that were around, the wooden box stops at the Palace of Pharaoh.
- She threw him into the river to get him away from Pharaoh, yet Allah wants this baby to go right to the palace of Pharaoh.
- Aya: “the family of Pharaoh picked him up, that he may become for them an enemy and a cause of sorrow”
- Some servants found the box, they took him not Pharaoh but to Asiya, his wife.
- She fell in love with the child. Allah put the love of this righteous child into the heart of this righteous woman.
- It is said that Asiya and Maryam will be amongst the Prophet’s wives in jannah.
- When Pharaoh came and saw him, he wanted to kill him but she asked him if she could keep the boy and she said he will be “a comfort of the eye for me and you, don’t kill him perhaps he can be of benefit for us or we can adopt him as a son”.
- Allah put support for Musa in Pharaoh’s palace. Allah can do whatever He wants.
- Pharaoh said “he will be a comfort for your eyes but I don’t want him to be a comfort for my eyes”.
- Aya: “And the heart of the mother of Musa became empty”
- She was drained, she didn’t know where her son was.
- Aya: “She (the mother of Musa) was about to disclose her case”…. She was about to go and look for him…
- Aya: “But We strengthened her heart so she might remain as one of the believers”… nothing can fill an empty heart but iman… that kept her quiet.
- Musa’s mother asked his sister to go and follow the box to see where it ends up. She knew where it was.
- Allah didn’t allow Musa to suckle from any woman…Aya: “And We had ordained that he would refuse to be suckled by any foster mother…”
- Musa’s sister goes to the Palace and she tells them “Shall I show you to a family who will look after him for you and look after him sincerely”
- They said ok we’ll try.
- They took the child to the mother of Musa and he immediately started to breastfeed.
- Asiya invites Musa’s mother to come live in the palace and feed Musa.
- Musa’s mother now sets the terms… she said no I have a husband and home to take care of so you have to bring the child to me so I can breastfeed him.
- Musa is now leaving the palace of Pharaoh with royal guards and going to the house of his parents and his mother is being paid to take care of her child.
- If she had kept the child with her, he would have been killed. But because she fulfilled Allah’s command, her child is now protected and he’s become a source of income for his family.
- “So did We return him to his mother that she might be delighted and that she might not grieve, and so that she might know that the promise of Allah is true. But most of them don’t know”
- When you depend on Allah, no matter how weak you are He can provide you with the most strength.
Musa Kills:
- Musa is now a grown young man and Allah has blessed him with knowledge and wisdom.
- Musa was described as being very large, well built, dark skinned, curly hair, had a very strong presence and personality.
- Aya: “…he entered the city at a time when its people were at noon rest”… “and he found two people fighting there, one of them from his own people and the other from his enemy. The one from his own people leaded for him to help against his enemy”
- Musa went to help the man and all he did was push the other one with his stick. But the other man fell dead. Musa didn’t mean to kill him. It was unintentional murder.
- The next day Musa saw the same man from the children of Israel fighting with another Egyptian.
- Musa rushed ahead… the man got scared and he said “do you want to kill me like you killed someone yesterday”
- Until that moment no one knew who killed the Egyptian.
- This wasn’t a regular murder, it was a political issue… someone from the high class was killed in defense of someone from the low class.
- Pharaoh was angered by this issue and wanted to kill Musa.
- Aya: “A man came running from the farthest part of the city, saying: ‘O Moses! The chiefs are conspiring to slay you, so depart this place, I am your sincere advisor”
Musa goes to Madyan:
- Musa left immediately without packing or taking anything with him
- He walked until his shoes fell apart and he ate anything he found.. tree leaves, etc.
- He finally arrived at Madyan.
- He saw a group of men standing by some wells, drinking and giving water to their cattle while two women were standing with their cattle on the side.
- Musa is tired and in bad shape yet he cannot see something wrong taking place without helping out.
- He went up to the women and asked them what’s the matter.
- They said: “We cannot draw water until the shepherds have gone away, and our father is a very old man”
- So he drew water for them
- Then he went and sat in the shade and said: “My Lord! I am in need of any good that You may send to me”
- He’s asking Allah to give him anything… “Oh Allah whatever You can bestow on me, I need it”
- When the two women came home their father was surprised at their early return, they told him what happened and he sent one of them back to get him.
- Aya: “Then one of the two women came to him, walking shyly. She said: “My father invites you that he may reward you for drawing water for us”
- Allah describes her as having “7aya2”… a quality that is needed in both men and women…
- Musa went back with her… he walked infront of her and told her to toss him a rock to let him know if she wanted him to move left or right.
- Musa started narrating the story of his life. The old man told him not worry anymore, because he was now outside of Egypt and safe from them.
- One of the daughters went to her father and said “O my father, hire him. The best man to hire are the strong and trustworthy”.
- Her father asked her how did you know that he is strong and trustworthy and she told him about his physical strength that she saw while he watered their cattle. And she knew he was trustworthy because he walked infront of her…
- The father said to Musa: “I intend to give you one of these two daughters of mine in marriage, provided you serve me for eight years. However, if you complete ten, that will be from your grace. I do not want to place any hardship upon you. If Allah wills, you shall surely find me a righteous man”
- So the dowry for the marriage was that he’d work for him for 8 years.
- Musa clarified that the deal is settled and that he is free to fulfill either of the terms.
- Musa fulfilled the term of ten years.
- Up until this point Musa is not a prophet yet.
- We learn that Musa was a shepherd.. the Prophet told us that every Prophet was a shepherd.
- Being a shepherd teaches patience, it also makes the shepherd alert so he can guard the weak sheep.
Musa and Mount Tur:
- After Musa fulfilled the term of ten years, he left with his wife heading back to Egypt.
- He was feeling homesick and wanted to see his family in Egypt and decided to go visit them secretly.
- The journey happened to be in the night while it was cold.
- They lost their way and they couldn’t see anything.
- Musa spotted a fire near mount Tur. He said to his wife: “Stay here, I see a fire”
- It seems like he was the only one who was able to see the fire.
- “I hope that I can bring you from there some directions or some burning fire so that you may warm yourself”
- He went to receive guidance and so he did…
- He got there and now Allah tells us about the amazing conversation that took place.
- Aya: “So when he came to it, he was called: ‘O Moses! Indeed I am your Lord, take off your shoes, you are in the sacred valley of Tuwa. And I have chosen you, so listen to what is revealed. Indeed I am Allah, there is no God worthy of worship but I, therefore worship Me, and establish prayer for My remembrance. Certainly the Hour is coming, I have almost concealed it so that every soul may be recompensed for its deeds. Therefore, let not him who disbelieves in it, and follows his own lusts divert you from it lest you perish”
- When Musa got to the valley he saw a green tree, with a fire burning inside of it… and the more the fire burned the greener the tree became… it was actually not fire but a light. The light was extending up to the heavens.
- Allah spoke to Musa directly.
- Musa went to the fire because he wanted guidance… a direction to Egypt… but he received guidance for humanity.
- The first order was tawheed… the oneness of Allah
- The second order was to establish prayer.
- The third thing was that people need to believe in the after life.
- Aya: “And O Moses! What is this in your right hand?”
- Musa knows his stick very well… so he answered according to his knowledge
- Aya: “This is my stick, whereon I lean and I beat down leaves with to feed my sheep, and in it I fend other uses”
- Allah tells Musa to throw the stick
- Musa throws his stick and it started to shake and turned into a huge snake, with a big jaw and it was moving very quickly.
- Allah is the creator of everything…
- This is unusual for Musa so when he saw that he started running and did not look back… he had a normal human reaction.
- Allah wants to train Musa to get rid of this natural human fear because he is going to have to face many difficult situations in his life.
- Allah stopped him saying: “O Moses! Come back and fear not, for you are secure”
- Musa came back and Allah commanded him to hold the snake saying: “Take it, and do not fear, We shall restore it to its former state”
- As soon as Musa held the snake it turned back into the stick.
- Then Allah tells him: “And put your hand underneath your arm, and it will come out shinning white without stain, and draw your hand close to your side to be free from fear”
- Musa was dark skinned… when he pulled out his hand it was white and shinning like the moon. When he put it back it returned to its natural color.
- These are 2 of nine signs that Allah gave to Musa.
- The first action that Musa is ordered to do is “Go to Pharaoh, for he is a tyrant.”
- Musa was chosen by Allah for his strength and iman.
- He asked Allah to help him, he said: “Oh Allah open up my chest, and make my mission easy, and make loose the defect from my tongue so they may understand what I see”
- Musa had a problem with speech.
- “…and give me a helper from my family, Harun my brother, add to my strength through him, and make him share my task, so that we may glorify You and remember You frequently, surely, You are All-Seeing of us’ Allah said: ‘You are granted your request O Musa”
- Aishah heard a man saying to people while they were on their way to hajj: “who did the greatest favor to his brother?”. Aishah responded and said “Musa, he did the biggest favor upon his brother Harun because he asked Allah to make his brother a prophet”
- Musa said to Allah “My Lord! I have killed one of them, and I fear that they will kill me. And my brother Harun is more eloquent in speech than I. So, send him with me so he may support me. Surely, I fear they will reject me.’ He said: ‘We will certainly strengthen your arm with your brother, and We shall give you both such an authority that they will not be able to harm you.”
- Allah says : “Go both of you to Pharaoh… and speak to him softly...”
- Allah wants them to be gentle with Pharaoh.
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